ANKARA, February 6, 2026 – A sweeping set of appointments and dismissals across several Turkish ministries and public institutions was published today in the Official Gazette, signaling a significant reshuffling of key personnel. The most notable change? Yunus Elitaş has been appointed as the President of the Social Security Institution.
New Leadership and Departures Across Turkish Government
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President Erdoğan’s decisions impact labor, social security, and education sectors.
- Yunus Elitaş is the new President of the Social Security Institution.
- Several senior administrators within the Ministry of Labor and Social Security and the Social Security Institution were dismissed.
- Significant changes were also made to provincial directors of national education.
- Celalettin Sıvacı was appointed as the vacant Board Member of the Social Security Institution.
According to the decisions, signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the appointments are made in accordance with Articles 2 and 3 of Presidential Decree No. 3. This move to restructure leadership comes as the government faces ongoing economic challenges and a need to streamline public services.
What impact will these changes have on Turkey’s social security system? The appointment of Yunus Elitaş to lead the Social security Institution suggests a potential shift in policy or approach to managing the contry’s vital social safety net.
Alongside Elitaş’s appointment, several high-ranking officials were relieved of their duties. Bekir aktürk, Head of Guidance and Inspection of the Ministry, İbrahim Esenkar, General Director of Occupational Health and Safety of the Ministry, and İsmail Ertüzün, Deputy Chairman of the Social Security Institution, were all dismissed from their positions.
New appointments within the Ministry of Labor and Social Security include Harun Aydoğmuş and Cem Gökmen Gökçe as Deputy General Directors of International Labor Force, Selim Dağlıoğlu as Deputy General Director of Foreign Relations and European Union, Salih Turgay Işık as Deputy General Director of Legal Services, and Rıfat Koray Köprülüoğlu as the directorate of Guidance and Inspection.
Education Sector Undergoes Provincial restructuring
the changes weren’t limited to labor and social security. The Ministry of Education also saw a wave of provincial director appointments and dismissals. Muammer Öztürk was dismissed as Çankırı Provincial Director of National Education, with Ayhan Işık taking his place.
Further appointments include Gürhan Çokgezer to Bursa Provincial Directorate of National Education, Ahmet Alireisoğlu to Edirne Provincial Directorate of National Education, Mehmet Nurettin Aras to Adana provincial Directorate of National Education, Bilal Yılmaz Çandıroğlu to van Provincial Directorate of National Education, and Bilal Yılmaz Çandıroğlu again to Balıkesir Provincial Directorate of National Education. Selehattin Kal was appointed as the Director of National Education.
Hacı Atakan Doğan was appointed to the vacant Inspector position within the Ministry of National Education.
These personnel changes reflect a broader effort by the Turkish government to refresh its leadership and potentially implement new strategies across key sectors.
