The appointment of the brand new Turkish ambassador within the north Yasin Ekrem Serim was made official by the Turkish authorities on Saturday night, with the appointment showing within the nation’s authorities gazette.
Reacting to his appointment on Fb, Serim mentioned, “I wish to specific my gratitude to our President [Recep Tayyip Erdogan] who deemed us worthy of this honourable responsibility.”
“All our effort … is to proceed working with willpower to make sure that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus reaches a greater future in each area, because it deserves. Could God not embarrass our nation and our Turkish Cypriot brothers on this sacred responsibility we’ve got undertaken,” he added.
The Turkish overseas ministry had mentioned Serim’s predecessor Metin Feyzioglu would change into the nation’s ambassador within the Czech Republic, although this transfer has not but been printed within the authorities gazette. As such, former European Union Affairs Minister Egemen Bagis stays in put up, for now no less than.
Serim has already brought on controversy within the north previous to his arrival, having taken out a court docket order in Istanbul to demand that three Cypriot information shops, specifically information web sites Bugun Kibris and Gazedda, and every day newspaper Ozgur Gazete, all delete articles about him.
The articles in query claimed that Serim was a enterprise accomplice of late Turkish Cypriot businessman Halil Falyali, who, in associated articles, was accused of “drug dealing, unlawful betting, tens of millions of {dollars} in cash laundering, and blackmail”.
The choice to alter ambassadors within the north was made final month in a shock announcement by the Turkish overseas ministry.
The transfer got here amid twin controversies involving Feyzioglu and the embassy, each in Turkey and in Cyprus.
Two candidates for the north’s largest celebration the UBP’s management have been reportedly summoned to the embassy’s residence in Ayios Epiktitos and advised to withdraw their candidacies.
On the identical time, Feyzioglu has been accused of not having adopted appropriate protocol in relation to the go to of Turkish opposition celebration CHP chief Ozgur Ozel to the island for the fiftieth anniversary of Turkey’s invasion of the island on July 20.
Opposition Turkish politicians who journey abroad are sometimes greeted by their nation’s ambassador throughout their go to, however Feyzioglu didn’t meet Ozel whereas the latter was in Cyprus.
Ozel had mentioned he would inform the Turkish overseas ministry of his and his celebration’s “discomfort” over not having been met by Feyzioglu.
Serim is 37 years outdated and started his profession in numerous authorities roles in 2010. He has labored contained in the Turkish overseas ministry since 2016.
He obtained his bachelor’s diploma within the north, learning public administration on the Girne American College in Kyrenia, earlier than occurring to acquire a grasp’s diploma in worldwide enterprise administration from the College of Westminster in the UK.
