Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan appointed new governors to 39 of the country’s 81 provinces, a presidential decree published in the Official Gazette showed on Oct. 27. Former Istanbul governor Vasip Şahin was appointed to the capital Ankara and the former governor for the southeastern province of Gaziantep, Ali Yerlikaya, was appointed to Istanbul.
Here is Istanbul's new Governor's message:
"Dear Istanbulites,
My duty in the civilian administration started in 1993 as the governor of Felahiye, after which I carried out the governorship of Şırnak, Ağrı, Tekirdağ, and Gaziantep. I have been appointed as the Governor of Istanbul with the Presidential Decree published on 26 October 2018.
After bidding farewell to the city of Gaziantep, to our citizens, and to our colleagues working in agencies and institutions, I begin my duty as the Governor of Istanbul as of today. First of all, I would like to thank all the inhabitants of the cities I have served until now, as well as to the esteemed members of the agencies, institutions, and NGOs.
I have brought their greetings to the Istanbulites, for whom I would serve as their brother, drinking the same water, and searching for the cures to the same matters with them. Istanbul is the unique and the outstanding city of our civilization. The best depiction of Istanbul, to my view, is probably Nedim’s:
Priceless is this city of Istanbul
Its single stone is worth the whole Persian land
It is such a pearl between two seas that
It would be fitting if it is compared by the earth’s sun
I am glad that I will serve such a unique city. I wholeheartedly salute all the inhabitants, streets, avenues, neighborhoods, institutions, NGOs, sports clubs, schools, and students of dear Istanbul. I praise God for letting me serve Istanbul. I wish from God that I could leave a pleasant memory.
I present my deepest gratitude to our President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who deemed me worthy of this position.
Let our destiny be to serve. May it go well."
Ali YERLİKAYA
Governor of Istanbul
