The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) is poised to introduce changes to the structure of state ministries as part of the Third National Program, an outline of reforms for EU harmonization.

The changes aim at making ministries structurally compatible with the EU. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reportedly may alter the makeup of the Cabinet before the start of the new legislative term on Oct. 1; however, some say the changes to the Cabinet will be made after the introduction of changes to the structure of ministries.

The public governance reform, which was drafted by AK Party Istanbul deputy Ömer Dinçer, was shelved, and there are no plans to bring it back to the table unless a new constitution is drafted. After concluding that some parts of the public governance reform were already implemented with the introduction of changes to legislation on local governments, the AK Party decided to reconsider the changes that it will make to public governance as a whole. The chapters within the said reform whose completion are necessary for a smoother EU membership process will be implemented, whereas the remaining parts will be discussed after the constitutional amendments are passed.

Initially, the structure of four ministries will be changed. In addition, two new ministries will be set up, increasing the number of ministries to 28.

The AK Party, which reduced the number of ministries from 36 to 25 in 2003, merged the Environment Ministry with the Forestry Ministry and the Culture Ministry with the Tourism Ministry, also eliminating eight state ministries. In the last five years, the administration has realized that the reduced number of ministries caused serious problems in regards to its EU accession process.

To achieve improved cooperation in bilateral relations and talks with the relevant EU authorities during the negotiation process, dramatic changes will be made to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. Furthermore, the name of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will be changed to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, along with changes to its configuration.

Before proceeding with these structural changes to the ministries, the government will make amendments to the Law on Food Hygiene, the Law on Water Products, the Biosecurity Law, the Veterinary Services Law and the Animal Food Law. Subsequently, changes will be introduced to the bylaws of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and this ministry will be responsible not only for agricultural production but also for the food sector.

The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, which encompasses 18 general directorates, will be split into two separate ministries, one for energy and the other for natural resources. The 18 general directorates will be divided between these ministries. Mine products and other natural resources will be the responsibility of the Ministry of Natural Resources. All departments relevant to oil, natural resources and electricity will be subordinated to the Ministry of Energy.

There are other proposals suggesting a split in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry or changing it to the ministry of environment and natural resources. However, reports indicate that the prime minister has asked for the creation of an environment ministry that will include the State Waterworks Authority (DSİ).

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism will also be split up. The AK Party, which is considering the establishment of a ministry of science and technology, plans to name this entity the Ministry of Culture, Science and Technology.

Despite the fact it was mentioned in its party program, the AK Party has abandoned its plan to create a ministry for local administrations. Despite the ongoing discussions on the creation of a Ministry for EU Affairs, reports note that separating the EU General Secretariat from the Foreign Ministry is very unlikely.

Todays Zaman