Former TRNC Prime Minister Faiz Sucuoğlu takes over Transport Ministry — first such case in Turkish Cypriot politics

Faiz Sucuoğlu, who previously served as prime minister of the TRNC, has taken over the Ministry of Public Works and Transport. For Turkish Cypriot politics, this is the first time a former head of government has joined another prime minister’s cabinet as a minister.

The handover ceremony took place on 14 September. Sucuoğlu received the portfolio from Finance Minister Özdemir Berova, who had been temporarily overseeing the ministry after Erhan Arıklı was removed from office following the passenger vessel disaster off Kyrenia on 30 August. Before this appointment, Sucuoğlu had served as secretary-general of the National Unity Party (UBP) and headed three different ministries.

“Not only the ministry — I am ready to work even as a director,” Sucuoğlu said at the ceremony, stressing that serving the country and its people is more important than holding office. He named the search for the 14 people still missing and their return to their families as his top priority.

During the handover, Berova said that search operations were continuing: the rescue vessel Optimus Prime, which had arrived on the island, had joined the operation.

Such transitions are rare in world politics, but not unique. Former British Prime Minister David Cameron later headed the country’s foreign ministry, Canadian Joe Clark became foreign minister after serving as prime minister, and Frenchman Laurent Fabius took the same path. The TRNC had no precedents of this kind until now.