Turkey's army may come under authority of defence ministry: President Erdogan

On Monday, the powerful president appointed former Chief of Staff Hulusi Akar as defence minister

ISTANBUL: Turkey's army may come under the authority of the defence ministry. President Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying by private broadcaster CNN Turk on Wednesday.

Erdogan on Monday appointed former Chief of Staff Hulusi Akar as defence minister. He made the comment to reporters traveling his plane to a Nato summit in Brussels, CNN Turk said.



On June 25, Erdogan emerged victorious from his biggest electoral challenge in a decade and a half, giving him the sweeping, executive powers he has long sought and extending his grip on the nation of 81 million until at least 2023.

The most popular and divisive leader in modern Turkish history, Erdogan pledged there would be no retreat from his drive to transform Turkey, a deeply polarised nation that is both a Nato member and, at least nominally, a candidate to join the European Union.