Turkey's Erdogan appoints spokesperson Kalin as intelligence chief amid speculation about new bank governor

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appointed his spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin as the head of the National Intelligence Agency (MIT) on Monday, Erdogan's communications office said.

Hakan Fidan, who had been Turkey's intelligence chief since 2010, was appointed foreign minister on Saturday.

Kalin is a long-term confidant of Erdogan and has served as the spokesperson for the presidency and been a foreign policy adviser for the president since 2014.

Kalin holds a Ph D from George Washington University in Islamic studies and was one of the founders of SETA, a pro-government think tank based in Ankara.

Kalin has taken the lead on several diplomatic efforts in recent years, shaping Turkey's foreign policy agenda.

Erdogan is also reportedly considering appointing Hafize Gaye Erkan, a senior finance executive in the United States, as central bank governor amid preparations for a policy pivot, two senior officials with knowledge of the matter said.

Erkan met with Mehmet Simsek, Turkey's newly-appointed treasury and finance minister, in Ankara on Monday, one of the sources said. The two sources told Reuters she is set to meet Erdogan soon to discuss the possible role.

The meetings - just over a week after Erdogan won re-election - come as the government signals it is preparing a U-turn to more orthodox policies, including interest rate hikes, to address a cost-of-living crisis.

The second source said Erkan was one of "a few candidates" to succeed current bank chief Sahap Kavcioglu, who spearheaded Erdogan's unorthodox policy of slashing rates since 2021 despite inflation soaring to a 24-year peak above 85% last year.

A former co-CEO at First Republic Bank and managing director at Goldman Sachs, Erkan could not be immediately reached for comment.

Erdogan's office and the Treasury ministry did not comment on Erkan.

(Reuters)