Süleyman Soylu

Profile Overview

Süleyman Soylu (Turkish: [sylɛjman sojˈɫu]; born 21 November 1969) is a Turkish politician. He is a deputy chairman of the Justice and Development Party. He previously served as the Minister of Labour and Social Security from November 2015 to August 2016 and the Minister of the Interior from August 2016 to June 2023. He is a former leader of the Democrat Party (DP).
Soylu was appointed as the Interior Minister after the surprise resignation of Efkan Ala, with Soylu commenting that his appointment 'came as a surprise' to him as well.
Soylu was known for his divisive style, often accusing the opposition of "siding with terrorists" and imposing restrictive measures on opposition-controlled municipalities. His re-appointment as Interior Minister after Erdoğan's election victory in 2018 was protested by opposition parties, whose MPs turned their backs as Soylu took the oath of office in Parliament. He removed large numbers of Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) mayors and officials from their offices due to alleged affiliation with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), replacing ousted mayors with Ankara-appointed trustees. While these actions have received positive responses from some nationalist politicians, opposition parties and human rights groups have condemned the removals. He is seen as possible successor as leader of AK Party and president Erdogan.