On Monday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan named his spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin as head of the National Intelligence Agency (MIT), according to Erdogan’s communications office.
On Saturday, Hakan Fidan, Turkey’s intelligence head since 2010, was appointed foreign minister.
Kalin has been Erdogan’s long-term confidant and has served as the presidency’s spokesperson and foreign policy adviser since 2014.
Kalin has a Ph.D. in Islamic studies from George Washington University and was one of the founders of SETA, an Ankara-based pro-government research organisation.
In recent years, Kalin has taken the lead on various diplomatic initiatives, helping to shape Turkey’s foreign policy agenda.