Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has initiated a new rotation process within Turkey’s overseas diplomatic corps. According to diplomatic sources, Fidan has notified several ambassadors and permanent representatives of their new assignments. The list covers a broad rotation spanning Europe to Africa, the Middle East to Asia, and multilateral diplomacy centers.
One of the most notable appointments is to Kiev. Fatma Ceren Yazgan, currently serving as Ambassador to The Hague, has been assigned as Turkey’s Ambassador to Kiev. Amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Kiev mission is among Turkey’s closely monitored posts due to its significance in bilateral relations with Ukraine, Black Sea security, humanitarian diplomacy, and diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict.
Another significant development concerns Reykjavik. Turkey’s Ambassador to Kiev, Mustafa Levent Bilgen, has been appointed to lead Turkey’s first embassy in Reykjavik. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Iceland page previously noted that there was no permanent diplomatic representation between Turkey and Iceland, and that efforts to open an embassy in Reykjavik were ongoing. Bilgen’s appointment thus marks a symbolic and practical step toward establishing a permanent diplomatic presence in Iceland.
Appointments to Kiev, Tehran, and Reykjavik Stand Out
According to the announced list, Ambassador Ahmet Aydın Doğan, Head of the Turkish Grand National Assembly’s Foreign Relations and Protocol Department, has been assigned to Tehran; Fatma Ceren Yazgan to Kiev; and Mustafa Levent Bilgen to Turkey’s first embassy in Reykjavik.
These three appointments reflect different facets of Turkey’s foreign policy agenda simultaneously: neighborhood and regional diplomacy with Iran, Black Sea and European security amid the Ukraine war, and a more visible diplomatic presence in the North Atlantic and Northern Europe through Iceland.
Changes in Middle East, Gulf, and Africa Missions
New appointments were also made along the Middle East and Gulf lines. Hüseyin Ergani, Deputy Director General for Bilateral Relations with Iran, was assigned to the Muscat Embassy; Hakan Karaçay, Deputy Director General for Middle East Bilateral Relations, to Amman; Yakup Caymazoğlu, Ambassador to Amman, to Doha; Can Oğuz, Deputy Director General for Eastern Europe, to Kuwait; and Presidential Advisor Dr. Necati Sancaktutan to Manama.
In Africa, Ferhat Alkan, Ambassador to Maputo, was assigned to Mogadishu; Fahri Türker Oba, Ambassador to Banjul, to Khartoum; Özgür Gökmen, Deputy Director General of the Diplomacy Academy, to Banjul; Ambassador Haydar Kerem Divanlıoğlu, member of the Inspection Board, to Bujumbura; Ambassador Hüseyin Özdemir, member of the Foreign Policy Advisory Board, to Djibouti; Vesime Ela Beşkardeş Karagöl, Deputy Director General for OSCE, Arms Control and Disarmament, to Gaborone; Senem Güzel, Deputy Director General for West Africa, to Kinshasa; Ayça Oşafoğlu İnam, Deputy Director General for Public Diplomacy and Strategic Communication, to Maputo; Selin Özaydın, Deputy Director General for International Organizations, to Nairobi; and Fikriye Aslı Güven, Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, to Windhoek.
New Names in Europe and Multilateral Diplomacy
Changes in Europe also make up a significant part of the list. Burak Akçapar, Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva, was assigned to The Hague; Ayşe Hilal Sayan Koytak, Ambassador to Manama, to Helsinki; Alper Aktaş, Ambassador to Mogadishu, to Skopje; Nazmiye Başaran, Deputy Director General for Bilateral Relations, to Chisinau; and Havva Yonca Gündüz Özçeri, Co-Coordinator of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, to Tallinn.
In multilateral diplomacy, Ambassador Ayşe Sözen Usluer, Istanbul Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was appointed Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva, and Raziye Bilge Koçyiğit, Director General for Foreign Policy Planning and Coordination, was assigned as Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe. These roles carry special weight in Ankara’s foreign policy due to their focus on human rights, international law, European institutions, and multilateral negotiations.
Appointments in Asia and Other Capitals
In Asia, Şener Cebeci, Deputy Director General responsible for Central Asian countries, was assigned to Ashgabat; Ambassador Kaan Esener, member of the Foreign Policy Advisory Board, to Manila; and Fatih Yıldız, Ambassador to Khartoum, to Seoul.
Overall, the list shows that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is deploying deputy directors general from its central organization to the field while also relocating current ambassadors to new capitals. Such rotations help transfer institutional memory across different portfolios and update Turkey’s diplomatic representation capacity in priority regions.
Appointment List
- Kiev Embassy: Fatma Ceren Yazgan
- Tehran Embassy: Ahmet Aydın Doğan
- Reykjavik Embassy: Mustafa Levent Bilgen
- Muscat Embassy: Hüseyin Ergani
- Amman Embassy: Hakan Karaçay
- Mogadishu Embassy: Ferhat Alkan
- Ashgabat Embassy: Şener Cebeci
- Kuwait Embassy: Can Oğuz
- UN Geneva Permanent Representation: Ayşe Sözen Usluer
- Skopje Embassy: Alper Aktaş
- Bujumbura Embassy: Haydar Kerem Divanlıoğlu
- Djibouti Embassy: Hüseyin Özdemir
- Doha Embassy: Yakup Caymazoğlu
- The Hague Embassy: Burak Akçapar
- Gaborone Embassy: Vesime Ela Beşkardeş Karagöl
- Khartoum Embassy: Fahri Türker Oba
- Banjul Embassy: Özgür Gökmen
- Helsinki Embassy: Ayşe Hilal Sayan Koytak
- Kinshasa Embassy: Senem Güzel
- Chisinau Embassy: Nazmiye Başaran
- Council of Europe Permanent Representation: Raziye Bilge Koçyiğit
- Manama Embassy: Necati Sancaktutan
- Manila Embassy: Kaan Esener
- Maputo Embassy: Ayça Oşafoğlu İnam
- Nairobi Embassy: Selin Özaydın
- Seoul Embassy: Fatih Yıldız
- Tallinn Embassy: Havva Yonca Gündüz Özçeri
- Windhoek Embassy: Fikriye Aslı Güven
The next steps in the official appointment schedule will be completed in accordance with diplomatic protocols with the respective countries and administrative procedures in Turkey. However, the appointment list dated June 9, 2026, already reveals a comprehensive renewal of Ankara’s foreign mission network.
