Mustafa Balbay: İbrahim Kalın tipped to replace Hakan Fidan

WISE NEWS PRESS / ANKARA, TURKEY — DECEMBER 19, 2025

Prominent journalist Mustafa Balbay has sparked intense debate in Ankara by claiming that Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is set to be replaced by İbrahim Kalın, the current head of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT). Speaking during a live broadcast on Meltem TV, Balbay stated that this information is "not an empty rumor" and reflects a potential significant shift in President Erdoğan's cabinet strategy.

Strategic shift in Turkish diplomacy

According to Balbay, the logic behind this potential move involves merging Kalın's intelligence leadership experience with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "It is being discussed that by appointing İbrahim Kalın as Foreign Minister, Erdoğan aims to maintain Kalın's strategic influence while managing a transition away from Fidan," Balbay explained. He noted that the move is seen as an effort to reshape the administration's "energy" and diplomatic focus.

Uncertainty among cabinet members

Balbay also suggested that none of the current ministers feel secure in their positions, describing this atmosphere as a specific "governance style" employed by the Presidency. He argued that in the current executive system, ministries function more like a "secretariat," making rapid leadership changes more feasible. While official sources have yet to comment, the claim has sent shockwaves through political circles in Turkey's capital.

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