Ruhsar Pekcan
Ruhsar Pekcan (born 1958) is a politician and electrical engineer who served as the Minister of Trade of Turkey between 2018 and 2021. Professional careerPekcan started her professional career joining the development and investment bank (Turkish: Türkiye Sınai Kalkınma Bankası). After working at different positions in several companies, she became a member of executive boards. In 2005, she co-founded an engineering company, which supplies pipelines for drinking water, irrigation, petroleum and natural gas. She was the managing director of the company.[1] She was chairperson of the Turkey-Syria business councils of the Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Corporation (Turkish: Dış Ekonomik İlişkiler Kurumu, DEİK) on three occasions. She served as the chairperson of the Turkey-Jordan business council, and as a member of the executive boards of the Turkey-Iraq and Turkey-Libya business councils of the same corporation. She served as deputy chairperson of the women entrepreneurs committee at the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), and as a member of women entrepreneurs committee at the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO) as well as some other business organizations.[1] Pekcan is recipient of the IWEC 2010 Award, and she was named Global Ambassador of IWEC.[1] Political careerOn 9 July 2018, the newly elected President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced his cabinet of the new Turkish political system. Ruhsar Pekcan was appointed Minister of Trade.[2] On 16 April 2021, it was claimed that Ruhsar Pekcan sold disinfectants to her ministry from the company which she owned with her husband in 2020.[3] Some opposite politicians also asked to Ruhsar Pekcan about these claims.[4] On 20 April 2021, the Ministry of Trade confirmed the purchases but stated the amounts was less.[5] She was succeeded by AKP's parliamentary group chairman Mehmet Muş on 21 April 2021.[6] Private lifeRuhsar Pekcan was born in Manisa, Turkey in 1958. She was educated in electrical engineering at Istanbul Technical University. Following her bachelor's degree, she obtained a master's degree from the same faculty.[1] She is married with two children.[1] References
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