RECEP TAYYİP ERDOĞAN

Born in İstanbul in 1954. Graduated from the Faculty of Economy and Administrative Sciences at Marmara University. Became mayor of İstanbul and served six months in prison because of a poem he had read. Established the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) with the support of Abdullah Gül and Bülent Arınç in 2000. Could not enter Parliament in the 2002 elections because of his ban from political activity. Became a deputy from Siirt, his wife's hometown, after removal of his ban. His party received 47 percent of the vote in the July 22, 2007 elections, continuing his and his party's mandate in power. Married with four children.

CEMİL ÇİÇEK

Born in Yozgat in 1946. Graduated from the Faculty of Law at İstanbul University. Served as Yozgat mayor before founding the Motherland Party (ANAP, NOW ANAVATAN) with Turgut Özal. Became deputy from Ankara and Yozgat for four terms. Was a state minister in Özal's Cabinet and a justice minister in Gül and Erdoğan's cabinets. Married with three children.

HAYATİ YAZICI

Born in Rize in 1952. Graduated from the Faculty of Law at İstanbul University. Was a lawyer for Erdoğan. One of the founders of the AK Party and served as the deputy chairman of the party in charge of local organizations. Married with two children.

NAZIM EKREN

Born in İstanbul in 1956. Graduated from Uludağ University and Marmara University. An expert on international banking. Was a general director for Türkiye Vakıflar Bankası and a founding member of the AK Party. Elected as deputy from İstanbul in 22nd term. Served as deputy chairman of the AK Party. Married with two children.

Prof.Dr.MEHMET AYDIN

Born in Elazığ in 1943. Graduated from the Faculty of Theology, Ankara University. Did postgraduate studies at Edinburgh University in Scotland. Worked as a lecturer at Dokuz Eylül University. Elected as İzmir deputy in the 22nd term and served as the state minister. Married.

MURAT BAŞESGİOĞLU

Born in Kastamonu in 1955. Graduated from the Faculty of Law at İstanbul University. Was elected as Kastamonu deputy in 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd terms. Became İstanbul deputy in 2007 elections. Served as the interior minister and the labor and social security minister. Married with two children.

KÜRŞAD TÜZMEN

Born in Ankara in 1958. Graduated from the Management Department at Middle East Technical University. Did postgraduate studies on management in the management department, Illinois State University. Worked as an undersecretary for the DPT, the Treasury and Foreign Trade. Elected Bureaucrat of the Year in 1999, 2000 and 2001. A professional swimmer, driver, and member of the National Olympics Committee. Was elected deputy from Gaziantep and worked as the state minister. Is now serving as a deputy from Mersin. Married with two children.

NİMET ÇUBUKÇU

Born in Karaman in 1965. Graduated from the Faculty of Law at İstanbul University. Was a lawyer for Erdoğan when he was mayor of İstanbul. One of the founders of the AK Party. Served as the state minister. Married with one child.

MEHMET ŞİMŞEK

 Born in Batman. Worked as chairman of Europe, Middle East and Africa region, Economic and Strategic Research Division at Merrill Lynch. Was elected as Gaziantep deputy upon suggestion by Erdoğan.

EGEMEN BAĞIŞ

Elected as Deputy of Istanbul in 1002.   He has been appointed as State Minister and Chief Negotiator  in January 2009 in order to coordinate the membership for the EU.  Previously he worked as Deputy Chairman of AK Party in Charge of Foreign Relations and Foreign Representations.   Member of AK Party's Executive Council,  Foreign Relations Advisor of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Presient of Turkey-USA Interparliamentary Friendship Group, President of NATO-Parliamentarian Assembly Transatlantic Committee, Deputy President of NATO-PA Turkish Group.  

Bağış was born in Bingöl in 1970 from a family originating from Siirt, .   Graduated from  Management Faculty, Human Resources Department of "The Baruch College of the City University of New York".   Has Master's Degree in Public Administration.   Speaks English and French.   Bağış is married and is the father of two children.

MUSTAFA SAİD YAZICIOĞLU

Born in Trabzon in 1949. Graduated from the Faculty of Theology, Ankara University. Studied at Sorbonne University in Paris. Served as the head of the Religious Affairs Directorate and a member of the Higher Education Board (YÖK). Served as the dean of the Faculty of Theology, Ankara University. Was a member of UNESCO's Turkish National Commission. Married with two children.

MEHMET ALİ ŞAHİN

Born in Ekincik in 1950. Graduated from the Faculty of Law, İstanbul University. Worked as a lawyer. Became mayor of İstanbul's Fatih Municipality. Was a founding member of the AK Party. Elected as İstanbul deputy in the 20th, 21st and 22nd terms. Served as the state minister and the deputy prime minister. Married with four children..

MEHMET VECDİ GÖNÜL

Born in Erzincan in 1939. Graduated from the Faculty of Political Sciences, Ankara University. Did postgraduate studies at the University of Southern California. Served as a district governor in several districts and governor in Kocaeli, Ankara and İzmir. Appointed as the general director of security. Was a founding member of the Higher Education Board (YÖK). Elected as Kocaeli deputy in the 21st and 22nd terms. Served as a deputy parliament speaker and defense minister. Married with three children.

Prof. Dr. BEŞİR ATALAY

Born in Keskin, Ankara, in 1947. Graduated from the Faculty of Law at Ankara University. Worked as a lecturer at Atatürk University in Erzurum. Worked at the State Planning Organization (DPT), Marmara University, and UNESCO's Turkish National Commission. Removed from office by the Higher Education Board (YÖK), while he was founding rector of Kırıkkale University. Became a state minister in Erdoğan's first Cabinet because of former President Ahmet Necdet Sezer's veto although he was originally proposed as education minister. Married with four children.

ALİ BABACAN

Born in Ankara in 1967. Graduated from the Industrial Engineering Department at Middle East Technical University. Did postgraduate studies on economy at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. One of the founders of the AK Party. Was in Erdoğan's squad as state minister for economy and chief EU negotiator. Married with two children.

KEMAL UNAKITAN

Born in Edirne in 1946. Graduated from the Ankara Academy of Economy and Commerce. Became an accounting expert at the Finance Ministry and the deputy general director and then general director of SEKA. Was elected deputy in place of Erdoğan in 2002 elections when Erdoğan's candidacy was vetoed by the Supreme Election Board (YSK), and later became finance minister. Married with three children.

Doç. Dr. HÜSEYİN ÇELİK

Born in Gürpınar in 1959. Graduated from Faculty of Letters, İstanbul University. Did postgraduate studies at Yüzüncü Yıl University, London University and İstanbul University. Was a founding member of the AK Party. Elected as Van deputy in the 21st and 22nd terms. Served as the culture minister and the education minister. Married with three children.

FARUK NAFİZ ÖZAK

Born in Trabzon in 1946. Graduated from Civil Engineering Department, Karadeniz Technical University. Was elected captain of Trabzonspor football team and sportsman of the year. Became chairman of the same club. Was elected as Trabzon deputy in the 22nd term and became the public works and settlement minister. Married with two children.

Prof. Dr. RECEP AKDAĞ

Born in Erzurum in 1960. Graduated from Faculty of Medicine, Atatürk University. Worked as the deputy chief physician of Atatürk University's Research Hospital and as a lecturer at Atatürk University. Was elected Erzurum deputy in the 22nd term and became health minister. Married with five children.

BİNALİ YILDIRIM

Born in Erzincan in 1955. Graduated from Shipbuilding and Naval Sciences Faculty, İstanbul Technical University. Served as the general director of the İstanbul Sea Buses (İDO) when Erdoğan was İstanbul mayor. Was one of founders of the AK Party. Was the transportation minister. Married with three children. 

MEHMET MEHDİ EKER

Born in Diyarbakır in 1956. Graduated from the Veterinary Faculty, Ankara University. Served as the director of veterinary affairs in İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality and the deputy general director of agricultural production and development at the Agriculture Ministry. Married with three children.

FARUK ÇELİK

Born in Artvin in 1956. Graduated from Yıldız Technical University. Worked as a teacher. Worked in the establishment of the AK Party. Married with four children.

MEHMET ZAFER ÇAĞLAYAN

Born in Muş in 1957. Graduated from the Mechanical Engineering Department, Gazi University. Elected chairman of the Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO) in 1995. Was re-elected deputy chairman of the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) in 2005. Married with two children.

MEHMET HİLMİ GÜLER

Born in Ordu in 1946. Graduated from Metallurgy Department, Middle East Technical University. Worked as the project engineer and the group chairman at TUSAŞ Aerospace Industries (TAİ), and the deputy chairman and member of executive board of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK). Served as the general director of the Machines and Chemical Industries Board (MKEK) and Etibank. Was a founding member of the AK Party. Served as the energy and natural resources minister. Married with two children.

ERTUĞRUL GÜNAY

Born in Ordu in 1948. Graduated from Faculty of Law, İstanbul University. Comes from the left-wing political traditional. Has two books and numerous articles and interviews. Was a prominent figure in left-wing politics.

VEYSEL EROĞLU

Born in Afyon. Graduated from the Civil Engineering Faculty, İstanbul University. Is a close colleague of Erdoğan. Served as the general director of State Waterworks Authority. Elected Afyon deputy. Seen as promising figure for the solution of the water problem in Turkey.