Dr. Binali Yıldırım, Minister of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications, was elected as the new Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey by the governing Justice and Development Party in an extraordinary party congress on 22 May.
“It is with great pride that I welcome this extraordinary news and congratulate Dr. Binali Yıldırım, WMU alumnus of 1991 and WMU Governor, on his appointment to the position of Prime Minister of his country, after having served it for the last 11 years as Minister of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications,” stated Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, WMU President.
Dr. Yıldırım received his M.Sc. degree in Maritime Safety Administration from the World Maritime University (WMU) in 1991, and in 2012, he received the degree of Doctor of Science honoris causa and the award of Outstanding Alumnus. He is currently a member of the WMU Board of Governors and previously served on the Executive Board for several years.
On receiving the Honorary Doctorate in 2012, Dr. Yıldırım stated, "I learned so much, not only about maritime, but also social, cultural, political, and economical interactions during my stay at WMU. The education I received, and being a graduate of WMU, have played a very important role in my personal and professional career."