President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan appointed new members to the nine Presidential Councils, according to the Official Gazette. The names include former politicians, academicians, bureaucrats and experts from public and private sectors, as well as prominent intellectuals, writers, artists, journalists and businessman, who would advise the president on certain issues. The nine councils were formed by the first presidential decree following the establishment of the new Presidential governmental system in July. The 76 members were appointed to Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Council, Education Policies Council, Economic Policy Council, Security and Foreign Policy Council, Legal Policy Council, Culture and Art Policies Council, the Health and Food Policy Council, the Social Policy Council and Local administration Policies Council. In the Science, Technology and Innovation Council, there are five members, including professor Dr. Hasan Mandal, president of the Turkish Scientific and Research Council (TÜBİTAK) and Mehmet Ali Yalçındağ, a board member at Doğan Holding and prominent academic and philosopher, professor Dr. Teoman Duralı. The Education Policies Council has nine members including name like professor Dr. Abdullah Atalar, president of Bilkent University, professor Dr. Ahmet Cevat Acar, the president of Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA). The Economic Policy Council consists of 10 members including current advisers to Erdoğan on the economy, Yiğit Bulut, Dr. Hatice Karahan and Dr. Cemil Ertem. The Security and Foreign Policy Council has 12 members including Presidential Spokesperson İbrahim Kalın, Presidential Adviser İlnur Çevik, professor Dr. Gülnur Aybet, professor Dr. Burhanettin Duran, the president of Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) and professor Dr. Beril Dedeoğlu. The Social Policy Council has seven members including professor Dr. Edibe Sözen, the vice rector of Hasan Kalyoncu University, and Mehmet Güllüoğlu, the president of the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD). In the Culture and Art Policies Council has nine members including actress Hülya Koçyiğit, singer Orhan Gencebay, philosopher and writer Alev Alatlı, professor Dr. Ümit Meriç, journalist and historian Murat Bardakçı. The councils are expected to be a bridge between the presidency and the citizens. They will prepare reports to evaluate future requests from citizens and nongovernmental organizations and present them to the president. The policies will be executed with the approval of the president. In this regard, instructions to relevant ministries will be given directly by the president. The councils will monitor the implementation of actions by ministries, institutions and organizations in terms of compliance with the president's program and submit regular reports to the president. [Daily Sabah, 9 October 2018]