When Turkey buys Iranian oil, we pay for it in Turkish lira... However, it is not possible for Iran to take that money as dollars into its own country due to international restrictions, the U.S.A.'s sanctions. Therefore, when Iran cannot take this money back as currency, they withdraw Turkish lira and buy gold from our market.

He stayed always away from the rough-and-tumble of the Turkish political arena and focused solely on the economic reform acting rather as a technocrat without indulging into populism. He was previously Minister of Economy in the 58th cabinet from the Justice and Development Party (AK Party).

On August 29 2007 he was named Minister of Foreign Affairs of in the cabinet of re-elected Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He was previously Minister of Economy in the 58th cabinet from the Justice and Development Party (AK Party).