Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s relatives are becoming increasingly powerful

ASK opposition politicians and former Justice and Development (AK) officials who is responsible for Turkey’s new economic model, and one name, Berat Albayrak, comes up a lot. Mr Albayrak took over the finance ministry in mid-2018 after a few years as energy minister. By the time of his shock resignation two years later, the central bank’s foreign reserves and its credibility were depleted, and the lira had lost nearly half its value. Yet his legacy lives on. Insiders say the finance ministry is still staffed by Mr Albayrak’s allies. Nureddin Nebati, now the finance minister, is a close friend. On his watch, the country has resumed Mr Albayrak’s policy of cutting rates to stoke growth while selling foreign reserves to support the lira.

Mr Albayrak is Mr Erdogan’s son-in-law. His career is emblematic of the Turkish leader’s tendency to dump technocrats and former AK heavyweights in favour of yes-men, opportunists and relatives. The coup attempt in 2016 was a turning-point, after which Mr Erdogan began to prize family and loyalty over expertise, says one former palace official. His coalition with MHP nationalists in parliament and with supporters who favour closer co-operation with Russia and China has sealed the fate of other former allies.