Turkey names Fatih Karahan as Central Bank chief after Erkan’s resignation

ANKARA —  Fatih Karahan has replaced the outgoing governor of Turkey’s Central Bank, Hafize Gaye Erkan, who resigned earlier Friday amid accusations of nepotism, as the Turkish government stressed the departure of the country’s first-ever female governor would not change the country’s economic program.

In a decree published in the Official Gazette early Saturday local time, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the promotion of Karahan, who has been serving as Erkan’s deputy since last July. 

Karahan, 41, is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and was working as a senior economist at Amazon in the United States before relocating to Turkey and joining the Central Bank. He also served as a part-time faculty member at Columbia University and New York University. 

Erkan resigned on Friday amid accusations of unprofessional conduct.