After being appointed minister of labor and social security on Wednesday, Jülide Sarıeroğlu first deleted her tweets critical of Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan and then closed her social media account.
Sarıeroğlu had shared a tweet from the Sol news website in 2013 regarding a strike following an explosion in Antakya province, without changing its headline, which said: “People are marching against the AKP [ruling Justice and Development Party] in Antakya. Thousands are chanting ‘Tayyip, resign’.”
The minister also shared another tweet from the same website during the Gezi Park protests in 2013. The tweet said: “AKP attacked Gezi Park again at dawn.”
When Twitter users noticed the minister’s tweets, she first deleted her tweets and then closed her account.
The Gezi Park protests were sparked in the summer of 2013 in protest of government plans to demolish Gezi Park in İstanbul’s Taksim neighborhood. The protests turned into anti-government demonstrations across Turkey due to police brutality against the protestors. At least 11 people were killed during the protests.
Ankara deputy Sarıeroğlu was appointed as minister of labor on Wednesday, replacing Mehmet Müezzinoğlu.