Akbar Torkan (Persian: اکبر ترکان; 1952–2021) was an Iranian mechanical engineer[2][3] and politician, who was the President Hassan Rouhani's chief adviser from 2013 to 2018. He served as the CEO of Iran's Construction Engineering Organization from 2014 to 2017. He was also the Minister of Defense and Minister of Roads and Transportation in the government headed by President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.
Akbar Torkan | |
|---|---|
 Torkan in August 2014 | |
| Senior Advisor to the President of Iran | |
| In office 26 August 2013 – 1 December 2018 | |
| President | Hassan Rouhani |
| Preceded by | Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| Minister of Roads and Transportation | |
| In office 16 August 1993 – 20 August 1997 | |
| President | Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani |
| Preceded by | Mohammad Saeedikia |
| Succeeded by | Mahmoud Hojjati |
| Minister of Defense | |
| In office 29 August 1989 – 16 August 1993 | |
| President | Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani |
| Preceded by | Mohammad Hossein Jalali |
| Succeeded by | Mohammad Forouzandeh |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 September 1952 Tehran, Iran |
| Died | 16 May 2021 (aged 68)[1] Tehran, Iran |
| Political party | Moderation and Development Party Executives of Construction Party |
| Residence | Tehran |
| Alma mater | Sharif University |
Career and political stance edit
Torkan graduated from Sharif University of Technology.[4] He was governor of Hormozgan, and Ilam provinces after the revolution in 1979. Even though he was a civilian, he served as the head of the Defense Industries Organization during wartime. After the war he supported president Rafsanjani in his election.
He was appointed Minister of Defense in 1989 by Rafsanjani in his cabinet in his first term.[4] He was approved by the Majlis with a majority vote, 242 for and 10 against.[4] In second term of Rafsanjani's presidency, Torkan was appointed Minister of Roads and Transportation.[5]
According to the Tehran Times, Torkan was one of the "trusted members of Rohani’s inner circle." The same source said that Torkan was known for his liberal views on a market economy, and that he served as the deputy director of Rouhani's presidential campaign.[6]
References edit
- ^ "President condoles Mr Akbar Torkan's demise". www.president.ir. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
- ^ "زندگینامه: اکبر ترکان (۱۳۳۱-۱۴۰۰)". 4 August 2013.
- ^ "اكبر تركان،سازمان نظام مهندسی ساختمان کشور". www.irceo.net. Archived from the original on 2013-12-28.
- ^ a b c Ehteshami, Anoushiravan (1991). "After Khomeini: the Structure of Power in the Iranian Second Republic". Political Studies. XXXIX: 148–157. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9248.1991.tb00586.x. S2CID 145005463.
- ^ همه چیز درباره رئیسجمهور هفتم BBC Persian. 2 August 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
- ^ "Rohani appoints Turkan as head of advisors Archived 2014-10-17 at the Wayback Machine," Tehran Times (27 August 2013).
External links edit
