Erdoğan seeks backing for Mehdi Eker in race to lead FAO

Erdoğan asked the international community to back former Turkish agriculture minister Mehdi Eker for the top job at FAO, noting that Ankara hosts the agency’s office for Central Asia. The vote is due in summer 2027.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in a video message to the opening of the World Food Forum at FAO’s headquarters in Rome on Oct. 12, called for support for Mehdi Eker in the election for director-general of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. “We look forward to your support for Dr. Mehdi Eker, who successfully led the agriculture ministry in our country for many years,” the Turkish leader said.

Erdoğan highlighted that Türkiye hosts FAO’s Subregional Office for Central Asia. Based in Ankara since the mid-2000s, the office serves seven countries: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Türkiye itself. Food and agriculture projects are carried out in the region through the FAO-Türkiye Partnership Programme.

The weight of Eurasian votes

FAO member countries elect the director-general by secret ballot at the organization’s conference, and every country has one vote. That means support from Central Asian and Caucasus nations counts as much as the votes of the largest donors. Russia joined FAO in 2006, and the FAO Liaison Office with the Russian Federation opened in Moscow in 2016.

The region has fielded a contender before: in 2019, Georgia nominated Davit Kirvalidze, who received 12 votes. China’s Qu Dongyu won that race in the first round with 108 of 191 votes. Re-elected unopposed in 2023, Qu sees his second term end on July 31, 2027, and the next election is expected that summer.

FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu in Geneva, 2025 (file photo)

Who is Mehdi Eker?

Mehmet Mehdi Eker was born in 1956 in Bismil, in Diyarbakır province. A graduate of Ankara University’s veterinary faculty, he earned a master’s degree in agricultural economics at the University of Aberdeen in Britain. He was elected a member of parliament for Diyarbakır from 2002 and headed Türkiye’s agriculture ministry from 2005 to 2015.

Mehdi Eker speaking at a conference at Mardin Artuklu University

Eker is the first candidate Türkiye has ever put forward for FAO’s top post. He opened his campaign at the organization’s Council session in Rome in June and said in late September that about 100 countries had backed him. His rivals include at least three European candidates: Ireland’s Phil Hogan, Italy’s Maurizio Martina and Spain’s Luis Planas.

Erdoğan seeks backing for Mehdi Eker in race to lead FAO