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Biography
Lütfi Elvan (born 12 March 1962) is a Turkish mining engineer, politician and a Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey, in office since 24 November 2015. He previously served as the Minister of Transport, Maritime and Communication from 2013 to 2015. He has served as a Member of Parliament for the electoral district of Karaman from 2007 to June 2015, for Antalya from June to November 2015 and for Mersin since November 2015. He is a member of the Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Early life
Lütfi Elvan was born to A. Nuri Elvan and his wife Samiye at Ermenek town in Karaman Province on 12 March 1962.
He studied mining engineering at Istanbul Technical University graduating in 1983. Elvan received a schlorship from the state-owned mining company Etibank for further study abroad. He continued his education earning a Master's degree in the fields of mining engineering and operations research with a thesis on "Determination of Optimal Production Systems in short-term Mining Production Planning" at University of Leeds, United Kingdom in 1986. In 1995, he received another Master's degree in economics at University of Delaware, USA.
Elvan is married and has two children.
Career
Profession
Elvan began his professional career in 1987 as an engineer working in the operations research department at Etibank. There, he was instrumental in implementing computer-aided mining applications.
In 1989, he moved to State Planning Organization (DPT), and worked until 1996 as specialist. Appointed Head of Department for Regions with Development Priorities in 1996, he served at this post until 2002. He was promoted to Deputy Undersecretary of DPT in November 2002. In July 2007, he resigned from his post to enter politics.
Politics
He joined the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), and was elected into the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in the 2007 general election as an MP from Karaman Province. He became one of the party leader's head advisors. In the parliament, Elvan was appointed Head of the Hungary-Turkey Interparliamentary Group.
Elvan was re-elected into the parliament in the 2011 general election. He served as the chairman of the parliamentary Budget and Planning Commission.
On 26 December 2013, Lütfi Elvan assumed office as the Minister of Transport, Maritime and Communication, succeeding Binali Yıldırım during Erdoğan's cabinet reshuffle with ten new names that was announced the day before, on 25 December, following the 2013 corruption scandal in Turkey.