Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan talks at a press conference during a visit in the Turkish Cypriot northern part of the divided city of Nicosia, Cyprus July 10,2018. REUTERS/Yiannis Kourtoglou/File Photo

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey’s army may come under the authority of the defense ministry, President Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying by private broadcaster CNN Turk on Wednesday.

Erdogan on Monday appointed former Chief of Staff Hulusi Akar as defense minister. He made the comment to reporters traveling his plane to a NATO summit in Brussels, CNN Turk said.