Former Turkish economy tsar Simsek not interested in active politics

FILE PHOTO: Mehmet Simsek, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey attends the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland January 19, 2017. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich

ANKARA (Reuters) -Turkey's former deputy prime minister in charge of the economy, Mehmet Simsek, said on Monday that he is not interested in active politics, while the AK Party said President Tayyip Erdogan had not offered him a post when they met.

Sources told Reuters last week that Erdogan wanted to give a top role in running the economy to Simsek, who is highly regarded in international circles, and that the party's draft election manifesto marked a return to more orthodox, free market economic policies.