Erdogan sworn in for new term as president
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took the oath of office for a new presidential term on Saturday after winning reelection last weekend, extending his rule into a third decade.
“I, as president, swear upon my honor and integrity before the great Turkish nation and history to safeguard the existence and independence of the state,” Erdogan said during a ceremony at the parliament in Ankara, which was broadcast live.
Erdogan received his mandate from the interim parliament speaker before taking the oath. Turkiye’s longest-serving leader, Erdogan won 52.2 percent support in a May 28 runoff vote.
His election victory defied most opinion polls and came despite a cost-of-living crisis that was seen to have hurt his prospects.
His new five-year mandate allows Erdogan to pursue the increasingly authoritarian policies that have polarized the country, a NATO member, but strengthened its position as a regional military power.
After taking the oath in parliament, a ceremony was being planned at the presidential palace attended by high-level officials from 78 countries and international organizations, including NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.
Erdogan was likely to include former economy chief Mehmet Simsek in the new Cabinet, Reuters reported earlier this week, which would indicate a potential return to greater economic orthodoxy, including eventual interest rate hikes.
Simsek was highly regarded by investors when he served as finance minister and deputy prime minister between 2009 and 2018. A key role for him now could mark a departure from years of sticking to low interest rates despite high inflation, and heavy state control of markets.
I, as president, swear upon my honor and integrity before the great Turkish nation and history to safeguard the existence and independence of the state.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan