Erdogan assumes new presidential powers, strengthening control over Turkey



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By Ece Toksabay

ANKARA (Reuters) – Turk Tayyip Erdogan will fulfill a long-standing ambition on Monday as president with new powers over a country that he has dominated and reorganized during his 15 years Erdogan will launch the executive presidency that he has fought hard to get a streamlined cabinet that he believes will push growth to make Turkey one of the world's largest economies

replace democracy parliamentary of his country by a system endowed with an all-powerful presidency, and followed him with a hard-fought election victory last month to the newly-reinforced post

He says the changes, the biggest reform of governance since modern Turkey. Republic was founded from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire, almost a century ago, are needed to drive Turkey's economic growth and guarantee its security.

His supporters see them as just reward for a leader who has placed Islamist values ​​at the heart of public life defended the pious working clbades and built airports, hospitals and schools. "Turkey is entering a new era with the presidential oath ceremony on Monday," Erdogan said. Party on weekends. "With the power given to us by the new presidential system, we will achieve faster and stronger results."

Opponents say that the new powers mark a turning point towards authoritarianism, accusing Erdogan of eroding the secular institutions set up by the modern founder. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and distancing Western values ​​on democracy and freedom of expression

On the eve of Monday's inauguration, the authorities fired more than 18,000 employees from the company. 39 – state – most of the police and the army. More than 150,000 state employees lost their jobs following the coup attempt, and the Turkish Interior Minister said that in April, 77,000 people had were formally charged and kept in prison.

NEW CABINET

Since taking office in 2003, first as prime minister and then as president, Erdogan has dominated Turkey, narrowing her under her leadership, Ankara has started negotiations of membership with the European Union, which is bogged down in EU criticism on human rights in Turkey. The ties with the United States and other NATO partners have also deteriorated, but Turkey remains crucial for any hope of stability in Syria and Iraq and to curb the flow of refugees to the country. Europe

. . Erdogan has prevailed in a dozen local, parliamentary and presidential elections.

He will take an oath before the parliament at 16h (13h GMT), before attending a ceremony two hours later at the huge presidential palace that he built in

He announced that he would announce the government Monday night, promising to make appointments outside parliament and thin his ministerial team of more than 20 to 16 members.

Saturday, he also said that he would attack at interest rates, inflation and a large current account deficit. "We will take our country much further by solving these structural problems of our economy," he said.

Inflation jumped last month above 15%, its highest level in more than a decade. points by the central bank since April. The pound also dropped by a fifth in value against the dollar this year.

Erdogan described high interest rates as "the mother and father of all evils," and said in May that he would hope to exercise greater economic control.

Under these changes, the post of Prime Minister will be abolished, and Erdogan will choose his own cabinet and regulate the ministries and withdraw the officials, without the approval of Parliament.

After his election victory two weeks ago, Erdogan says he will spare no effort to stimulate economic growth.

"We can not stop until we bring Turkey – that we have saved plotters, cutters and political and economic killers, street gangs and terrorist organizations – among the top 10 economies in the world, "he said.

(Edited by Dominic Evans and Peter Graff)

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