Erdogan assumes new presidential powers, strengthening control over Turkey

ANKARA – Turkish Tayyip Erdogan will fulfill a long-standing ambition Monday when he will be sworn in as president New powers over a country that he dominated and reshaped during his 15-year reign.

Launching the executive presidency that he fought hard to obtain, Erdogan will also appoint a streamlined cabinet that he believes will drive growth to make Turkey

Erdogan narrowly won a referendum Last year to replace his country's parliamentary democracy by a system endowed with an all-powerful presidency, and followed that with a hard-fought election victory last month to the newly strengthened post. He says that the changes, the biggest revision of governance since the modern Turkish Republic was founded from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire nearly a century ago, are needed to drive the Turkish economy. Its supporters see it as a fair reward for a leader who placed Islamist values ​​at the heart of public life, defended the pious working clbades and built airports, hospitals and schools

. has entered a new era with the presidential oath ceremony on Monday, "Erdogan told his ruling AKP party this weekend." With the power given to us by the new presidential system, we will get more results. faster and stronger. "

Opponents say 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 the Away from Western values ​​on democracy and freedom of expression

The eve of Monday's investiture, the authorities fired more than 18,000 state employees – most of police and army – according to the government.More than 150,000 state employees have lost their jobs following the coup attempt, and the Turkish minister of the state. Interior said that in April, some 77,000 people They had been formally charged and kept in prison.

NEW CABINET

Since taking office in 2003, first as Prime Minister and later as President, Erdogan has dominated Turkey has tightened its grip on the country's 81 million inhabitants while it tamed rival power centers, including the military, which overthrew some previous governments.

Ankara has started accession negotiations with the European Union. human rights in Turkey. Relations with the United States and other NATO partners have also crumbled, but Turkey remains crucial for any hope of stability in Syria and Iraq and to curb the flow of refugees to the country. 39, Europe

. . Erdogan has won a dozen local, legislative and presidential elections.

He will take an oath before the parliament at 4 pm, before attending a ceremony two hours later at the huge presidential palace that he built in the capital. [19659004Itwasannouncedthathewouldannouncethegovernment'spromiseofmakingappointmentsoutsidetheparliamentandwithdrawingfromtheministerialstaffofmorethan20to16members

. Saturday, he also stated that he would attack at high interest rates. inflation and a large deficit in the current account. "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 ills," and said in May that he hoped to exercise greater economic control. Under the changes, the post of Prime Minister will be abolished, and Erdogan will choose his own cabinet and regulate the ministries and remove the officials, without the approval of Parliament.

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

"We can not stop until we bring back Turkey – that we have saved plotters, coupeurs and political and economic killers, street gangs and terrorist organizations – among the 10 Economy of the world, "he declared