Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan took the oath of office for a new presidential term on Saturday after winning re-election last weekend, extending his rule into a third decade,
Reuters reports.
"I, as president, swear upon my honour 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.
Turkey's longest-serving leader, Erdogan won 52.2% 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 polarised the country, a NATO member, but strengthened its position as a regional military power.
After taking the oath in parliament, a ceremony will be held at the presidential palace attended by high-level officials from 78 countries and international organisations, 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 will name his cabinet later on Saturday, and is expected to signal a change in his unorthodox approach to economic policy.
