Erdogan Sworn in as New President of Turkey

Recep Tayyip Erdogan was sworn in as the new President of Turkey on Monday, July 9. With the removal of the Prime Minister's position in Turkey's new political structure, Erdogan gains extensive powers that no previous Turkish president has had. The Prime Minister's post was abolished on June 24 of this year. On Monday, the swearing-in ceremony for the new President was held in the country's parliament, followed by a speech by Erdogan in front of thousands of foreign guests at the presidential palace in Ankara. Erdogan stated, "We have set aside a system that previously imposed heavy political and economic costs on the country." Erdogan surpassed his rivals in the presidential election on Sunday, July 8, by securing over 50% of the votes. In a referendum in April 2017, just before half of the voters approved changes to Turkey's constitution, which granted the president executive powers that were previously held by the Prime Minister. Erdogan has held power in Turkey for over 15 years, serving as Prime Minister for eleven years and being elected President in 2014. Meanwhile, Reuters reports that after Erdogan appointed his son-in-law, Berat Albayrak, as Minister of Finance and Treasury, the value of the Turkish lira fell another 3.5%. According to this report, over the past year, the Turkish lira has lost 20% of its value against the US dollar. In Erdogan's new cabinet, Hulusi Akar was appointed as Minister of Defense; he was previously the Chief of General Staff of the Turkish Army. Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkey's Foreign Minister, has also retained his position. Erdogan's swearing-in ceremony took place while the dismissal of civil servants and operations to arrest hundreds of citizens accused by the Turkish government of "actions against national security," proximity to Fethullah Gülen, or connections to the failed coup two years ago continue. Since the failed coup in Turkey in 2016, thousands have been arrested and imprisoned, thousands more have lost their jobs, and hundreds are still awaiting trial.