Challenges facing Tayyip Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been sworn in as head of state after winning an historic run-off election to extend his two-decade rule for another five years.

The 69 year old leader has to select a Cabinet, which will be tasked with handling an economic crisis that has witnessed runaway inflation and the collapse of the lira.

“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 in a ceremony at the parliament in Ankara, broadcast live on television.

Erdogan, took the oath of office on Saturday, ushering in his third presidential term that followed three stints as prime minister.

President Erdogan was sworn in during a session in parliament before an inauguration ceremony at his sprawling palace complex. Supporters waited outside parliament despite the heavy rain, covering his car with red carnations as he arrived.

Erdogan defeated opposition challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu in a runoff vote held on May 28, after he narrowly failed to secure an outright victory in a first round of voting on May 14.

Kilicdaroglu had promised to put Turkey on a more democratic path and improve relations with the West. International observers deemed the elections to be free but not fair.

Saturday’s inauguration was followed by a lavish ceremony at the presidential palace in the capital attended by dozens of world leaders. Turkey’s longest-serving leader faces considerable diplomatic challenges amid tensions with the West.

78 members of the international community attended the oath-taking ceremony. Some of the guests include Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency.

Addressing the country’s economic troubles will be Erdogan’s priority with inflation running at 43.7%, partly because of his unorthodox policy of cutting interest rates to stimulate growth.

Analysts have warned if current policies continue, the economy is heading for greater turmoil given depleted foreign reserves, an expanding state-backed protected deposits scheme, and unchecked inflation expectations.

The lira has undergone a series of crashes in recent years and hit new all-time lows in the days after the vote.

Turkey’s new members of parliament started being sworn in on Friday in their first session after the May 14 election, also attended by Erdogan. His alliance holds a majority in the 600-seat parliament.

Meanwhile, NATO allies are anxiously waiting for Ankara to green light Sweden’s attempt to join the United States-led defense alliance before a summit in July.

Erdogan has been dragging his feet on approving the application, accusing Stockholm of sheltering terrorists of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is listed as a terror group by Ankara and its Western allies.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg attended Erdogan’s inauguration and scheduled to hold talks with him.

Sweden’s Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said on Twitter a clear message emerged at a NATO meeting in Oslo for Turkey and Hungary to start the ratification process.

His Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, responded, “A crystal clear message to our Swedish Friends! Fulfill your commitments arising from Trilateral Memorandum and take concrete steps in the fight against terrorism.”

Erdogan was sworn in amid a host of domestic challenges ahead, including a battered economy, pressure for the repatriation of millions of Syrian refugees and the need to rebuild after a devastating earthquake in February that killed 50,000 and levelled entire cities in the south of the country.

Turkey is also grappling with a cost-of-living crisis fueled by inflation that peaked at a staggering 85% in October 2022 before easing to 44% last month. The Turkish currency has lost more than 10% of its value against the US dollar since the start of the year.

Unconfirmed media reports say Erdogan plans to reappoint Mehmet Simsek, a respected former finance minister and deputy prime minister, to the helm of the economy.

The move would signify a return by the country — which is the world’s 19th largest economy according to the World Bank — to more orthodox economic policies

Turkish government thanks Saudi Arabia for humanitarian relief

The Turkish government has thanked the Saudi government and people for the relief and humanitarian efforts offered in the aftermath of the earthquake that struck Turkiye a few days ago.

In an official statement, the Turkish government said “We are thankful for the support and solidarity of the leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its brotherly people.

“Several planes carrying Saudi humanitarian, relief, and medical aid have arrived in various affected areas in Turkiye, and Saudi search and rescue teams are working side by side with their Turkish peers.

“Receiving support and solidarity from brotherly countries is extremely important at such a difficult time, and Saudi Arabia is one of the first countries to support us.”

According to the statement, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan mentioned Saudi Arabia in particular among the countries that have provided and will continue to provide support to Turkiye at this difficult time.

King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), in implementation of the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman, has launched a national campaign through “Sahem” platform to help the earthquake victims in Syria and Turkiye, which has raised, so far, SR254,987,681, with the number of donors amounting to 731,005.

The Turkish authorities described the earthquake that hit Turkiye on February 06, 2023 as the Disaster of this century.

The statement added “Two big earthquakes with the magnitudes of 7,7 and 7,6 centered in Kahramanmaraş province took place on February 06, 2023. This was followed by over 1,500 aftershocks. More than ten cities suffered damage and destruction.

“These series of earthquakes have impacted a vast area. The main difference that distinguishes this earthquake from the Great Erzincan Earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9, which was recorded as the most severe earthquake that occurred in Türkiye 84 years ago is the time difference.

“These earthquakes were independent and occurred with a 9-hour difference between them and that they, along with their aftershocks, were felt heavily throughout many regions of Türkiye and in other countries. In that sense, these earthquakes of February 06 could be well considered the “Disaster of this century”.”

According to the statement, a total of 18,991 people lost their lives in the earthquake in Türkiye and 75,523 people got injured and 6,444 buildings collapsed, adding that in the aftermath of the earthquakes, search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the earthquake-affected areas and that the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Health, AFAD (Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency), governorships and all other institutions began taking necessary measures.

The Turkish president also confirmed that the Turkish government has taken the necessary measures with all its institutions since the moment of the earthquake, and all capabilities have been mobilized and harnessed, said the statement.

It added that following the earthquake, a Level-4 alert was declared, which includes international aid. So far, 97 countries have offered assistance and 61 of them are on the ground to join the search and rescue and other medical operations, said the statement.