Turkey transfers some powers to president

ISTANBUL, July 04 (Agencies): Turkey issued a decree on Wednesday transferring some powers to the president.

The decree, issued in the official gazette, makes changes to laws dating from 1924 to 2017, altering references to the prime minister and cabinet of ministers to the president and the president's office.

In a referendum last year, Turks voted by a narrow majority to move to a powerful executive presidency.

The government has been issuing decrees, bypassing parliament, since a state of emergency imposed following an attempted military coup in July 2016.

Erdogan has promised to lift emergency rule after the election.

The changes in the latest decree will take effect when Erdogan takes the oath of office.

President Erdogan will be sworn on Monday in for a second mandate as Turkey's head of state after his election triumph last month, assuming sweeping powers granted under a new constitution.

Erdogan, who has dominated Turkey first as premier from 2003 then president from 2014, scored an outright victory in the first round of the June 24 elections with 52.6 per cent of the vote.

Those elections were particularly crucial as it is only after the polls that the new presidential system, which was agreed in a 2017 referendum and opponents fear will lead to one man rule, comes into force.

The Turkish leader is expected to deliver a speech during the ceremony to be attended by leading figures from the business, art and sports as well as foreign heads of state, according to the Hurriyet daily.

The ceremony will be followed by a dinner and then Erdogan is due to announce his new cabinet, it said.

Under the new system, Erdogan will enjoy greater powers with the authority to appoint and sack ministers, judges and other state officials.

The post of prime minister, currently held by Erdogan's ally Binali Yildirim, is to be scrapped as of Monday, leaving the president in full and sole charge of the government.

A decree published in the Official Gazette on Wednesday formalised the transfer of some duties and authorities of the cabinet to the president.

Also, the references in certain laws like "cabinet" and "prime ministry" have been changed to say "president" and the "presidency," according to the decree.