News Manager
Milforums News Bot
By Gulsen Solaker and Tulay Karadeniz ANKARA (Reuters) - Tayyip Erdogan was sworn in as Turkey's president on Thursday, cementing his position as its most powerful leader of recent times, in a step opponents fear heralds more authoritarian rule and widening religious influence in public life. Reading the oath of office in a ceremony in parliament, Erdogan vowed to protect Turkey's independence and integrity, to abide by the constitution and by the principles of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the modern secular republic. Erdogan, who had been prime minister since 2003, has consistently presented his time in office as a historic mission to transform Turkey domestically and as a regional power. "We're now more worried than ever about one-man, autocratic rule in Turkey," CHP deputy Aykan Erdemir told Reuters.More...