08 July 2018•Update: 09 July 2018
By Sibel Ugurlu, Enes Kaplan and Ilkay Guder
ANKARA
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is all set to take an oath and announce his Cabinet under new presidential system on Monday.
The June 24 vote marked Turkey's transition to an executive presidential system of government, doing away with the prime minister's post, among other changes.
Erdogan won an absolute majority in the presidential election with 52.5 percent of the vote, according to Turkey’s Supreme Election Council (YSK).
On Saturday, the newly elected Turkish lawmakers took their oaths at the parliament. The general assembly convened at 02.00 p.m. (1100GMT) under the chairmanship of Acting Speaker Durmus Yilmaz and continued until the wee hours of Sunday.
Six hundred lawmakers from seven political parties also observed a moment of silence to pay respect to Turkish Republic's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
On Monday, Erdogan will be sworn in at the parliament at 04.30 p.m. local time (1330GMT).
Presidential aide Ibrahim Kalin said: “Following the swearing-in ceremony, Mr. President will visit Anitkabir [mausoleum of Ataturk].”
He said Erdogan’s inauguration ceremony will be held on the same day at 06.00 p.m. local time (1500GMT) at the presidential complex.
The ceremony will be attended by 22 heads of the states and 28 prime ministers and parliament speakers from different countries as well as representatives from Turkey.
10K people to attend
Together with ceremony officers and guests, some 10,000 people will participate in the ceremony. Turkish citizens from all walks of life, including teachers, firefighters, village heads, tradesmen, miners and dentists have been invited.
Also, leaders of religious communities will be present at the event.
Following his visit to Anitkabir, the president will enter the presidential complex with a cavalry escort and an Ottoman military band, Mehter, will welcome him.
Soldiers will fire a 101-gun salute during Erdogan’s entrance to the presidential complex.
The guests will be given a gift of 1 Turkish Lira coins specially produced for the occasion. Some of these coins will also be placed on the market. Also, a special stamp will be printed for the ceremony day.
Later, Erdogan will host a dinner in the honor of guest heads of states. His special friends such as Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder and Ennahda leader Rached Ghannouchi will also be present.
Political and religious representatives from cognate societies --- the Balkans, the Caucasus and Central Asia -- will also attend the ceremony.
In his address at his Justice and Development (AK) Party group meeting at the parliament, Erdogan said he would unveil his cabinet under new system at 09.00 p.m. (1600GMT). Earlier, he also said his Cabinet will include ministers unaffiliated to any political party.
Presidents of Pakistan, Somali, Bosnia, Georgia, Venezuela, Zambia, Moldova, and Emir of Qatar are among the heads of states that will attend Erdogan's inauguration ceremony.
