Erdogan’s inauguration: What to expect for Turkey’s big bash

ANKARA — Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to take his oath and officially begin his new term as country’s executive president on Saturday after his election victory. 

Attendees: Nearly 20 government and state leaders are expected to attend the inauguration day, which will see four separate ceremonies to be held in Ankara, Turkey’s public broadcaster TRT reported.

The inauguration day will start in the morning with Erdogan’s swearing-in in the capital Ankara, where the security is heightened for the visiting foreign leaders and dignitaries. Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian President Nicole Pashinian and Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber are among the leaders who are expected to attend the ceremony, Turkish press reported. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Sweden’s former premier Carl Bildt will also travel to Turkey. Russia will be represented by Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, according to Russian state media. 

Ataturk tribute: After being sworn in, President Erdogan will then receive his mandate issued by Turkey’s High Election Board. Following a tribute to the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the modern Turkish Republic, Erdogan will head to his presidential palace where he is scheduled to give a speech laying out a road map for his new term. Erdogan is expected to unveil his cabinet after a reception which will be thrown for the foreign officials joining the inauguration ceremony. 

Trip to Northern Cyprus: Following inauguration, Erdogan is expected to travel to Northern Cyprus, whose independence is recognized only by Ankara and then to Azerbaijan, following a long held presidential tradition. In remarks before elections, Erdogan also said some Gulf countries sent funding to Turkey to relieve the central bank and markets, and that he would pay visits to these countries to thank them. Erdogan didn’t clarify which Gulf countries those were.