ISTANBUL: Turkey issued presidential decrees on Sunday reshaping keypolitical, military and bureaucratic institutions as part of thetransformation to a powerful executive presidency triggered by last month’selection.
President Tayyip Erdogan was sworn in on Monday under the new system andnow holds sweeping powers, allowing him to issue decrees on executivematters and appoint and remove senior civil servants.
Erdogan has said the powerful executive presidency is vital to makegovernment more efficient, drive economic growth and ensure security.Critics decry what they say is increasing authoritarianism and a pushtoward one-man rule.
Among the latest changes, the general staff was brought under the authorityof the defence minister, according to state-run Anadolu news agency, a movefollowing Erdogan’s appointment of military commander Hulusi Akar asdefence minister.
In total, the country’s official gazette published seven decrees affectingmany state institutions, including the secretariat of the National SecurityCouncil, the Defence Industry Directorate and the State Supervisory Council.
The changes coincide with the second anniversary of an attempted coupduring which at least 250 people were killed, many of them unarmedcivilians, when rogue soldiers attempted to topple Erdogan’s government.
A state of emergency was imposed after the failed putsch on July 15, 2016and is set to expire this week.
Erdogan’s AK Party and its nationalist ally plan to introduce securityregulations to ensure the “fight against terrorism” will continue afteremergency rule ends.