Turkish president Erdogan chairs 1st Cabinet meeting amid accusations of power-grab

Published May 21, 2015

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has convened a Cabinet meeting for the first time, a move that is raising concerns among critics that he is pushing ahead to expand the powers of the largely ceremonial presidency.

Erdogan has dominated politics for the past decade as prime minister and was elected president in August. He has set his sights on turning Turkey's parliamentary system into a presidential system, giving the head of state executive powers.

On Monday, he invoked a rarely used presidential power to call and preside over a Cabinet meeting, usually chaired by the prime minister.

Opposition parties say the president can call a Cabinet meeting in exceptional conditions only and accuse Erdogan of overstepping his powers and seeking greater involvement in the running of government.

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https://www.foxnews.com/world/turkish-president-erdogan-chairs-1st-cabinet-meeting-amid-accusations-of-power-grab