Erdogan to Take the Oath as President of Turkey For a 3rd Term.

TURKEY: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the country's longtime leader, is scheduled to take the oath of office in parliament on Saturday, June 3, after winning the recently concluded general election. Additionally, this will be his third term in office. Erdogan, 69, won a second five-year term last week in a presidential runoff that could extend his 20-year control in the nation. After taking the oath, he is expected to reveal the members of his new Cabinet, according to sources.

With a population of 85 million people, the nation oversees NATO's second-largest army, is home to millions of migrants, and was instrumental in brokering a deal that permitted the export of grain from Ukraine, preventing a global food crisis. Numerous foreign dignitaries are making the trip to witness the ceremony, including Carl Bildt, a prominent former Swedish prime minister, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

In order for Sweden to join the military alliance, which requires majority consent from all partners, they are likely to put pressure on Erdogan to drop his nation's reservations. In addition to the battered economy, pressure to repatriate millions of Syrian refugees, and the need to rebuild after a devastating earthquake in February that claimed 50,000 lives and completely destroyed cities in the country's south, Erdogan takes the oath of office amid a number of domestic challenges.

The nation is struggling with a cost-of-living crisis brought on by inflation, which peaked at a startling 85% in October before falling to 44% last month.

Since the beginning of the year, the value of the Turkish Lira has fallen by more than 10% versus the US Dollar. Critics attribute the unrest to Erdogan's goal of lowering interest rates to foster growth, which is at odds with conventional economic wisdom, which recommends boosting rates to fight inflation.

As Prime Minister and President since 2003, Erdogan is already Turkey's longest-serving head of state. By amending the constitution to make the presidency of Turkey more than just a ceremonial position, he has strengthened his hold on power. Notably, Erdogan barely lost to opposition contender Kemal Kilicdaroglu in a first-round vote on May 14 but narrowly prevailed in a runoff election on May 28.

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