'Century of Turkey has begun' says president Erdogan at his inauguration

ANKARA, Turkey - With the ‘Century of Turkiye’ started, the path to the rise of Turkiye is now before us, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at his inauguration ceremony at the presidential complex on Saturday.

"Turkiye entered a new path after the casting of votes ended and the results were announced. The Century of Turkiye has begun, and the doors of our country's growth have been opened," he said.

Earlier, Erdogan took his renewed oath of office as Turkiye's president.

Turkiye went to the polls on May 28 for a presidential runoff after no candidate secured more than 50 per cent of the vote needed for an outright victory in the first round on May 14.

Erdogan won the race with 52.18 per cent of the vote, while opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu got 47.82 per cent, according to official results.

Earlier, Erdogan’s Justice and Development (AK) Party and its allies also won a majority in parliament.

"I hope this lofty mission will be auspicious for my nation, to which I have devoted my life, to all parts of our heartland, and to humanity. I hope we will not disappoint our beloved nation that trusts me, our party, and our alliance," Erdogan said.

The president added that he will not forget the outpouring of support he felt in Turkiye and surrounding regions on May 28.

"We will embrace all 85 million people (in the country), regardless of their political views, origins, or sect," Erdogan pledged.

Erdogan also vowed to work with devotion over the next five years to honor Turkiye.

The ceremony was attended by high-level officials, including 50 heads of state, 13 prime ministers, parliamentary, and ministerial-level officials, and representatives of international organisations, including NATO, the Organisation of Turkic States, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

Among the attendees were Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus President Ersin Tatar, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. - BERNAMA-ANADOLU