President of Türkiye
The President of the Republic of Türkiye is the head of state and head of the executive branch of the Republic of Türkiye, exercising extensive powers under the presidential system enshrined in the 1982 Constitution as amended in 2017.[1][2] Originally established in 1923 upon the Republic's founding with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as the first holder, the office was ceremonial in the parliamentary framework, with authority vested primarily in the prime minister and parliament.[3] The 2017 constitutional referendum abolished the prime ministership, granting the president direct executive control, including cabinet appointments without parliamentary approval, decree-making authority, veto powers over legislation, and influence over judicial appointments, marking a shift to centralized governance that has drawn scrutiny for concentrating power amid Türkiye's geopolitical challenges and internal dynamics.[1][2] The president is elected by popular vote for five-year terms, limited to two consecutive terms barring exceptional early elections, with incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdoğan holding the position since his 2014 victory following service as prime minister from 2003 to 2014, securing reelection in 2018 and 2023.[1][4] This evolution reflects Türkiye's adaptation from Kemalist secularism to a model emphasizing national sovereignty and executive efficacy, though implementation has involved decrees bypassing legislative checks and responses to events like the 2016 coup attempt, consolidating authority in ways that official sources frame as stabilizing while external analyses, often from Western institutions with noted ideological tilts, highlight erosion of checks and balances.[1][5]