“I, as president, swear upon my honour and integrity before the great Turkish nation and history to safeguard the existence and independence of the state … to abide by the constitution, the rule of law, democracy, the principles and reforms of Ataturk, and the principles of the secular republic,” Erdogan said in a ceremony at the parliament in Ankara, which was broadcast live on television on Saturday.
Saturday’s inauguration in parliament will be followed by a lavish ceremony at the presidential palace in the capital Ankara attended by dozens of world leaders.
Erdogan won the May 28 run-off against a powerful opposition coalition, and despite an economic crisis and severe criticism following a devastating February earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people.
Erdogan won 52.2 percent of the vote while his rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu 47.8 percent, official results show.
The 69-year-old leader will later in the day name his cabinet, which will be tasked with handling an economic crisis that has witnessed runaway inflation and the collapse of the lira.
