Turkey's Erdogan to start chairing cabinet meetings, extending power
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will begin chairing cabinet meetings in January, senior officials told Reuters on Tuesday, extending his power as head of state even without the full presidential system he has long coveted.
Erdogan, who dominated politics for more than a decade as prime minister, became Turkey's first directly elected president in August and has vowed to wield far greater influence than predecessors, who took a largely ceremonial role.
The cabinet is expected to convene in January with Erdogan chairing it for the first time, two senior officials told Reuters, although it was unclear how often he would do this.
