Turkey: Presidential inauguration in Ankara July 9 /update 3

Event

The inauguration ceremony for incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be held in Ankara on Monday, July 9, amid tight security. President Erdogan is slated to take the oath of office in front of Parliament (also referred to as the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, or TBMM) at 16:30 (local time). The ceremony will be followed by a large reception hosted at the Presidential Complex (Beştepe area) beginning around 18:00. Later in the evening, President Erdogan is expected to announce the members of his cabinet at around 21:00. Security measures are expected to be extremely tight surrounding all events. Opposition gatherings and related unrest cannot be ruled out. 

Context

On Monday, June 25, Turkey's Supreme Election Council pronounced President Recep Tayyip Erdogan the winner of the June 24 general elections. This was the first presidential election to take place since the country held a referendum In April 2017, which approved constitutional changes granting the president additional powers (effectively rendering permanent many of the additional powers granted by the ongoing state of emergency, in effect since an attempted coup in 2016). 

Advice

Individuals in Turkey are advised to anticipate tight security and localized transportation disruptions in Ankara on July 9 and to avoid all demonstrations and public gatherings as a precaution.

On a related note, due to the risk of terrorism, individuals should maintain a high degree of vigilance, report any suspicious objects or behavior to the relevant authorities, and be particularly cautious when visiting sites deemed particularly likely to be targeted in an attack (public transportation, train stations, ports, airports, public or government buildings, embassies or consulates, international organizations, schools and universities, religious sites, markets, hotels, and restaurants frequented by foreigners/Westerners, festivals, etc.).