Turkish President Erdogan to Inrease Grip on Power After Prime Minister Resigns

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, left, arrive to attend funeral prayers for army officer Seckin Cil, who was killed in Sur, Diyarbakir Wednesday, in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016. Six soldiers were killed after PKK rebels detonated a bomb on the road linking the cities of Diyarbakir and Bingol in southeastern Turkey as their vehicle was passing by, according to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency. The deaths come a day after a suicide bombing claimed the lives of at least 28 people and wounded dozens of others.(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)

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• The Unraveling of Turkey’s Democracy

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According to the Constitution, the prime minister is charged with the responsibility of leading the government and is the most powerful official. Traditionally, a Turkish president is for the most part a figurehead, with little genuine authority.  

Yet Erdogan is largely considered the country’s dominating politician; his unorthodox approach to the presidency has many concerned over Turkey’s recent authoritarian tilt.

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