Official Gazette publishes presidential elections results just in time for Erdoğan’s oath

ANKARA

High Election Board Sadi Güven. AA Photo

The results of the Aug. 10 presidential elections were published in the Official Gazette on Aug. 28, exactly 13 days after the High Election Board (YSK) announced the final counting.

The publication of the results comes right before the oath ceremony of President-elect Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who will officially only spend a few hours away from his Prime Ministry position.

The delayed publication has been repeatedly criticized by the opposition, who argued Erdoğan could not remain prime minister after the official results were announced, who argued, citing the Constitution, that his deputy status should end as soon as the YSK’s final counting was published in the Official Gazette.

While acknowledging the legal constraint, ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) officials have responded that the law did not specify when Erdoğan should give up his lawmaker title.

But the publication of the results in the Official Gazette was delayed, prompting opposition members to interpret it as a way to bypass the law. The results were eventually published Aug. 28, a few hours before the takeover ceremony.

Within that period, Erdoğan nominated Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu as his successor. The latter officially become the new AKP head during an extraordinary party Congress in Ankara on Aug. 27 and is expected to submit the composition of a new government to Erdoğan as soon as Aug. 29.