Erdogan rejoins Turkey's governing AK Party
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rejoined the party after a three-year absence. This is the first major change to come into effect following a referendum on shifting to a presidential system. He is expected to become AK Party leader on May 21.
![Erdogan will be nominated chairman of the Justice and Development Party or AK Party during an extraordinary congress that will be held on May 21, 2017. Erdogan will be nominated chairman of the Justice and Development Party or AK Party during an extraordinary congress that will be held on May 21, 2017.](https://cdn-i.pr.trt.com.tr/trtworld/w664/h374/q70/0m_6711-trtworld-347856-385853.jpg)
Erdogan will be nominated chairman of the Justice and Development Party or AK Party during an extraordinary congress that will be held on May 21, 2017.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has rejoined the governing Justice and Development (AK) Party after signing his membership declaration during a special ceremony in the capital Ankara on Tuesday.
Earlier it was not constitutional for the president to be directly affiliated to a political party. However, the April 16 referendum allowed changes to the country's governing charter which included shifting from a parliamentary to a presidential system and permitting the president to be a member of a political party.
Erdogan left the AK Party under the rules at the time, when he was elected Turkey's president in 2014.
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said in his speech at Tuesday's ceremony that the president will be nominated to become chairman of the AK Party at an extraordinary congress on May 21.
Erdogan was a founding member of the AK Party, which has led Turkey since 2002.
TRT World's Hasan Abdullah has more.