The president of Turkey, officially the president of the Republic of Türkiye (Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Cumhurbaşkanı), is the head of state and head of government of Turkey. The president directs the executive branch of the national government and is the commander-in-chief of the Turkish military. The president also heads the National Security Council.
The office of the president of Turkey was established with the proclamation of the Republic of Türkiye on 29 October 1923, with the first president and founder being Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Traditionally, the presidency was mostly a ceremonial position, with real executive authority being exercised by the prime minister of Turkey. However, constitutional amendments approved in the 2017 constitutional referendum abolished the office of prime minister, and vested the presidency with full executive powers, effective upon the 2018 general election. The president is directly elected by eligible Turkish voters for a five-year term.
The president of Turkey is referred to as Cumhurbaşkanı ("Republic leader"), and previously archaically as Cumhurreisi or Reis-i Cumhur, also meaning "head of the republic/people".
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is the 12th and current president of Turkey, who has held the office since 28 August 2014. He was reelected for a 3rd term on 28 May 2023, which is set to last until May 2028.
The office of the President was established with the proclamation of the republic on October 29, 1923. In the voting held on the same day, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was unanimously elected as the first president. From this date until 2014, all presidents except Kenan Evren were elected by the Turkish Grand National Assembly.
Among the former presidents, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, İsmet İnönü and Celâl Bayar served as presidents affiliated with a political party. Atatürk and İnönü continued to serve as both the chairman and the president of the Republican People's Party, while Celâl Bayar resigned from the Democrat Party chairmanship when he started his presidency, but continued to be a party member during his presidency.