In a move widely seen as furthering his drive for a stronger presidency, <br />Recep Tayyip Erdogan has become the first Turkish president to chair a cabinet meeting in more than a decade.<br /><br /> The gathering was held in Erdogan’s controversial new presidential palace, a vast 1,150-room complex on the outskirts of the capital, Ankara. Presidents have chaired cabinet meetings in the past, but almost exclusively in times of crisis.<br /><br /> With parliamentary elections looming in June, it is a sign, critics say, that he’s bent on accumulating much more power since he won the presidency last year with 52 percent support.
