New Turkish president sworn in

The new president of Turkey, Ahmet Necdet Sezer, has been sworn in at a ceremony before parliament in Ankara.

Mr Sezer -- the first president in modern Turkish history who's neither an active politician nor a military commander -- promised to protect the secular system and fight corruption.

Mr Sezer, who was previously the chief justice of the constitutional court, was elected earlier this month after parliament opposed the re-election of the outgoing president, Suleyman Demirel. The BBC Ankara correspondent says that as president, Mr Sezer has little formal political power, but does have real influence and can set the tone of political debate.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service