</s>Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party will hold its sixth ordinary congress Saturday in the capital, Ankara.

The party will change its bylaws in accordance with Turkey's new presidential system.

The new bylaws will enable members of the presidential cabinet to take part in the Central Executive and Decision Board (MKYK), which has the power to form and dissolve the party's grassroots organizations.

A total of 1,457 delegates will vote for a new MKYK of 50 party members.

AK Party spokesman Mahir Unal said previously that at least half of the MKYK’s membership would change in the sixth congress.

Fifty-two heads of state as well as senior officials of foreign diplomatic missions and representatives of non-governmental organizations have been invited to the congress.

The AK Party normally holds its grand congress once every three years. The last one was in September 2015.

In May 2017, the AK Party held an extraordinary congress following the historic approval of a raft of constitutional changes that April.

At the congress, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was reelected as head of the party.

On June 24 this year, Erdogan won an absolute majority in the presidential election with 52.6 percent of the vote, besting his closest rival, Muharrem Ince, who got 30.6 percent, according to Turkey’s Supreme Election Council (YSK).

In the parliamentary polls, the People's Alliance, including the AK Party, won 52.6 percent of the vote. The Nation Alliance, including the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), got 33.9 percent.

After its establishment in 2001, the AK Party won the November 2002 election with two-thirds of the seats in parliament. It became the first party to win an outright majority in over a decade.

During his time as prime minister, Erdogan oversaw general elections in 2007 and 2011, both times returning the AK Party to power with a greater share of the vote.

The party also performed well in local elections in 2004, 2009 and 2014 when it secured 18 out of 30 mayoral seats in larger cities.</s>Vice President Inonge Wina is today among 52 Heads of State attending the 6th Ordinary Congress of the ruling Justice and Development (AKP) party of Turkey.

Mrs Wina is in Turkey for a three day state visit at the invitation of the Turkish Government.

Meanwhile, government has called for increased trade volume between Zambia and Turkey.

She said Zambia and Turkey have a trade volume amounting to 22 million United States dollars a situation she described as low.

The Vice President has since emphasised the need to increase the trade volume to spur development in the country.

She said this when she met Turkish business executives at the Zambia-Turkey business forum organised by the Turkish business community yesterday.

Mrs Wina affirmed government’s desire for enhanced relations between the two countries.

The Vice President said government is committed to sustainable development, good governance and rule of law in order to attract investment.

She said government is looking at ways to woo investors in cutting edge technology and encouraged investors to consider investing in sectors such as tourism, agriculture manufacturing and energy.

In the aviation industry, Mrs Wina said Zambia is positioned to be an economic hub in the aviation industry as Turkish airlines is expected to start operating a direct route from Zambia to Turkey this December.

She later visited the President of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKKA) Sedar Cam.

And Dr. Cam told Mrs Wina that his organisation will consider to invest in women empowerment projects in Zambia.

Dr. Cam added that the organisation is also ready to offer technical training in various areas such as agri-mechanism.

He added that Turkey is also ready to provide technical training in High Tec and greenhouse mechanism.</s>Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan throws flowers to his supporters as he arrives to deliver a speech at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) congress in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan throws flowers to his supporters as he arrives to deliver a speech at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) congress in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018.

Supporters of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, cheer as he arrives to deliver a speech at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) congress in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018. Supporters of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, cheer as he arrives to deliver a speech at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) congress in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, accompanied by his wife Emine, left, throws flowers to his supporters as he arrives to deliver a speech at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) congress in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018. less Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, accompanied by his wife Emine, left, throws flowers to his supporters as he arrives to deliver a speech at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) ... more

Supporters of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, cheer as he arrives to deliver a speech at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) congress in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018. Supporters of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, cheer as he arrives to deliver a speech at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) congress in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by his wife Emine, left, throws flowers to his supporters as he arrives to deliver a speech at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) congress in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018. less Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by his wife Emine, left, throws flowers to his supporters as he arrives to deliver a speech at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) congress in ... more</s>Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by his wife Emine, left, throws flowers to his supporters as he arrives to deliver a speech at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) congress in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018. less

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by his wife Emine, left, throws flowers to his supporters as he arrives to deliver a speech at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) congress in ... more

Supporters of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, cheer as he arrives to deliver a speech at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) congress in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, accompanied by his wife Emine, left, throws flowers to his supporters as he arrives to deliver a speech at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) congress in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018. less

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, accompanied by his wife Emine, left, throws flowers to his supporters as he arrives to deliver a speech at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) ... more

Supporters of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, cheer as he arrives to deliver a speech at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) congress in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan throws flowers to his supporters as he arrives to deliver a speech at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) congress in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018.

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey's president said Saturday his country will stand strong against an "attempted economic coup" amid heightened tensions with the United States.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan told thousands of supporters in Ankara that the country was being "threatened by the economy, sanctions, foreign currency, interest rates and inflation."

"We tell them that we see their game and we challenge them," he said.

Turkey is reeling from a massive sell-off of its currency as Washington imposed sanctions and threatened new ones if an American pastor under house arrest isn't released.

Evangelical pastor Andrew Craig Brunson faces up to 35 years in jail if convicted of espionage and terror-related charges. He maintains his innocence.

The lira's value dropped 38 percent against the dollar since the beginning of the year and sunk as low as 7.24 this week.

On Friday, ratings agencies Standard & Poor and Moody's downgraded Turkey's credit rating further to "junk" status, pointing to currency volatility and concerns over central bank independence.

Some Erdogan supporters at his ruling party's congress to elect a new executive branch wore shirts with the lira sign.</s>(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici). Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by his wife Emine, left, throws flowers to his supporters as he arrives to deliver a speech at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) congress in Ankara, Turkey, S...

(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici). Supporters of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, cheer as he arrives to deliver a speech at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) congress in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018.

(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici). Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, accompanied by his wife Emine, left, throws flowers to his supporters as he arrives to deliver a speech at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) congress in Ankara, T...

(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici). Supporters of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, cheer as he arrives to deliver a speech at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) congress in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018.

(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici). Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan throws flowers to his supporters as he arrives to deliver a speech at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) congress in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018.

ISTANBUL (AP) - Turkey's president has said his country will stand strong against an "attempted economic coup" amid heightened tensions with the U.S.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday told thousands of supporters in Ankara that the country was being "threatened by the economy, sanctions, foreign currency, interest rates and inflation."

He said: "we tell them that we see their game and we challenge them."

Turkey is reeling from a massive sell-off of its currency as Washington imposed sanctions and threatened new ones if an American pastor under house arrest isn't released.

The lira's value dropped 38 percent against the dollar since the beginning of the year and sunk as low as 7.24 this week.

On Friday, ratings agencies Standard & Poor and Moody's downgraded Turkey's credit rating further to "junk" status.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) is holding its sixth ordinary convention Saturday in the capital, Ankara.

The party will change its bylaws in accordance with Turkey's new presidential system.

The new bylaws will enable members of the presidential cabinet to take part in the Central Executive and Decision Board (MKYK), which has the power to form and dissolve the party's grassroots organizations.

A total of 1,457 delegates will vote for a new MKYK of 50 party members.

AK Party spokesman Mahir Ünal said previously that at least half of the MKYK's membership would change in the sixth congress.

Fifty-two heads of state as well as senior officials of foreign diplomatic missions and representatives of non-governmental organizations have been invited to the convention.

The AK Party normally holds its grand convention once every three years. The last one was in September 2015.

In May 2017, the AK Party held an extraordinary convention following the historic approval of a raft of constitutional changes that April.

At the convention, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan rejoined and was reelected as head of the party which he co-founded.

Erdoğan is expected to be re-elected as party chair at Saturday's grand convention, which is attended by thousands of people from across the country in and around the 10,500-seat Ankara Sports Center.

Fifty-two heads of state have been invited to the convention. The chairman of Russia's Duma and a representative from the Communist Party of China are expected to participate, official Anadolu Agency said.

More than 600 local and foreign journalists, representatives from eight Turkish political parties as well as NGOs will follow the convention, it added.

Saturday's event also comes on the heels of a deepening rift with the U.S., a NATO ally.

Tensions between Ankara and Washington rose particularly following the arrest of American pastor Andrew Brunson. The 50-year-old clergyman, who is being tried on espionage and terrorism-related charges, was detained in October 2016 and arrested that December in the aftermath of a failed coup.

U.S. President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on Turkish steel and aluminum on Aug. 10, while also imposing sanctions on Turkish interior and justice ministers. The sanctions, topped with worries over the Turkish economy and a global scale trade and currency war, sent Turkish lira to new record lows and made it one of the worst performing currencies this year.

Turkey responded in kind to the sanctions, increasing tariffs on U.S. alcohol, tobacco and automotive products on Wednesday, also imposing the same sanctions to the U.S. interior and state secretaries. Turkish officials and financial sector executives described the U.S. moves as an "economic war", adding that the volatility in lira does not reflect the state of the country's economy.

Speaking at the convention, Erdoğan criticized the U.S. and Trump without specifying, saying: "We have not surrendered and will not surrender to those who pretend to be our strategic partners while making us their strategic targets."

On June 24 this year, Erdoğan won an absolute majority in the presidential election with 52.6 percent of the vote, besting his closest rival, Muharrem Ince, who got 30.6 percent, according to Turkey's Supreme Election Council (YSK).

In the parliamentary polls, the People's Alliance, including the AK Party and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), won 52.6 percent of the vote. The Nation Alliance, including the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), newly-formed right-wing Good Party (IYI Party – IP) and conservative Felicity Party (SP), got 33.9 percent.

After its establishment in 2001, the AK Party won the November 2002 election with two-thirds of the seats in parliament. It became the first party to win an outright majority in over a decade.

During his time as prime minister, Erdoğan oversaw general elections in 2007 and 2011, both times returning the AK Party to power with a greater share of the vote.

The party also performed well in local elections in 2004, 2009 and 2014 when it secured 18 out of 30 mayoral seats in larger cities.</s>Erdogan, whose candidacy was the single option, was elected party leader for the sixth time. He received 1,380 votes of delegates at the congress. All 1,380 delegates voted unanimously for Erdogan's candidacy. At the same time, Erdogan was the only candidate nominated for this post.

READ MORE: PhD Explains What Powers Erdogan Will Gain if He Wins Election

Thanks to amendments to the Turkish Constitution, which were approved in an April 2017 referendum, this became possible. Erdogan re-entered the ranks of the ruling Justice and Development Party in May 2017.
At the 6th Ordinary Congress of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is re-elected as the party's chairman, receiving 1380 of 1381 votes.