Türkiye’s President Tayyip Erdoğan has claimed victory in Turkey’s presidential election, a win that would steer his increasingly authoritarian rule into a third decade.
Key points:
- The win cements Tayyip Erdoğan’s position for another five years
- The run-off presidential election was the first in the country’s history
- Near complete results showed Mr Erdogan leading his rival by four percentage points
Addressing supporters, Mr Erdoğan said voters had given him the responsibility to rule for the next five years.
“The only winner is Türkiye,” he said, addressing cheering supporters from atop a bus in Istanbul.
Final official results have yet to be released.
There was no immediate response to Mr Erdoğan’s victory speech from his challenger, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
The election had been seen as one of the most consequential yet for Türkiye, with the opposition believing it had a strong chance of unseating Mr Erdoğan after his popularity was hit by a cost-of-living crisis.
Instead, victory will reinforce his image of invincibility, after having already redrawn domestic, economic, security and foreign policy in the NATO member country of 85 million people and positioned Türkiye as a regional power.
Supporters gathered at his Istanbul residence in anticipation of victory as data reported by both state-run Anadolu agency and the opposition ANKA news agency gave him the edge with nearly 99 per cent of ballot boxes counted.
The head of the High Election Board earlier told a news conference that Mr Erdoğan was leading Mr Kılıçdaroğlu with 54.47 per cent support, with 54.6 per cent of ballot boxes logged.
‘I expect everything to become better’
Mr Erdoğan, head of the Islamist-rooted AK Party, appealed to voters with nationalist and conservative rhetoric during a divisive campaign that deflected attention from deep economic troubles.
The defeat of Mr Kılıçdaroğlu, who promised to set the country on a more democratic and collaborative path, would likely be cheered in Moscow but mourned in Western capitals and much of the Middle East after Turkey took a more confrontational and independent stance in foreign affairs.
Erdoğan supporters who were gathered outside his Istanbul residence chanted Allahu Akbar, or God is Greatest.
“I expect everything to become better,” said Nisa, 28, a woman wearing a headband with Erdoğan’s name.
Another Erdoğan supporter said Türkiye would get stronger with him in office for five more years.
“There are issues, problems in every country around the world, in European countries as well… With strong leadership we will overcome Turkey’s problems as well,” said Mert, 39, who had come to celebrate with his son.
Bugra Oztug, 24, who voted for Mr Kılıçdaroğlu, said she was not surprised at the result, blaming the opposition for failing to change.
“I feel sad and disappointed but I am not hopeless,” Mr Oztug said.
“I still think there are people who can see the realities and truth.”
Mr Erdoğan’s performance has wrong-footed opponents who also thought voters would punish him over the state’s initially slow response to devastating earthquakes in February, in which more than 50,000 people died.
But in the first round of voting on May 14, which included parliamentary elections, his AK Party emerged top in 10 of the 11 provinces hit by the earthquakes, helping it secure a parliamentary majority along with its allies.
Reuters