“Based on provisional results, it was determined that Recep Tayyip Erdogan was elected president,” said the head of the electoral commission, Ahmet Yener, according to state news agency Anadolu. The definitive result should be released at the beginning of the week.
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“Our nation has entrusted us with the responsibility of governing the country for the next five years,” Erdogan told supporters from atop a bus in his home district of Istanbul.
After counting 99,7% of the votes, according to the official Anadolu agency, Erdogan, who leads the Justice and Development Party (AKP, Islamic-conservative), had 52,1% of the votes, against 47,9% for social democratic rival Kemal Kiliçdaroglu.
The results confirm the predictions for the second round, in which the president arrived as a favorite, despite the desire for change on the part of the electorate, galloping inflation and reports of restrictions on freedoms, in a country where there are tens of thousands of opponents imprisoned. or exiles. For the first time in Turkish history, there was a second round.
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“The time has come to put aside the disputes of the electoral campaign and achieve unity and solidarity around our dreams as a nation”, declared the president to supporters gathered in front of the presidential palace, in Ankara, after confirming his victory .
There were also spontaneous demonstrations to celebrate the president's victory in other cities, especially in the Anatolia region, in the center of the country.
“Erdogan knew how to play the nationalism card skillfully, while the opposition did not know how to propose a credible alternative,” explained researcher Galip Dalay, associated with the Middle East Council on Global Affairs.
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The defeated opponent, Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, expressed sadness for the country's future. “I am deeply saddened by the difficulties that await Turkey,” declared the leader of the main opposition party, in a speech at his party headquarters in Ankara.
Türkiye and Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated his colleague Erdogan, who worked closely with Russia on important international issues despite some disagreements.
“Your victory is the logical result of your dedicated work leading the Turkish republic, a clear proof of the support of the Turkish people for your efforts to strengthen state sovereignty and pursue an independent foreign policy,” Putin said, in statements published on the website of the Kremlin.
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Turkey has influence on key issues for Moscow, such as the war in Syria, the confrontation between the Kremlin and NATO and the offensive in Ukraine. Ankara delivered drones to Kiev, but did not add to sanctions against Russia.
Turkey also became an important alternative transit center for Russian exports, and acted as a mediator between Ukraine, the West and Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also congratulated Erdogan. “We hope for a strengthening of cooperation for the security and stability of Europe,” he tweeted. The same did other European leaders, such as the French president, the German chancellor and the British premier, and Latin authorities, such as President Lula and Venezuelan Nicolás Maduro.
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US President Joe Biden tweeted: “I hope we continue to work together as NATO allies on bilateral issues and shared global challenges,” without mentioning the recent tension in the bilateral relationship.
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