Türkiye re-elects Erdogan to five more years in power

The opposition candidate in Turkey’s presidential elections, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, said this Sunday (28) in the Turkish city of Ankara that he will continue to lead his fight, after the first results showed that he lost, as he defined it, “the most unfair election in years”. Kemal Kilicdaroglu was running against current Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. Kilicdaroglu declared that the results of the second round of elections, held this Sunday, showed the will of the people to change an authoritarian government. Kemal Kilicdaroglu further stated that he is saddened by the “troubles” that await Turkey. On the other hand, President Tayyip Erdogan claimed victory in the presidential election, even without the final result being officially announced. Addressing supporters, Erdogan said voters have given him the responsibility to rule for another five years, in addition to the 20 years he has been in power. “The only winner is Turkey,” cheered Erdogan in Istanbul. President Tayyip Erdogan is re-elected and will remain in power for another five years – Reuters/Murad Sezer According to the High Electoral Council, Erdogan won with 52.16% of the valid votes. And the opposition got 47.84%. So far, 99.85% of the votes have been counted. During the campaign, Erdogan, leader of the AK Party, with its Islamist roots, appealed to voters with nationalist and conservative rhetoric. On May 14, in the first round of voting, which included parliamentary elections, the AK party won the most votes in ten of the 11 provinces hit by the earthquakes, helping it secure a parliamentary majority with its allies. At that moment, Erdogan supporters gathered outside his Istanbul residence chanted “Allahu Akbar”, or “God is Greatest”. Congratulations from leaders On social media, the president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, congratulated Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan on his re-election. “Congratulations @RTErdogan on your re-election as President of Türkiye. I wish you a good mandate, with a lot of work for the best of the Turkish people. And count on Brazil’s partnership in global cooperation for peace and in the fight against poverty and development in the world”. Congratulations @RTErdogan on your re-election as President of Türkiye. I wish you a good mandate, with a lot of work for the best of the Turkish people. And count on Brazil’s partnership in global cooperation for peace and in the fight against poverty and development in the world 🇧🇷🇹🇷 — Lula (@LulaOficial) May 28, 2023 Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Tayyip Erdogan after the Turk claimed victory in the Turkish presidential election on Sunday. Putin said the poll results showed the Turkish people’s appreciation for Erdogan’s work and independent foreign policy. “The election victory was a natural result of his selfless work as head of the Republic of Turkey, a clear evidence of the Turkish people’s support for his efforts to strengthen state sovereignty and conduct an independent foreign policy,” Putin said. “We highly appreciate his personal contribution to strengthening Russian-Turkish relations and mutually beneficial cooperation in various areas,” added Putin. *With information from Reuters

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