Tukey: Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has extended his rule for two decades by emerging victorious in an unprecedented presidential runoff election against his opponent Mr. Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Turkey’s supreme election authority announced that Mr. Erdoğan had won 52.14 percent of the votes, while Kılıçdaroğlu received 47.86 percent.
“Look at this scene. It’s magnificent. We have completed the second round of the presidential elections with the favour of our nation,” Mr. Erdogan commented on his victory.
“Elections come and go, the flood goes away but the sand remains. The main thing is that our country does not deviate from its goals, and our nation takes care to remain united. This is the biggest message of today’s elections. We are not the only ones who have won, Turkey has won. Our democracy has won,” Mr. Erdoğan later told his supporters from the balcony of the presidential palace.
World leaders have congratulated the Turkish President after he won re-election in a historic run-off that posed the biggest challenge to his 20 years in power.
UN Secretary General Mr. Antonio Guterres congratulated Erdogan on his reelection as president. “He looks forward to further strengthening the cooperation between Türkiye and the United Nations,” spokesman Mr. Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
“I look forward to continuing to work together as NATO Allies on bilateral issues and shared global challenges,” US President Mr. Joe Biden tweeted.
Russian President Mr. Vladimir Putin stated that Mr. Erdogan’s victory was evidence that the Turkish people appreciated his “selfless work” and independent foreign policy.
Ukrainian President Mr. Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated Mr. Erdogan on his victory and said he hoped for a “strengthening of the strategic partnership for the benefit of our countries, as well as the strengthening of cooperation for the security and stability of Europe”.
“I look forward to continue building the EU-Türkiye relationship. It is of strategic importance for both the EU and Türkiye to work on advancing this relationship, for the benefit of our people,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen remarked in a tweet.