The sultan will remain president until 2028. “Turkey’s century is beginning,” says Erdogan, who was in charge of the entire election count, even if the data so far have been contradictory in the afternoon, from 4 p.m. Italian time.
The candidate of the main opposition parties, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, and the outgoing President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, faced each other in the presidential elections in Turkey.
The gap between the two has gradually narrowed. In the end, the presidency was confirmed with 52.1% of the votes. The Turkish leader thus secures power for another 5 years.
“Our people have trusted us again. Only Turkey won today,” Erdogan told a crowd in Kisikli, on the Anatolian side of Istanbul. Then the attack on LGBT rights: “In our culture, the family is sacred, we will strangle anyone who dares to touch it.” ».
The opposition leader expressed “genuine sorrow” over Turkey’s future: “My real sorrow concerns the difficulties that await the country,” said secular opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu in his first public statements after the elections, without officially admitting defeat.
Turnout was over 85 percent, according to state television Trt, down from nearly 90 percent in the first round of the presidential election.
The spokesman for Turkey’s largest opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Faik Oztrak, spoke of a close race and warned Erdogan’s party: “Don’t try to muddy the water with speeches from the balcony,” he said, referring to Erdogan Party habit of talking to its supporters. And then he threatened strict control of the counting process due to attempts at fraud by the ruling AKP party.
“We have not received any reports of negative situations affecting the voting process,” the head of Turkey’s Supreme Electoral Council, Ahmet Yener, told the press shortly after the count began. “All objections have been considered by the competent authorities. We thank everyone who helped us organize a successful election.”
“I invite all my brothers to stay and protect the seats until the results are final,” Erdogan wrote on his social media shortly after the polls closed. “Now is the time to protect the will of our nation to the last moment.”
“I address each and every member of my nation: Not without you!” wrote Kiliçdaroglu, also known as the “Turkish Gandhi”.
Erdogan gives children banknotes
Erdogan gave 200 Turkish lira banknotes (about 10 euros) and toys to some children he met this morning at the polling station where he was going to vote in Uskudar on the Anatolian side of Istanbul. Also on the occasion of the first round of the presidential elections on May 14, Erdogan had donated money to children when he went to the polls.
The public prosecutor’s office in Istanbul issues arrest warrants
Meanwhile, Istanbul prosecutors have issued arrest warrants for five people after opening an investigation into some posts shared on social media that were deemed “provocative”. They had spread “disinformation with the aim of disturbing public order”. This was announced by various Turkish media outlets, announcing that the following accounts are the focus of the investigation: Haber Report, Darkweb Haber, Militer Doktrin, Muhbir, and Solcu Gazete.
World leaders congratulate Erdogan
Turkey’s allied countries congratulate Erdogan. The compliments came from Serb Aleksandar Vucic and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, who called Erdogan to invite him to visit Baku.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also congratulated the Turkish President, saying that this reflects “the confidence of the Turkish people in their dynamic leadership”.
Iranian President Raisi calls Erdogan’s re-election “a sign of the enduring and valuable confidence of the Turkish people” while his Venezuelan counterpart celebrates the triumph of a brother and friend. Hungarian Head of State Viktor Orban and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani also spoke before them.