The opposition’s attempt to replace an authoritarian leadership fails and Turkey’s incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan remains in power for five more years. It is clear after Sunday’s second round of elections. With almost all votes counted, unofficial results from the Anka news agency, which is close to the opposition, show that Erdogan gets 52 percent of the vote and challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu 48 percent.
Supporters celebrate
Erdogan declared victory in a speech to supporters in Istanbul that he delivered on the roof of a campaign bus. He thanked the voters for their support and said he had been given a mandate to rule the country for another five years. Supporters of President Erdogan celebrate outside the presidential palace in Ankara.
– Behind me supporters are pouring in and we also hear music praising President Erdogan, says SVT’s Turkey correspondent Thomas Thorén, who is in the city.
During the evening, Erdogan was congratulated on the victory by several world leaders. Among others, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Qatar’s leader, Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, have congratulated.
High turnout
Turnout looks to be very high once again. Figures in Istanbul point to 84-85 percent, which is almost as much as in the first round when 88 percent went to the polls.
It seems that election day has passed without any major disturbances or violence on Sunday.
– It has gone smoothly, in general, says SVT’s correspondent Tomas Thorén.
Correspondents of the media company Al Jazeera in various parts of Turkey report that the voting has been carried out in an orderly manner.
The largest opposition party, Kilicdaroglu’s CHP, states that one of their own election observers was assaulted in a village in southeastern Turkey, information that has not been confirmed by independent sources, writes TT.