Erdogan to continue ruling Turkey for a third decade

Ankara, May 29

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won presidential runoff, according to unofficial results.

Erdogan secured 52.10 per cent of votes while his contender Kemal Kilicdaroglu, 74, the leader of the centre-left Republican People’s Party (CHP) and presidential nominee of the opposition bloc, received 47.90 per cent, after 99.49 per cent of ballot boxes were opened, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the results delivered by the semi-official Anadolu Agency.

In the first round of the presidential election on May 14, Erdogan earned 49.52 per cent of the vote while Kilicdaroglu received 44.88 per cent.

Neither secured more than 50 per cent of the votes needed to call a winner in the first round, therefore an election runoff was held for the first time for the presidency.

The twin elections saw a high voter turnout at 86.98 per cent, with almost 54 million citizens going to the polls.

In the last two weeks, the two candidates focused to appeal to nationalist votes in their campaigns. They both pledged to focus on problems regarding refugee issues and vowed to end terrorism as the May 14 results showed an increase in support for nationalist parties.

Erdogan was promising a new “Turkish century” if he is re-elected. He also stressed his presidency as a requirement for harmony among state institutions and stability in the country as his alliance held the majority at the parliament.