President Tayyip Erdogan declared his victory in the Turkish presidential election on Sunday, continuing his increasingly authoritative rule into its third decade.
In his victory speech, Erdogan stated that the people of Turkey had entrusted him with the country’s leadership for the next five years. Then, he exclaimed atop a bus in Istanbul that “The only winner is Turkey,” to his cheering supporters.
Official results have yet to be disclosed, and there has been no response from Erdogan’s opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, to his declaration of victory.
This election was deemed one of Turkey’s most pivotal ones, with many believing the opposition had a solid chance to replace Erdogan, whose approval ratings were affected by a living-cost crisis. However, Erdogan’s win reinforces his perceived invincibility, having already reshaped domestic, economic, security, and foreign policy in the NATO-affiliated country of 85 million, elevating Turkey’s regional power status.
With nearly 99% of the votes counted, the state-operated Anadolu agency and the opposition ANKA news agency reported that Erdogan was ahead, leading his supporters to gather in anticipation of his victory at his Istanbul residence.
As quoted by Anadolu, Erdogan reiterated that Turkey’s 85 million citizens were winners of the May 14 and May 28 elections. However, he underscored, “We said, ‘We will win in a way that no one will lose.’ So the only winner today is Turkey.”
Read: Erdogan Versus Kilicdaroglu: A High-Stakes Presidential Runoff in Turkey
As of now, Erdogan leads in the presidential runoff with 53.41% of the votes, while his rival Kilicdaroglu has 46.59%, with 75.42% of the votes counted, according to Ahmet Yener, chairman of the Supreme Election Council (YSK).
The first round on May 14, where no candidate reached the necessary 50%, resulted in the presidential runoff. Despite this, Erdogan emerged as the frontrunner with 49.52% of the vote. His electoral alliance also secured a parliamentary majority on May 14.
Erdogan thanked the Turkish people for their faith in him and expressed gratitude for being entrusted with the country’s governance for another five years.
Kilicdaroglu’s defeat, who vowed to steer Turkey towards a more democratic and cooperative direction, would likely be celebrated in Moscow but grieved in Western capitals and much of the Middle East, given Turkey’s recent shift towards a more aggressive and independent approach in international affairs.
