https://sputnikglobe.com/20230528/erdogan-clinches-victory-in-turkiyes-presidential-runoff-1110751521.html
Erdogan Clinches Victory in Turkiye's Presidential Runoff
Erdogan Clinches Victory in Turkiye's Presidential Runoff
Sputnik International
Turkiye went to the polls on Sunday for a second round of voting in the country’s presidential elections after no candidate managed to win over fifty percent of the vote in the first round of voting on May 14.
2023-05-28T17:15+0000
2023-05-28T17:15+0000
2023-05-28T19:26+0000
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recep tayyip erdogan
kemal kilicdaroglu
sinan ogan
turkiye
justice and development party (akp)
republican people’s party (chp)
nato
2023 turkish presidential election
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Incumbent Turkish President Recep Tayyip has secured victory in Turkiye’s presidential runoff, defeating his rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu.Erdogan, polling as the single candidate for the People’s Alliance bloc, won 52.13 percent of the vote, compared to 47.87 percent of votes cast for Kilicdaroglu, who ran for the opposition Nation Alliance coalition, according to preliminary results from Turkiye's electoral commission with over 99.6 percent of the votes counted.Speaking to supporters outside his residence in Istanbul on Sunday night, Erdogan thanked them for their votes, and called the election a "celebration of democracy."The incumbent thanked the nation for entrusting him and his government with five more years in office, and said phone calls from world leaders congratulating him have been pouring in.Russian President Vladimir Putin also congratulated the Turkish president on Sunday, expressing Moscow's appreciation for Erdogan's "personal contribution to the strengthening of friendly-Russian-Turkish relations," and reiterating Russia's "readiness to continue our constructive dialogue on topical issues."'Important Choice'Erdogan earlier hailed Sunday’s vote as “the most important choice” Turks would have to make in their lives, citing the election’s role in determining the future course of the country. Kilicdaroglu similarly characterized the election as a choice “between two candidates and two worldviews.”In addition to policy differences on the economy, counterterrorism, refugees and illegal immigration, Erdogan and Kilicdaroglu have been seen to hold divergent views on Turkiye’s role in regional and global affairs, with the incumbent president pushing for greater independence and integration with non-Western-dominated institutions, while Kilicdaroglu has been seen as pursuing a more traditional line on issues ranging from cooperation with NATO and the European Union to relations with Russia.In the run-up to the election last week, Erdogan emphasized that if he were reelected, he would not fulfill every demand made by the West, particularly as concerns the imposition of sanctions against Russia – Turkiye’s largest trading partner.Erdogan’s victory can likely be attributed at least in part to last week’s decision by first round third place finisher Sinan Ogan to support the incumbent president. Ogan and his nationalist ATA Alliance received over 5 percent in the May 14 vote.The 69-year-old incumbent’s victory extends his mandate to the year 2028. Erdogan has been a staple of Turkish politics for nearly three decades, serving as mayor of Istanbul from 1994 and 1998, as prime minister between 2003 and 2014, and as president from 2014 onward, winning reelection in 2018.Election Will 'Further Strengthen Erdogan's Legitimacy'"The opposition that has been united like never before has failed monumentally. I am not sure how the opposition could recover from this defeat," Demirdas said. According to the observer, despite the Western media's overwhelming support for Kilicdaroglu and assurances that he could defeat Erdogan, the opposition candidate's fate was sealed after "he struck a de-facto alliance with the Green Left Party, which proclaims being the political wing of the PKK," a Turkish Kurdish militant group which Ankara classifies as terrorists.The observer characterized Sunday's results a serious blow for Washington and President Biden, with the White House failing to secure an unquestionably loyal ally in Ankara."As Mr. Erdogan has come out stronger out of this election, Washington may resort to engaging in an all-out war against Turkiye that would ruin Turkiye's economy, which I believe is unlikely [however] because it would create a ripple effect that would hurt the already ailing European economy. So, I am expecting that Washington will be more lenient toward Mr. Erdogan's demands," Demirdas said.Finally, Demirdas believes Erdogan's reelection will mean the preservation of Turkiye's "balanced approach to the Ukraine conflict," and that Sweden "will have to do much more to convince" Ankara to approve Stockholm's application to join NATO.
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recep tayyip erdogan, election, victory, results, outcome
recep tayyip erdogan, election, victory, results, outcome
Erdogan Clinches Victory in Turkiye's Presidential Runoff
17:15 GMT 28.05.2023 (Updated: 19:26 GMT 28.05.2023) Turkiye went to the polls on Sunday for a second round of voting in the country’s presidential elections after no candidate managed to win over fifty percent of the vote in the first round of voting on May 14.
Incumbent Turkish President Recep Tayyip has secured victory in Turkiye’s presidential runoff, defeating his rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
Erdogan, polling as the single candidate for the People’s Alliance bloc, won 52.13 percent of the vote, compared to 47.87 percent of votes cast for Kilicdaroglu, who ran for the opposition Nation Alliance coalition, according to preliminary results from Turkiye's electoral commission with over 99.6 percent of the votes counted.
Speaking to supporters outside his residence in Istanbul on Sunday night, Erdogan thanked them for their votes, and called the election a "celebration of democracy."
"I would like to congratulate all members of our organization, observers at ballot boxes, and our campaign team," Erdogan said.
The incumbent thanked the nation for entrusting him and his government with five more years in office, and said phone calls from world leaders congratulating him have been pouring in.
"Now world leaders are calling. My brother Ilham [Aliyev], president of Azerbaijan, just called. My brother, the president of Uzbekistan has called. The prime minister of Libya has called. They are all calling one after another. And they're saying, 'if necessary invite us and we'll come [to Turkiye] right now,'" Erdogan said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also congratulated the Turkish president on Sunday, expressing Moscow's appreciation for Erdogan's "personal contribution to the strengthening of friendly-Russian-Turkish relations," and reiterating Russia's "readiness to continue our constructive dialogue on topical issues."
Erdogan earlier hailed
Sunday’s vote as “the most important choice” Turks would have to make in their lives, citing the election’s role in determining the future course of the country. Kilicdaroglu similarly characterized the election as a choice “between two candidates and two worldviews.”
In addition to
policy differences on the economy, counterterrorism, refugees and illegal immigration, Erdogan and Kilicdaroglu have been
seen to hold divergent views on Turkiye’s role in regional and global affairs, with the incumbent president pushing for greater independence and integration with non-Western-dominated institutions, while Kilicdaroglu has been seen as pursuing a more traditional line on issues ranging from cooperation with NATO and the European Union to relations with Russia.
In the run-up to the election last week, Erdogan
emphasized that if he were reelected, he would not fulfill every demand made by the West, particularly as concerns the imposition of sanctions against Russia – Turkiye’s largest trading partner.
Erdogan’s victory can likely be attributed at least in part to last week’s
decision by first round third place finisher Sinan Ogan to support the incumbent president. Ogan and his nationalist ATA Alliance received over 5 percent in the May 14 vote.
The 69-year-old incumbent’s victory extends his mandate to the year 2028. Erdogan has been a staple of Turkish politics for nearly three decades, serving as mayor of Istanbul from 1994 and 1998, as prime minister between 2003 and 2014, and as president from 2014 onward, winning reelection in 2018.
Election Will 'Further Strengthen Erdogan's Legitimacy'
Sunday's runoff "will further strengthen Mr. Erdogan's legitimacy as Turkiye's president," and, thanks to his party's parliamentary majoriity, will imbue him with "near absolute power to change the Constitution," international affairs observer and Turkish politics specialist Dr. Ali Demirdas has told Sputnik.
"The opposition that has been united like never before has failed monumentally. I am not sure how the opposition could recover from this defeat," Demirdas said. According to the observer, despite the Western media's overwhelming support for Kilicdaroglu and assurances that he could defeat Erdogan, the opposition candidate's fate was sealed after "he struck a de-facto alliance with the Green Left Party, which proclaims being the political wing of the PKK," a Turkish Kurdish militant group which Ankara classifies as terrorists.
"Kilicdaroglu also promised the return of those who fled Turkiye for being part of the 15 July [2016] coup attempt. They are known as the Gulenist or FETO (Fethullah Terror Organization). Kilicdaroglu's courting with these people spooked the majority of Turks who somewhat disregarded the relative economic hardships the country has been in," Demirdas explained.
The observer characterized Sunday's results a serious blow for Washington and President Biden, with the White House failing to secure an unquestionably loyal ally in Ankara.
"Biden overtly stated his intention to oust Mr. Erdogan by providing support for the Turkish opposition. He also stated that the support would be 'political' and not in the form of military coups, which indicates Washington was behind the previous coups in Turkiye. Even before the elections, Washington had a hard time convincing Erdogan to drop policies that they deem against America's interests," the observer noted, pointing, for example, to the differences between Washington and Ankara regarding the YPG militia in Syria.
"As Mr. Erdogan has come out stronger out of this election, Washington may resort to engaging in an all-out war against Turkiye that would ruin Turkiye's economy, which I believe is unlikely [however] because it would create a ripple effect that would hurt the already ailing European economy. So, I am expecting that Washington will be more lenient toward Mr. Erdogan's demands," Demirdas said.
Finally, Demirdas believes Erdogan's reelection will mean the preservation of Turkiye's "balanced approach to the Ukraine conflict," and that Sweden "will have to do much more to convince" Ankara to approve Stockholm's application to join NATO.
