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Turkish Elections: Erdogan Emerges Victorious, Tightens Grip On Power
Erdogan’s supporters celebrate outside the AK party headquarters in Istanbul, Turkey. (Jeff J Mitchell/GettyImages)
Extending his a-decade-and-a-half grip on power, Turkey's leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won a fresh five-year term after securing an outright victory in the first round of a presidential poll, the Indian Express has reported.
The country's election authority chief Sadi Guven said the President "received the absolute majority of all valid votes".
Turkish state media reports put Erdogan on 53 per cent with 99 per cent of votes counted, and his closest rival Muharrem Ince on 31 per cent. The opposition is yet to officially concede but said it would continue its democratic fight "whatever the result".
"Starting tomorrow, we will start working to realise the promises we made to our people," Erdogan told supporters of AK Party, in a victory speech in Ankara.
The elections were the most fiercely fought in many years, and Erdogan is set to acquire sweeping powers under a new executive presidency. This victory gives him another five-year term and more power than any of his predecessors after a narrow referendum win last year.
The referendum, which was mired in accusations of fraud, concentrated authority in the office of the president at the expense of parliament and the judiciary. The opposition parties want to review these constitutional changes which they say "will create an autocracy". Under the new constitution, Erdogan could serve a further term from 2023, taking him to 2028.
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