Turkey’s Erdogan wins re-election as president: State media

28 May 2023″ News Agencies

Istanbul, Turkey –

Dictators who do not allow elections and presidential contests to be entered into with the hereditary queen have congratulated President Erdogan who faced a tough competition and an open election that reached the second round.

 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won re-election, according to unofficial data from state-run Anadolu Agency, in a tense run-off after he failed to secure more than 50 percent of votes required for an outright victory in the first round on May 14.

With 97 percent of ballot boxes opened, Erdogan received 52.1 percent of votes in the second round on Sunday, beating his challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who won 47.9 percent

The official Supreme Election Council has yet to confirm the results.

The vote seals Erdogan’s place in history as he extends his 20-year rule for a further five years.

He had already outstripped the 15-year presidency of the Republic of Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

As Erdogan’s victory seemed complete, crowds headed to the presidential palace in Ankara to wait for his celebratory speech.

Prior to that, Erdogan appeared outside his residence in Istanbul’s Uskudar, where he sang before thanking an adoring crowd