Erdogan wins another term as President of Turkey, extends rule into 3rd decade
- In Reports
- 03:17 PM, May 29, 2023
- Myind Staff
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, won re-election on Sunday, continuing his increasingly authoritarian reign into a third decade as the nation struggles with rising inflation and the fallout from an earthquake that destroyed entire cities.
Erdogan received 52% of the vote, compared to Kemal Kilicdaroglu's 48%, according to unofficial findings from competing news agencies after more than 99% of ballot boxes had been opened. Erdogan was re-elected, according to the president of Turkey's election body, even after accounting for all of the ballots that were not counted.
In two speeches — one in Istanbul and one in Ankara — Erdogan thanked the nation for entrusting him with the presidency for five more years.
“We hope to be worthy of your trust, as we have been for 21 years,” he told supporters on a campaign bus outside his home in Istanbul in his first comments after the results emerged.
He said, "Bye-bye-bye, Kemal," to the jeers of his followers, mocking his opponent for losing. He said that the election's disagreements were now settled, but he persisted in attacking both his rival and the long-detained former co-leader of the pro-Kurdish party due to allegations of ties to terrorism.
“The only winner today is Turkey,” Erdogan said to hundreds of thousands gathered outside the presidential palace in Ankara, promising to work hard for Turkey’s second century, which he calls the “Turkish century.” The country marks its centennial this year.
Erdogan's supporters paraded through the streets while singing his name and waving flags from the country or the ruling party. Celebratory gunfire was heard in various Istanbul neighborhoods.
With a third term, Erdogan would have a much stronger position at home and abroad, and the election outcomes would have an impact well beyond Ankara. Turkey is an important member of NATO and is located at the intersection of Europe and Asia.
Erdogan's administration blocked Sweden's application to join NATO and bought Russian missile defense systems, which led the US to kick Turkey out of a deal to develop fighter jets under its leadership. However, Turkey also played a vital role in negotiating a settlement that permitted grain imports from Ukraine and prevented a world food crisis.
“No one can look down on our nation,” Erdogan said in Istanbul.
Steven A. Cook, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Council on Foreign Relations, said Turkey was likely to “move the goal post” on Sweden’s membership in NATO as it seeks demands from the United States.
He said that Erdogan, who has previously mentioned drafting a new constitution, was likely to push for it even harder in order to enshrine changes overseen by his right-leaning Justice and Development Party, or AKP.
Congratulating Erdogan, Putin said his victory was “clear evidence” that the Turkish people support his efforts to “strengthen state sovereignty and pursue an independent foreign policy.”
Zelenskyy said he was counting on building the partnership between the two countries and strengthening cooperation “for the security and stability of Europe.”
U.S. President Joe Biden said he looked forward “to continuing to work together as NATO allies on bilateral issues and shared global challenges.”
Erdogan's unorthodox economic strategies are allegedly responsible for the spiralling inflation that has caused a cost-of-living catastrophe. Many also criticized his government for its tardiness in responding to the earthquake in Turkey that claimed more than 50,000 lives.
In his post-victory speech, Erdogan declared that reconstructing the earthquake-devastated cities would be his top priority. He also promised that, as part of a Qatar-run resettlement program, one million Syrian refugees would return to Turkey-controlled "safe zones" in Syria.
Erdogan has maintained the support of conservative voters who remain committed to him for elevating Islam's profile in Turkey, a nation established on secular ideals, and for expanding Turkey's influence in international politics.
During the first part of Erdogan's presidency, the country underwent changes that enabled accession negotiations with the EU and experienced economic development that helped many people escape poverty. But after a botched coup attempt that Turkey claims was masterminded by American-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, he attempted to restrict freedoms and the media and consolidate greater power in his own hands. Gulen has denied these claims.
Image source: AP
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