Erdoğan Triumphs in Turkish Presidential Election, Bolstering His Hold on Power
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan secured victory in Turkey’s presidential election, marking the continuation of his increasingly authoritarian rule into a third decade. He addressed supporters from a bus in Istanbul, thanking them for their votes, and claiming the responsibility to govern for another five years.
The opposition candidate, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and backed by a six-party alliance, refrained from conceding defeat, and said he would continue to strive for national prosperity and peace. This marks the CHP’s 13th loss against President Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party since 2002, prompting calls from former CHP members for Kılıçdaroğlu’s resignation.
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The election was seen as a significant one for Turkey, as rising living costs had impacted Erdoğan’s popularity and the opposition believed they had a genuine chance of unseating him.
However, the victory solidifies Erdoğan’s image as an invincible leader, who has transformed Turkey’s domestic, economic, and foreign policies, positioning the country as a regional power. Both state-run Anadolu agency and opposition news agency ANKA reported Erdoğan leading with nearly 99% of the ballot boxes counted.
Notably, the election highlighted deep divisions within Turkey, with Erdoğan leveraging nationalist and conservative rhetoric. His victory signifies a potential cause for concern in Western capitals due to his ties to Russia, even though his re-election has been largely met with ambivalence across the Middle East.
Erdoğan’s win comes despite economic turmoil and a slow response to devastating earthquakes earlier in the year. The coming years “will be characterized by a decline in political and civil liberties, polarization, and cultural fights between two political tribes,” according to Emre Erdoğan, a political science professor at Istanbul’s Bilgi University.
