Turkey: Erdogan, the incumbent president, wins the election with 52% of the vote to 48%

HIGHLIGHTS

In the runoff vote on Sunday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan prevailed over opponent Kemal Kilicdaroglu to earn a record third term.

Voters were mostly concerned about the nation's economic situation and extremely high inflation. Their thoughts also turned to how the government handled the February earthquakes, which claimed more than 50,000 lives.

THE NEWS

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphasized that democracy won the election while addressing a jubilant gathering of thousands of supporters gathered outside the presidential palace to celebrate his election to a third term in office.

President Erdogan addressed the crowd, saying, "It is our democracy that won this election. We are not the only winners; the winner is Turkey. The winner is our nation with all its segments, our democracy is the winner." His comments were made in an effort to bring the country together following a contentious election campaign that featured passionate debates and conflicts.

"Now is the time to put aside all the debates and conflicts regarding the election period and unite around our national goals and dreams. We make this call with all our heart," President Erdogan continued, appealing for unity among the people.

The Turkish president then focused on pressing concerns confronting the nation, beginning with inflation. Erdogan acknowledged the difficulties brought on by price increases and underlined the need to solve these issues as well as makeup for the welfare losses suffered by the populace.

President Erdogan also called attention to the ongoing relief operations after a severe earthquake. He reassured the gathering that the government's top priorities will continue to be treating the earthquake's wounds and reconstructing the damaged cities. Erdogan urged the use of all available means and initiatives to quicken the healing process.

📷 Channel 4 News

Erdogan also reaffirmed his commitment to addressing the long-standing refugee situation that has impacted Turkey. He promised to take in one million Syrians who had fled their nation because of the civil strife. The president emphasized that Turkey had previously willingly transferred close to 600,000 individuals to secure zones on Syrian soil. In addition, he unveiled a fresh resettlement initiative with Qatar that intends to guarantee the return of 1 million more refugees over the coming few years.


Erdogan's position on the refugee issue has changed over time, it is important to note. The president recently stated in a CNN interview that he intended to "encourage" about a million refugees to return to Syria, after previously rejecting proposals for a general deportation.

Here's the video from CNN-News18: 

President Erdogan reiterated his commitment to serving the Turkish people at the end of his speech following his election victory. He urged the country to support the government's initiatives to address these grave problems and pledged to work diligently for the welfare of the nation and its people.

It is unclear how these pledges and goals will be carried out as Turkey enters a new chapter under President Erdogan's direction. Although there are many obstacles to overcome, Erdogan's resounding electoral victory has given him a newfound mandate to push forward with his plans and guide the country toward development and stability.

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📹 CNN-News18

Links: https://edition.cnn.com/europe/live-news/turkey-election-runoff-results-intl/index.html