World leaders have congratulated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after he won re-election in a historic run-off that posed the biggest challenge to his 20 years in power, Al Jazeera reports.
Erdogan won Turkey’s presidency with 52.14 percent of the votes, said the head of the Supreme Election Council, Ahmet Yener, on Sunday, making the results official.
The elections, in which more than 64 million Turks at home and abroad were entitled to vote, took place against a background of a cost-of-living crisis that saw inflation peak at 85 percent in October and earthquakes in February that killed more than 50,000 people.
Erdogan, 69, who came to power in 2003, initially as prime minister, offered a vision of further development, promising to extend the improvements made by his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government.
NATO member Turkey’s longest-serving leader was tested like never before in what was widely seen as the country’s most consequential election in its 100-year history as a post-Ottoman republic.
Here are some of the reactions from other countries and organisations:
“He looks forward to further strengthening the cooperation between Türkiye and the United Nations,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
United States’ President Joe Biden and top diplomat Antony Blinken have sent their congratulations to Erdogan for his victory. “I look forward to continuing to work together as NATO Allies on bilateral issues and shared global challenges,” Biden said in a tweet.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Turkey “a valued @NATO Ally and partner.”
“I look forward to our continued work together with the government chosen by the Turkish people,” he said.
Blinken also praised Sunday’s high turnout rate and the country’s “long democratic tradition.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Erdogan’s victory was evidence that the Turkish people appreciated his “selfless work” and independent foreign policy.
“We highly appreciate your personal contribution to the strengthening of friendly Russian-Turkish relations and mutually beneficial cooperation in various areas,” Putin said.
“Congratulations President (Erdogan) on your re-election. I look forward to continuing our work together and preparing for the NATO summit in July,” he tweeted.
In congratulating Erdogan, Chancellor Olaf Scholz noted how “deeply intertwined” the people and economies of both countries are, adding that “together we want to advance our common agenda with a fresh impetus!”
French President Emmanuel Macron said France and Turkey “will continue to move forward”.
“France and Turkey have huge challenges to face together. Return of peace to Europe, future of our Euro-Atlantic Alliance, Mediterranean Sea. With President Erdogan, whom I congratulate on his re-election, we will continue to move forward,” Macron wrote on Twitter.
“Congratulations @RTErdogan for your reelection as President of Türkiye. I look forward to working with you again to deepen EU-TR relations in the years to come,” Michel said in a tweet.
“I look forward to continue building the EU-Türkiye relationship. It is of strategic importance for both the EU and Türkiye to work on advancing this relationship, for the benefit of our people,” she said in a tweet.
