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President Tayyip Erdogan returns to power in Turkey

President Tayyip Erdogan has declared victory in Turkey’s key Presidential election. This result will allow Erdogan, who has ruled the country for more than 15 years as the Prime Minister and President, to keep his seat with increased powers and become the country’s first executive President.

With nearly all of the votes counted, he has secured an outright majority of 52.5 per cent in Sunday’s poll, according to results released by state-run Anadolu Agency.

In a short televised speech, Erdogan said people have given him the duty of carrying out the presidential and executive posts.
The 64-year-old leader also declared victory for the People’s Alliance, a bloc between his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), saying they had won a parliamentary majority in the legislative elections, also held on Sunday.

Erdogan’s closest rival, Muharrem Ince, of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), received 30.8 per cent of the votes, according to Anadolu Agency.

He was followed by Selahattin Demirtas, of the pro-Kurdish Democratic People’s Party (HDP), at 8.1 per cent and debutante right-wing IYI (Good) Party’s Meral Aksener, at 7.4 per cent.

All three major opposition parties accused Anadolu Agency of manipulating the results and releasing them selectively, a claim dismissed by the government.

Source: AIR