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.
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.
With 99.43 percent of ballot boxes opened, Erdogan’s rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu received 47.86 percent of votes, Yener said. With a gap of more than two million votes between candidates, the rest of the uncounted ballots will not change the result, he added.
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.
Without formally conceding defeat, Kilicdaroglu said: “My real sadness is about the difficulties awaiting the country.”
Here are some of the reactions from other countries and organisations:
United Nations
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has congratulated Erdogan on his reelection as president.
“He looks forward to further strengthening the cooperation between Türkiye and the United Nations,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
United States
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.”
Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Erdogan’s victory was evidence that the Turkish people appreciated his “selfless work” and independent foreign policy.
“The election victory was a natural result of your selfless work as the head of the Republic of Turkey, clear evidence of the support of the Turkish people for your efforts to strengthen state sovereignty and conduct an independent foreign policy,” Putin said in a message to Erdogan, according to the Kremlin.
“We highly appreciate your personal contribution to the strengthening of friendly Russian-Turkish relations and mutually beneficial cooperation in various areas,” Putin said.
NATO
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also took to Twitter to congratulate Erdogan on his election victory.
“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.
Qatar
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani wished Erdogan success in his new term.
Translation: My dear brother Recep Tayyip Erdogan, congratulations on your victory. I wish you success in your new term, and that you achieve through it what the Turkish people aspire to in terms of progress and prosperity, and progress and growth for our strong bilateral relations.
Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated Erdogan on his victory and said he hoped for a “strengthening of the strategic partnership for the benefit of our countries, as well as the strengthening of cooperation for the security and stability of Europe”.
Erdogan’s government had purchased Russian missile-defence systems, which prompted the United States to oust Turkey from a US-led fighter-jet project. But Ankara also helped broker a crucial deal that has allowed Ukrainian grain shipments and averted a global food crisis.
Germany
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!”
Saudi Arabia
Ruler King Salman congratulated Erdogan on his presidential win, state news agencies reported.
France
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.
European Union
EU Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Erdogan on winning an election run-off on Sunday.
“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.
Von der Leyen also tweeted her congratulations.
“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.
United Kingdom
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he looked forward to continuing the “strong collaboration” between the UK and Turkey including “tackling security threats as NATO allies”.
Armenia
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he looked forward to working towards “full normalisation” between the two countries.
Sweden
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson extended his congratulations via Twitter, stressing that the two countries’ security “is a future priority”.
Erdogan’s government vetoed Sweden’s bid to join NATO after accusing Stockholm of providing safe haven to members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Syria, both of which Ankara considers “terrorist” groups.
Israel
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog said he was “convinced” that he and Erdogan “will continue to work together to strengthen and expand the good ties” between their countries.
Libya
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah described Erdogan’s “election victory” as a renewal of the Turkish people’s confidence in the president’s successful projects and policies.
Dbeibah’s Tripoli-based Government of National Unity is backed by Turkey against an eastern-based rival government.
Video Duration 00 minutes 42 seconds 00:42
Celebrations as Erdogan declares victory in Turkey election
Hungary
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban hailed Erdogan’s “unquestionable election victory!”
Palestine
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh lauded Erdogan and the Turkish people for their “election victory”.
The head of Hamas’s political office Ismail Haniyeh said: “I congratulate President Erdogan on winning and I applaud the [Turkish] people’s civilised stance. We look forward to [their] support for our cause and our Jerusalem.”
Children wait for cake as Palestinian supporters of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan celebrate after early exit poll results in Turkey’s presidential election, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip May 28, 2023.
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev congratulated Erdogan in a phone call and invited him to Baku.
Iran
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi called Erdogan’s re-election “a sign of continued valuable trust of Turkish people”.
“Our relationship with Turkey in the next stage will continue on the basis of good neighbourliness and shared interests,” he added.
Sudan
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the military commander leading Sudan’s army against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, congratulated Erdogan on winning a new term.
Serbia
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic congratulated Erdogan and the Turkish people for their “election victory”.
Pakistan
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a tweet that Erdogan’s re-election was a “historic” one.
“He has been a pillar of strength for the oppressed Muslims & a fervent voice for their inalienable rights,” he said.
Venezuela
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said he celebrated the “triumph” of “brother and friend” Erdogan.
United Arab Emirates
UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was among leaders to congratulate Erdogan in the Middle East, where he has asserted Turkish influence, at times with military power.
Brazil
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wished Erdogan a “good term with a lot of work” for the Turkish people.
Lula wrote on Twitter that Erdogan can “count on Brazil’s partnership in global cooperation for peace, in the fight against poverty and for the development of the world”.
Afghanistan
Maulvi Abdul Kabir, the caretaker prime minister, said: “I congratulate President Erdogan on winning the Turkish election and on being elected president of Turkey.”
Malta
Malta’s Foreign Minister Ian Borg said: “Our heartfelt congratulations on this important victory for President Erdogan”.
Algeria
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune congratulated Erdogan on winning a new term.
