First comments on the results of the presidential election

The presidential election in Turkey ended with Recep Tayyip Erdogan receiving 52,16 percent of the vote and Kemal Kilicdaroglu 47,84 percent. With these results, Erdogan extended his 21-year rule for another 5 years. Following the election results, supporters of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan took to the streets and celebrated in many cities across the country. Although Erdogan won more than 52% of the vote, the results have divided the country, as it is also reflected in the first comments of politicians.

Demirtas’ first reaction

Former HDP co-president Selahattin Demirtas, who has been calling on voters on social media throughout the election process, shared his first comment on Twitter: “I would like to thank everyone who went to the polls to vote, who couldn’t go even if they wanted to, who resisted to protect the votes, who worked hard. It is a miracle to reach this vote rate with principled, ethical election work against a huge operation force that has taken over the state. In fact, it was not an election, but a huge operation. The election process was full of huge inequalities, pressure, incredible lies, slander and defamation. Despite all this, the people definitely approved change, but the whole process was manipulated. We’ve not been defeated, and because we have not been defeated, no one should despair. Never surrender. Keep fighting, keep fighting, keep fighting…”

High votes in Kurdish provinces

Another noteworthy result is that Kilicdaroglu won the most votes in provinces with large Kurdish populations. The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and the Yesil Sol Parti (YSP) also emphasized this in their statements on the results:

“In the 16 provinces of the Kurdish majority region, the voters’ preference for Kemal Kilicdaroglu remained the same compared to May 14. Despite all the pressure and dirty propaganda, our people did not give in. The results clearly show that one out of every two people in this country demand change. We are here. We will continue to lead the democratic struggle for change both in Parliament and in all areas of life, we will expand democratic politics. We will not turn back from this path, we will fight together on a social basis, we will win together.”

Another striking result was that most of Turkey’s major cities voted for Kilicdaroglu:

Istanbul:

Kilicdaroglu 51.78 % – Erdogan 48,22 %

Ankara:

Kilicdaroglu 51.23 % – Erdogan 48.77 %

Izmir:

Kilicdaroglu 67.13 % – Erdogan 32.87 %

Kilicdaroglu vows to continue the struggle

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the defeated presidential candidate and leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), also issued a statement after the results were announced: “We have experienced the most unfair election in recent years. All the facilities of the state were given to one party, to one man. I want you to know that the main reason for my sadness is the much bigger problems that await the country. I want you to know that we will be the first to confront those problems. We will continue the struggle until democracy is restored. I have a request from you, support the struggle for democracy.”

First comments from the far right

Bahceli, the head of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), congratulated Erdogan, adding: ‘From now on, the future is the Turkish century, the power of the future is Turkey. The 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey has been crowned”.

Sinan Ogan, a far-right politician who ran as a presidential candidate in the first round and supported Erdogan in the second, described the coming period as a “new era”: “The winners are Turkish nationalists, Atatürkists, the Turkish nation and the Turkish world. The losers have been terrorist-affiliated parties with a lynch culture and those who trusted them.”

Another far-right politician who commented on the election results was Ümit Özdag, chairman of the Victory Party (ZP), who supported Kilicdaroglu in the election: “Erdogan has won, but it is a Pyrrhic victory. He was defeated while he was winning. In short, there is no room for despair.”

Erdogan’s victory speech

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who won the presidential election, also addressed the gathered supporters from his palace in Ankara. ‘Turkey has won’, Erdogan said in his speech, adding, “It was a turning point in history, closing a century and opening a new one. I hope this will be such a turning point in history”, referring to the 570th anniversary of the Ottoman Empire conquest of Istanbul, then known as Constantinople. In his speech to the crowd, he also spoke about the return of Syrian refugees: “We have so far ensured the voluntary return of nearly 600.000 migrants to the safe zones in Syrian territory. With a new project, we will ensure the return of one million more people in a few years. We need to fulfill the demand of our citizens on this issue.” Erdogan also referred to the release of Selahattin Demirtas in his victory speech, as he does in almost all of his speeches: “Selo is the terrorist who caused the death of 51 Kurdish brothers in Diyarbakir. Under our government, it is not possible for him to be released.”