(Istanbul) The indestructible Recep Tayyip Erdogan won the presidential election on Sunday, which reappoints him to the head of Turkey for another five years.
Perched on a bus in front of his home in Istanbul, on the Asian side of the Bosphorus, the 69-year-old head of state, including 20 in power, claimed victory in front of a sea of red flags waved by an enthusiastic crowd.
PHOTO MURAD SEZER, REUTERS
Supporters of Recep Tayyip Erdogan gather in the streets of Istanbul.
“Our nation has entrusted us with the responsibility of governing the country for the next five years,” he said at the end of an election which forced him for the first time to a second round.
According to the results covering more than 99.7% of the ballots, published by the official Anadolu agency, the Head of State obtained 52.1% of the votes against 47.9% for his social-democratic rival Kemal Kiliçdaroglu who , at 74, lost the bet of the “peaceful democracy” that he promised.
Spontaneous rallies formed around the headquarters of his AKP party in Istanbul, whose streets resound with honks and a considerable crowd gathered in front of the presidential palace in Ankara, where the winner was expected in the evening.
Two giant portraits were projected on either side of the monumental entrance: that of the “reis” and that of his most illustrious predecessor, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic which is celebrating its hundredth anniversary this year.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had made no secret of his support for the outgoing president, quickly congratulated him on a “logical result” which provides “obvious proof” of the support of the population.
First of Western leaders, French President Emmanuel Macron also “congratulated” Mr. Erdogan, projecting himself on the “tremendous challenges to be met together”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also hailed the Turkish President’s victory, while former US President Donald Trump congratulated his “friend”.
President Erdogan’s unfortunate rival spoke from the headquarters of his party, the CHP founded by Mustafa Kemal, to express his “real sadness at the difficulties facing the country”.
50,000 dead
Neither the desire for change of part of the electorate, nor the severe inflation which is undermining Turkey, nor the restrictions on freedoms and the hyper-presidentialization of a power which has sent tens of thousands of opponents behind bars or in exile, weighed against the desire for security and stability.
Not even the consequences of the terrible earthquake in February (at least 50,000 dead and 3 million displaced) in 11 provinces in the south of the country, which largely renewed the head of state.
“Erdogan played the nationalism card with great skill, the opposition failed to offer an alternative likely” to convince despite the country’s poor economic situation, said Galip Dalay, associate researcher Middle East Council on Global Affairs .
President Erdogan’s party, the Islamo-conservative AKP, on which he built his accession to supreme power, lost seats in Parliament, but retained its majority with its allies.
Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, for his part, suffered one more defeat after promising the “return of spring”.
PHOTO ALI UNAL, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Opponent Kemal Kilicdaroglu voted with his wife Selvi Kilicdaroglu in Ankara.
Considered by many, including within his opposition alliance, as dull and lacking in charisma, Mr. Kiliçadaroglu failed to take advantage of the economic crisis to snatch victory.
“He’s the right person; I expect Erdogan to continue to bring good things to the country and first of all to restore the economy”, hoped Nisa Sivaslioglu, 17, rushing to the gigantic presidential palace in Ankara where the Head of State is expected.
Weary-faced, slow-moving Recep Tayyip Erdogan voted midday in his Usküdar neighborhood in Istanbul: a cheery crowd awaited him, to whom bodyguards handed out toys as he slipped some banknotes to children.
Almost simultaneously, all smiles despite the unfavorable forecasts, Kemal Kiliçdaroglu cast his ballot in Ankara, encouraging his fellow citizens to vote “to get rid of an authoritarian government”.
The Erdogan camp has constantly described the opposition led by Kiliçdaroglu as “terrorist” because of the support given to it by the leaders of the pro-Kurdish party HDP.
People interviewed by AFP in the polling station queues testified to the polarization of the country after these weeks of campaigning.
Challenging campaign
In Ankara, Mehmet Emin Ayaz, a 64-year-old entrepreneur, considered it “important to keep what has been acquired over the past twenty years in Turkey” under the Erdogan era. On the other hand, Aysen Gunday, a 61-year-old retiree, wanted to make this election “a referendum” against the president and chose Kemal Kiliçdaroglu.
Lacking access to the major media and especially to official television channels, Kemal Kiliçdaroglu battled on Twitter when his supporters tried to remobilize voters by going door-to-door in the big cities.
Faced with this discreet man of Alevi obedience, a branch of Islam considered heretical by the rigorous Sunnis, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has multiplied the gatherings, relying on the transformations he has been able to bring to the country since his accession to power. as prime minister in 2003.
His re-election comes 10 years to the day after the start of the large “Gezi” demonstrations which had spread throughout the country and had been severely repressed.