Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won the country’s key presidential vote, electoral officials have said, in a result that will allow him to keep his seat with increased powers and become Turkey’s first executive president. Erdogan received more than half the votes required to secure an outright victory. “Our democracy has won, the people’s will has won, Turkey has won,” Erdogan told a crowd of enthusiastic supporters in the capital, Ankara, thanking the Turkish citizens who cast their ballots in an election that saw a record turnout of 87 percent. Few reports of attacks on opposition candidates were reported but overall voting process has been reported as fair and turnout was also promising.
Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister Justice (r) Nasirul Mulk has congratulated President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his victory in the first round of a presidential poll. In a statement, Mr. Mulk said: “The people of Pakistan take great pride in the progress and development achieved by Turkey, and hope that the bonds of historic brotherhood between the people of Pakistan and Turkey will continue to grow ever stronger in future.” It is hoped that bilateral relations of both countries would get further strengthened in the coming days.
Erdogan has governed Turkey for more than 15 years as prime minister and president, and after all these years in power now he is all set to start a new term as President and that too with more powers. Though Erdogan will now occupy an even more powerful presidency, but he also has numerous challenges ahead at national and international levels. Some critics have shown reservation over the more powers to Erdogan as there were already reports of using state machinery to suppress opponents. Opponents of the government must be free to organise and express themselves, within constitutional bounds, and should not be subjected to a witch hunt. Erdogan has to bring economic condition of Turkey back on track as country’s economic situation is also fragile, while the war in Syria next door is far from over. After victory in elections he has vowed to make the things better and bringing more investment in the country. New government under Erdogan should take all segments of society along and tolerate the differences, whether they are Kurds or other political opponents.