Outpour Of Celebrations As Results Of Turkey Elections Announced
Turkish voters had for the first time cast ballots for both president and parliament in high-stakes polls that saw Erdogan win 52.5 percent in the presidential poll, based on a 98 percent vote count.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seen on the screen as he addresses his supporters in Istanbul, Turkey. June 24, 2018. (Reuters)
Turkey’s presidential and parliamentary elections on Sunday have ushered in a new executive presidency that was approved in a 2017 referendum.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the AK Party-MHP People’s Alliance declared victory with more than 98 percent of the votes counted, according to unofficial results.
Around 87 percent of the 56,322,632 registered voters cast their ballots, making it a two percentage point increase in the turnout as compared to the 2015 elections.
Celebrations erupted outside President Erdogan’s residence in Istanbul and AK Party headquarters in Ankara, with crowds of flag-waving supporters revelling on the streets.
Supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan celebrate at Taksim square in Istanbul, Turkey. June 24, 2018. (Reuters) Supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan cheer in front of Turkey’s AK Party main office in Istanbul, Turkey, June 24, 2018. (Reuters) Supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan celebrate at Taksim square in Istanbul, Turkey June 24, 2018. (Reuters) Silhouettes are seen through a Turkish flag as people react outside the Justice and Development (AK) Party main office in Istanbul, on June 24, 2018. (AFP) Supporters wave flags in front of the AK Party headquarters in Ankara on June 24, 2018, during the Turkish presidential and parliamentary elections. (AFP)
Celebrations also erupted in the Kurdish-majority city of Diyarbakir, with people setting off fireworks into the sky, as supporters rejoiced over the HDP’s 11.5 share of votes, well over the 10 percent minimum threshold needed.
The votes helped the party win 67 seats, which would make the party the second largest opposition faction in the new chamber.
Supporters of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) celebrate the results of the Turkish presidential and parliamentary elections, on June 24, 2018 in the city of Diyarbakir, southeastern Turkey. (AFP)
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