Erdogan triumphs in Turkey election run-off, extending two-decade rule
- Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won Turkey’s run-off presidential vote to seal another five-year term
- Erdogan has dominated Turkey’s political landscape virtually unchallenged for more than two decades
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Turkey’s Erdogan wins presidential election, extending rule into third decade
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appealed for national unity on Monday after winning a historic run-off election that extended two decades of his transformative but divisive rule until 2028.
The 69-year-old overcame Turkey’s worst economic crisis in a generation and the most powerful opposition alliance to ever face his Islamic-rooted party on his way to his toughest election win for a third term.
Streets erupted in car-honking jubilation and tributes poured in from across the world as Turkey’s most important leader in modern history led a sea of supporters in celebratory song outside his presidential palace in Ankara.
“We should come together in unity and solidarity,” Erdogan told the chanting and flag-waving crowd.
“We call for this with all our heart.”
Near-complete results showed Erdogan beating secular opposition challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu by four percentage points.