Turkish presidential election: Erdogan win leaves country divided

Recep Tayyip Erdogan gestures to supporters at the presidential palace, in Ankara.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan gestures to supporters at the presidential palace, in Ankara. Copyright Ali Unal/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved
By Joshua Askew
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Turkey's president defeated secular challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu in the second round of voting on Sunday.

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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will rule until 2028 after winning last night's Turkish presidential election. 

He defeated rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu in the second round of voting, after coming just short of an outright victory first time around on 14 May. 

Erdogan secured more than 52% of the vote, though the results have split the nation. 

In two bullish victory speeches, the 69-year-old thanked voters for entrusting him with power again and called for unity. 

However, he soon targeted political foes, such as challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu, jailed Kurdish leader Selahattin Demirtas and the LGBT community. 

Secular rival Kilicdaroglu said the election was “the most unjust ever,” claiming Erdogan had mobilised all state resources and the media he controls against him. 

“We will continue to be at the forefront of this struggle until real democracy comes to our country,” he said in Ankara.

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