Erdogan declares victory in Turkish presidential election

ISTANBUL, May 28 (Reuters) – President Tayyip Erdogan declared victory in Turkey’s presidential election on Sunday after undergoing the worst political test in 20 years of rule.

Addressing his supporters from the roof of a bus in Istanbul, Erdogan thanked the people for voting and said the Turks had entrusted him with the responsibility of running the country for the next five years.

“The only winner is Türkiye,” he said.

The final official election results have not yet been published.

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Erdogan on his re-election as president.

“I would like to reaffirm our readiness to continue constructive dialogue on topical issues on the bilateral, regional and international agenda. We attach great importance to the consistent implementation of planned joint projects, primarily the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant and the creation of a gas hub in Turkey.

The election was seen as one of Turkey’s most important as the opposition believed it had a good chance of removing Erdogan after his popularity was eroded by the cost of living crisis.

In the first round of voting on May 14, neither Erdogan nor his rival Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu passed the 50% threshold needed to win.

The original message in English is available via code (translated by Elena Fabrichnaya)