Erdogan wins historic Turkey runoff
All-embracing Erdoğan emerges winner of Türkiye’s most critical vote
Erdoğan’s historic runoff victory celebrated worldwide
a key player in international affairs and a dominant force in local politics, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is back for another tenure. The incumbent president won more than 52% of the vote in Sunday’s second round of presidential elections, according to unofficial results, securing a five-year tenure as Türkiye’s leader. Now the longest-serving among the presidents of the Republic of Türkiye, the president hailed it as a victory for Türkiye. “The only winner today is Türkiye,” he said, highlighting that he would never discriminate against anyone who did not vote for him. The beginning of the “Century of Türkiye” was another theme of his victory speech at the Presidential Complex early Monday.
The election was closely watched by the world due to Erdoğan’s rising role in global affairs as Türkiye raised its diplomatic profile, from brokering a grain deal to emerging as a country more independent from the West it long relied on for its defense and borrowing needs. Developments in its immediate region, from conflicts in its neighbor Syria and between its close allies Ukraine and Russia also increased the importance of the elections. For his supporters encompassing the Arab and Muslim world he maintains warm ties with, Erdoğan’s win was also significant.
Leaders across the world sent their congratulations, highlighting the enlarged role of Türkiye and Erdoğan in global politics, especially at a time of delicate diplomatic maneuvers Türkiye pursues over the future of the NATO alliance under the shadow of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Türkiye’s close ties with Russia also highlight Erdoğan’s importance in the resolution of the global food crisis and energy security. According to the media outlets, the president was scheduled to hold a phone call with U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday night, a rare meeting for the leaders of the two countries at odds on a number of issues.
Often portrayed as a “divisive” leader by the Western media, Erdoğan, who repeatedly underlined his respect for supporters of his rivals while hitting out at their leaders on the campaign trail, renewed his embracing tone in a victory speech. “I thank every citizen, regardless of their choice, who cast their ballots and proved the strength of our democracy,” Erdoğan said in his speech. “We always accepted the outcome of elections and we always respect the nation’s will. Türkiye, as a whole, won today. Every segment of our nation won. I said it before and will say it again: Nobody will lose when we won. We have a responsibility given by our nation and this requires us not to distance ourselves from any member of the nation,” he said, highlighting that it was “time to stand united.” “Power of Türkiye lies within the unity of 85 million people,” he added.
Western media’s view
Erdoğan’s victory received extensive coverage in Western media outlets, including those criticized by Erdoğan for their biased coverage of the elections and his portrayals as an “autocrat.” Media reports stressed the global and regional significance of Türkiye. The London-based weekly The Economist, which published a cover with the subheadline “Erdoğan must go,” said in an article that the opposition lost “the best shot in a generation of unseating Mr. Erdoğan.” “As in many elections before, rumours of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s political demise turned out to be vastly exaggerated,” an article in the weekly began.
The British public broadcaster BBC stressed that Erdoğan’s victory matters for the West given Türkiye’s global strategic significance, which increased even further against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine. “The West used to describe Turkey’s strategic importance as the bridge between Europe and the Middle East – but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has transformed Turkey’s status,” it said, noting that world leaders rushed to congratulate Erdoğan’s election victory.
Skynews, a major private broadcaster in the U.K., similarly underlined that “Türkiye holds a unique position in world politics, both as the junction between Europe and Asia and as the gatekeeper to the Black Sea.” In a separate analysis, the broadcaster also said: “Erdoğan has once again proved critics wrong and out-maneuvered his toughest challengers.” The major British daily Guardian said Erdoğan appealed for national unity in the victory speech he delivered to hundreds of thousands of Turkish citizens who gathered outside the Presidential Complex in the capital Ankara.
Germany’s public television ARD highlighted that Erdoğan received messages of congratulations from all over the world on Sunday night on his election victory. “Erdoğan democratically won the elections in Türkiye,” reporter Uwe Lueb said in a commentary published on ARD’s website, adding that there have been no allegations of electoral fraud. “Now he has mammoth political tasks ahead,” he stressed, referring to the economy, recovery efforts in the earthquake region, and the ongoing domestic debate about the Syrian refugee issue.
The weekly Der Spiegel reported that Turkish citizens living in Germany overwhelmingly voted for Erdoğan in the presidential runoff.
In France, the daily Le Figaro wrote on its website on Monday: “Erdoğan master of Türkiye for five more years,” and covered Erdoğan supporters’ celebrations in the country, while the daily Le Monde said the president won a third term. The weekly Le Point on its website said Erdoğan’s victory was “no surprise,” and the daily Liberation on its headline said: “Türkiye: Erdoğan forever,” noting that the president’s supporters celebrated across the country on Sunday.
In Italy, the public broadcaster RAI stressed that numerous world leaders, including those of the major Western countries, congratulated Erdoğan on his reelection to office. The daily La Repubblica, citing Turkish citizens it interviewed, said Turkish people are convinced that Erdoğan “will fix the things.”
Belgium media outlets also covered Erdoğan’s victory. “Elections in Türkiye: Erdoğan, eternal winner” was the daily Le Soir’s website headline on Monday, while La Libre announced Erdoğan’s victory, as well. Swiss newspapers similarly covered Erdoğan’s victory on Monday. World leaders congratulated Erdoğan, the daily Le Matin said, marking Erdoğan’s invincibility.
Very extensively covering the Turkish elections, the Greek public broadcaster noted that Erdoğan’s victory did not come as a surprise to Athens. Speaking to ERT, Alexandros Diakopoulos, the former national security adviser, said that “the (Turkish) people want a strong leader and Erdoğan projects this model.” The daily Kathimerini stressed Erdoğan’s promise of “the century of Türkiye.” Another major daily, Ta Nea, said: “He (Erdoğan) won this election by literally standing alone against everyone.” A columnist in the daily To Vima praised Erdoğan’s “pragmatic and accommodating foreign policy,” saying: “Türkiye needs the West and the West needs Türkiye.”
Bulgaria’s state-run news agency BTA shared the Turkish election results without much commenting on them. Albania’s English-language Albanian Daily News highlighted the messages by world leaders and Türkiye’s strategic importance in regional and global affairs.
undreds of Turkish expats and admirers of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan rejoiced in the streets around the world to celebrate the president’s victory in Türkiye’s historic presidential runoff late Sunday.
As Türkiye’s Supreme Election Council (YSK) confirmed Erdoğan’s lead in the preliminary results with 52.14%, the president’s supporters took to the streets in the Schaerbeek district of the Belgian capital Brussels, which has a large Turkish population.
The group unfurled Turkish flags, chanted slogans and set off fireworks in reds and whites as honking cars drove through the district.
Brussels police increased security measures around the convoy and crowds.
In Germany, which hosts about 3 million people of Turkish descent, Kurfürstendamm Avenue, one of Berlin’s most famous avenues, and Koln’s Friesenplatz district were packed with cars and crowds cheering and waving their Turkish flags and pictures of Erdoğan.
There were also motorcades in Hamburg, with long lines of honking cars forming in front of the Turkish Consulate near the Dammtor railway station. On the lawn in front of the consulate alone, about 1,000 flag-waving Erdoğan supporters celebrated the president’s victory.
Other celebrations and parades with hundreds of people were reported in Berlin, the financial hub of Frankfurt and the Bavarian capital Munich.
Celebrations also took place in other Western European cities, including Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Zurich in Switzerland and Strasburg in France.
Hundreds banded together to sing and dance in the French city of Romorantin-Lanthenay, while in Blois, the crowds lined up along the streets with more flags.
Similar scenes were unfolding in Sweden, Austria, Italy, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) through the night.
In the North Macedonian capital Skopje, citizens celebrated with flags of Türkiye, Albania and Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
As in the rest of the world, there is much joy in Skopje and across the Balkans over Erdoğan’s victory, one supporter named Zekeriya Kahveci told Anadolu Agency (AA) amid celebrations as one citizen handed out baklava to the cheering crowds.
“It was important for us that Erdoğan won because any calamity that befalls Türkiye pains us, too. Türkiye is a great power for us and it must stay strong. A powerful Türkiye means powerful Balkans,” Kahveci said.
Over in Bosnia-Herzegovina, both Turks and Bosnians flooded the streets of Sarajevo in cars adorned with Turkish flags and posters of Erdoğan.
Hundreds more, including Turks and Turkmens, held equally festive celebrations in Azerbaijan and Lebanon where the capital Beirut witnessed many filling the streets of Tariq El Jdideh with cheers, flags and fireworks.
In Qatar, the Al Jaber Twin Towers of Doha were lit up with Turkish flags and a picture of Erdoğan in honor of his victory. Many Qatari citizens gathered in the Katara Cultural Village and celebrated the Turkish leader.
In Pakistan, Turks living in Islamabad crowded the streets in cars covered in Turkish flags alongside Pakistani citizens who joined their celebrations.
“We won these elections not only in Türkiye. We wish this election’s outcome to be good for the downtrodden and all Muslims around the world,” said Raşit Çolak, an academician teaching Turkish at the National University of Modern Languages.
Similar joy was present among Turks in the Gaza Strip of Palestine who waved Turkish and Palestinian flags with posters of Erdoğan.
One Palestinian baker handed out plates of dessert to the celebrating crowd.
“We congratulate the Turkish people for this wedding of democracy,” a Palestinian man, Enver Atallah, told AA.
Palestine stands in solidarity with Türkiye, Atallah said. “Turkish people have bled for Palestine and we are here to show our blood and fate is one and the same.”
Another Palestinian, a bakery owner in New York, celebrated Erdoğan’s victory by distributing falafels, a traditional Arab food, to neighboring business owners and passersby.
The owner and employees of Al-Aqsa Bakery and Restaurant in Brooklyn marked the occasion by wearing T-shirts featuring the Turkish flag. Playing the song “Dombra,” a campaign song composed for Erdoğan, in the meantime, the owner said, “(Mr.) President, congratulations.”
Dozens more commemorated the president’s win in the U.S. state of New Jersey, while in Britain’s London across the pond, Turks assembled in the iconic Hyde Park. Tourists from some Arab and African nations too joined the celebrations.
In Algeria, the owner of a hotel in the capital Algiers opened the doors of his hotel to the Turks throwing a celebratory parade.
Türkiye and Algeria have “wonderful” relations, Tariq Nashadi pointed out as he said: “The joy of Turks is our joy. We’re in fact happier than they are because we love Erdoğan.”
Courtesy Daily Sabah
