Congratulated abroad and acclaimed by his supporters in Türkiye, President Recep Tayyip Erdoganre-elected Sunday for a five-year term, will lead a country undermined by economic crisis and deeply divided.
The 69-year-old president, who has been in power in Turkey for two decades, prevailed on Sunday in an unprecedented second round, despite the fact that the opposition was united and the serious economic crisis that the country is suffering.
“The man of the people won!” headlined the Sabah newspaper, one of the most widely read in the country, on Monday.
Erdogan, at the head of the Justice and Development Party (AKP, Islamoconservative), won the 52.2% of the votes against 47.8% of his rival, Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, according to the final tally.
Participation in the second round was 85%, three points less than in the first, which was held on May 14.
In Ankara, the capital, Gursel Ozkok, a 55-year-old juice vendor, told AFP that “Everything went as expected, he is the person the country needs.”
Aziz Fatih Gemci, a 23-year-old student, however, qualified that although it is “the will of the people” He hopes that “the economy will improve and purchasing power will increase.” The results of the elections generated restlessness in a part of the population.
“I hope to go abroad as soon as possible”said Kerem, a 20-year-old engineering student, who declined to give his last name.
The president’s inauguration ceremony will take place on Friday in Ankara, one day after the parliament elected in the first round.
geopolitical role
After winning the elections, Erdogan promised to control inflation, which is above a 40% annual and weighs down the life of the population.
“There is no problem that we cannot solve”he launched in front of tens of thousands of his supporters at midnight.
The leader was congratulated by leaders from around the world, from US President Joe Biden to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Turkey, with a population of 85 million and a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), plays a key geopolitical role both in the Middle East and in the alliances of Western powers.
NATO countries hope, for example, that Ankara approves Sweden’s candidacy for the US-led military alliance.
Erdogan’s spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, announced that the Turkish leader will speak by phone tonight with the US president.
Erdogan has already spoken with the German head of government, Olaf Scholz, who invited him to Berlin to give “a new impetus” to relations between the two countries.
to the gallows
In celebrating his victory on Sunday, Erdogan booed opposition leaders, especially his rival, Social Democrat Kemal Kiliçdaroglu.
The opponent, who chairs the Republican People’s Party (CHP, secular), brought together a coalition of six parties, including the pro-Kurdish formation HDP.
Selahattin Demirtas, one of the senior officials of the HDP, imprisoned since 2016, was described as a “murderer” and “terrorist”.
“to the gallows”the crowd responded to Erdogan.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which sent observers to monitor the good progress of the elections, condemned on Monday “the intimidation and harassment of supporters of certain opposition parties.”
The Council of Europe denounced for its part that the second round was marked by a “increasingly incendiary language” and “restrictions” to the expression freedoom.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a member of the CHP, proposed an opposition rally in the city on Monday.
“Don’t worry, everything starts from scratch”promised this opposition figure, who is emerging as a candidate for the 2028 elections.
During the campaign, the president defended applying an unorthodox monetary policy despite the crisis, urging the central bank to cut interest rates, which fueled the escalation of prices.
The stock market and the local currency remained stable, as if investors had already anticipated Erdogan’s victory.
In addition to the economic crisis, Erdogan faces the task of rebuilding cities shattered by the devastating earthquake that hit the country in February.
Source: AFP
Source: Gestion
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