Erdogan Wins Turkish Presidential Election Again, Securing Almost Two Decades in Power

Recep Tayyip Erdogan won the Turkish presidential election again, securing victory in two rounds.

The incumbent president, in office since 2014, received 49.5% of the vote in the first round on May 14, 2023, while his opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, obtained 44.9%. A second round was necessary because neither candidate surpassed the 50% threshold.

In the second round, Erdogan garnered 52.14% of the vote, compared to Kilicdaroglu's 47.86%. CNN reported these figures, based on 99.43% of the votes counted, as announced by the Supreme Election Council of Turkey (YSK) on Sunday, May 28, 2023, local time.

Erdogan delivered a brief speech to thousands of supporters outside the presidential complex in Ankara. He outlined his priorities, including tackling inflation and addressing the devastating earthquake that claimed over 50,000 lives in Turkey.

"We are not the only winners, the winner is Turkey. The winner is every part of our society, our democracy is the winner," Erdogan stated in his speech.

Regarding the democratic process, Kilicdaroglu contested the fairness of the election, vowing to continue his fight for "true democracy" in Turkey.

"This was the most unfair election period in our history. We do not submit to fear. In this election, the people's desire to change the authoritarian government became clear despite all the pressure," Kilicdaroglu said.

As reported by Katadata, Erdogan's victory extends his tenure as the longest-serving leader since Mustafa Kemal Ataturk founded modern Turkey from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire a century ago.

For the first decade, Erdogan served as Turkey's Prime Minister under Presidents Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Abdullah Gül. Having held the premiership since 2003, he was ineligible for re-election and subsequently ran for president in the 2014 general election.

In the second decade, Erdogan was elected president in a single round, securing 52% of the vote against two opponents. His power, therefore, has spanned from 2003-2014 and continues into his second presidential term.

This further solidifies Erdogan's image of invincibility, having reshaped Turkey's domestic, economic, security, and foreign policies.

The following table shows the presidential election results in Turkey. Note that the second-round results were published by CNN on Sunday, May 28, 2023, at 10:15 local time (10:15 WIB on Monday, May 29, 2023), with 99.34% of the votes counted.

* Round I
* Recep Tayyip Erdogan 49.5%
* Kemal Kilicdaroglu 44.9%

* Round II
* Recep Tayyip Erdogan 52.14%
* Kemal Kilicdaroglu 47.86%