Vote shows polarization in country after contentious election campaign

Turkish president passes election test to tackle deepening crises

Erdogan's supporters celebrate the victory. AFP

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his supporters celebrated on Monday an electoral victory that enabled him to extend his rule to enter a third decade, while the Turkish opposition, once optimistic about the possibility of victory, prepared for "difficult days" with what it expects from "increasingly authoritarian rule."

Weak position

His rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu called the election "the most unfair in years" but did not question the result. The electoral victory gave Erdogan a mandate to continue his policies that have recently polarized Turkey and strengthened his country's position as a military power in the region.

The election was seen as Erdogan's biggest political challenge as the opposition was confident it could topple him and reverse his policies after opinion polls showed the crisis of rising costs of living weakened his position.

But he managed to get 52.2 percent of the vote while Kilicdaroglu received 47.8 percent. This has cemented his image as an unbeatable person, in a country where division has become deep and has reshaped its foreign, economic and security policies.

Pro-government newspapers, part of a media scene predominantly supportive of Erdogan and supporting his election campaign, celebrated his victory.

The headline of the Turkish newspaper Al-Sabah was "The man of the people won. We opened the door to the century of Turkey."

The daily Hurriyet said next to a photo of the huge crowds that gathered outside the presidential palace in the capital Ankara overnight to listen to his speech after the victory: "Victory is Erdogan's ally again. The winner is Turkey."

Erdogan told the crowd: "The winner is our democracy. It is time to put aside the differences and conflicts of the election period, and to unite around the goals of our nation." The lira fell to a new record low against the dollar and hit about 21 liras against the dollar, and the Turkish currency lost 90 percent of its value in the past decade due to a currency crisis and uncontrolled inflation.

ambiguity

The latest currency losses are driven by uncertainty about what Erdogan's victory means for economic policy. Opponents of his policies blamed the sharp devaluation on an unconventional economic approach, including interest rate cuts that the opposition had vowed to roll back. Erdogan said inflation, which hit a 24-year peak of 85 percent last year before starting to ease, was the most pressing issue for him in Turkey.

Tough days

Erdogan's assumption of power for another five years is a major blow to the opposition, which has accused him of undermining democratic foundations and acquiring greater and greater powers of the presidency, accusations he denies.

Although he called for unity, Erdogan continued to strike a chord with his campaign, accusing Kilicdaroglu and the opposition of bias towards terrorists without providing evidence.

The main pro-Kurdish party, the third-largest party in parliament, is among the anti-Erdogan opposition parties and is accused of having links to Kurdish militants, which the party denies.

"For the opposition, the coming days are very difficult," said Attila Yesilada, an analyst at Global Source Partners, expecting more legal action against the Kurdish party, and said it was unclear whether the opposition alliance would remain the same.

Kilicdaroglu's defeat is likely to worry Turkey's NATO allies, as Erdogan's ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin have caused them to worry. Putin congratulated his "dear friend" Erdogan on the victory.

US President Joe Biden wrote on Twitter, "We look forward to continuing to work together as NATO allies on bilateral issues and shared global challenges."

U.S. relations with Turkey have been hampered by several obstacles, including Erdogan's refusal to join Sweden in NATO, Ankara's closer relationship with Moscow and differences over Syria.

Economic problems

Erdogan's victory extended Turkey's longest rule since Mustafa Kemal Ataturk founded the modern state of Turkey after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire a century ago, a memory with strong political impact set to be commemorated in October.

Erdogan, the leader of the Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP), appealed to voters with nationalist and conservative rhetoric in a contentious election campaign that diverted attention away from economic problems. One Erdogan supporter gathered outside the presidential palace said: "Victory is ours. What a pleasure we were. Bye, Mr. Kemal (Kilicdaroglu). Fine thank you.. Islam won."

Kilicdaroglu, who, if won, vowed to put the country on a more democratic and cooperative path, said the vote showed the people's will to change authoritarian rule, "which all it means is for the state to stand on the legs of one man."

Confusion

Erdogan's strong performance has confused his opponents, who thought voters would punish him for the country's initially slow response to February's earthquake disaster in which more than 50,<> people were killed.

But after the first round on May 14, which included parliamentary elections, the AKP came out with the most votes in 10 of the 11 earthquake-hit provinces, ensuring it enjoyed a parliamentary majority with its allies.

The election was seen as Erdogan's biggest political challenge as the opposition was confident it could topple him and roll back his policies after opinion polls showed the crisis of the skyrocketing cost of living weakened his position.

The electoral victory gave Erdogan a mandate to continue his policies that have recently polarized Turkey and strengthened his country's position as a military power in the region.

• Erdogan calls inflation the most pressing issue

• Lira falls to new record low against the dollar