Erdogan retains power, and now faces challenges over the economy and recovery from the earthquake

ANKARA, Turkey (AFP) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has a mandate to rule until 2028, securing another five years as leader of a country that sits at the crossroads of Europe and Asia and plays a key role in NATO. He must now grapple with the massive inflation that fueled a cost-of-living crisis and rebuild in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people.

Erdogan secured more than 52% of the vote in Sunday’s presidential runoff, two weeks after he failed to secure an outright victory in the first round. His opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, has sought to reverse Erdogan’s increasingly authoritarian tendencies, promising to return to democratic mores, adopt more traditional economic policies, and improve relations with the West. But in the end, the electors chose the man they saw as a strong and steadfast leader.

Erdogan thanked the nation for entrusting him with the presidency again in speeches he delivered in Istanbul and Ankara.

“The only winner today is Turkey,” Erdogan said outside the presidential palace in Ankara, promising to work hard for Turkey’s second century, which he called the “Turkish Century.” The country celebrates its centenary this year.

Kilicdaroglu said the election was “the most unfair ever”, as all the state’s resources were mobilized in Erdoğan’s favour.

“We will remain at the forefront of this struggle until true democracy comes to our country,” he said in Ankara.

Supporters of Erdogan, a divisive populist and accomplished orator, took to the streets to celebrate, waving flags of Turkey or the ruling party, car horns chanting his name. Festive gunfire was heard in several districts of Istanbul.

Leaders around the world sent their congratulations, highlighting Turkey and Erdogan’s expanded role in world politics. His next term is sure to involve more delicate maneuvering with fellow NATO members over the future of the alliance and the war in Ukraine.

Western politicians have said they are ready to continue working with Erdogan despite strained relations at times. Imminent, Turkey holds the cards Sweden’s hopes to join NATO. The attempt aims to strengthen the military alliance against Russia. Turkey is also central to the continuation of a deal to allow shipments of Ukrainian grain and avert a global food crisis.

In his remarks on the victory, Erdogan said that rebuilding the quake-hit cities would be one of his priorities. He also said that one million Syrian refugees would return to Turkish-controlled “safe zones” in Syria as part of a resettlement project run by Qatar.

Erdogan retained the support of conservative voters who remain loyal to him in order to raise the image of Islam in Turkey, which was founded on secular principles, and to increase the country’s influence in international politics.

Erdogan’s opponent was a suave former civil servant who has led the pro-secular Republican People’s Party, or Republican People’s Party, since 2010. It took months for the opposition to coalesce behind Kilicdaroglu. He and his party did not win any elections that Erdogan contested.

In a frantic attempt to engage with nationalist voters in the runoff, Kilicdaroglu has vowed to return refugees and has ruled out peace negotiations with Kurdish militants if elected.

Erdoğan and pro-government media portrayed Kilicdaroglu, who has the support of the country’s pro-Kurdish party, as colluding with “terrorists” and supporting what they called “perverted” gay rights.

In his victory speech, Erdoğan reiterated those themes, saying that LGBT people cannot “infiltrate” his ruling party or its nationalist allies.

Erdogan transformed the presidency from a largely ceremonial role into a powerful one through a narrowly won 2017 referendum that abolished Turkey’s parliamentary system of government. He was the first directly elected president in 2014 and won the 2018 election that ushered in the executive presidency.

Erdogan is now serving his second term as president under the executive presidency. He can run again for another term if parliament – where his ruling party and its allies have a majority – calls for early elections. The number of terms was a point of contention before the election when pundits argued that Erdogan would be ineligible to run again because he also held office before the regime change, but he cited constitutional amendments that introduced the executive presidency as justification.

The first half of Erdogan’s term included reforms allowing the country to begin talks to join the European Union, as well as economic growth that lifted many out of poverty.

But he later moved to suppress freedoms and the media and concentrated more power in his hands, especially after the failed coup attempt that Turkey says was orchestrated by the Islamic cleric residing in the United States, Fethullah Gulen. The cleric denies his involvement.

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Belgensoy reported from Istanbul. Bella Zandelsky in Ankara, Türkiye; Mujahid Ceylan in Diyarbakir, Türkiye; and Cinar Kebir in Bodrum, Türkiye, contributed to this report.

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