ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s highest electoral body on Wednesday certifies the results of last month’s parliamentary and presidential elections, paving the way for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to continue his 15-year rule with expanded powers.
The Supreme Electoral Council confirms Erdogan’s victory in the June 24 presidential race, declaring that he won 52.59 percent of the votes. His closest rival, Muharrem Ince of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, gained 30.64 percent, while the imprisoned, pro-Kurdish candidate, Selahattin Demirtas, garnered 8.40 percent, the council confirms.
According to the official result, Erdogan’s conservative Justice and Development Party won 42.56 percent of the votes in the parliamentary ballot. The CHP’s votes stood at 22.65 percent.
Erdogan, who is scheduled to be sworn into his new, five-year term on Monday, is set to rule with substantially expanded powers, in line with constitutional changes that were narrowly approved in a referendum last year.
— AP
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech in Istanbul on June 24, 2018, after initial results of Turkey’s presidential and parliamentary elections. (AFP Photo/Bulent Kilic)
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