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Erdogan wins Turkey's presidential election

Source: AP | August 11, 2014, Monday | Online Edition

TURKEY'S Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan won the country's first direct presidential election in the first round Sunday, an unofficial vote count showed, ensuring he remains at the country's helm for at least another five years.

"It is understood that Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won an absolute majority of the votes," election commission head Sadi Guven said in Ankara.

He added that no ballots would be printed for a runoff that would have been held had nobody won an absolute majority, and that the official results would be announced on Monday.

Erdogan's main rival, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, conceded defeat in a brief speech in Istanbul.

"I hope that the result is beneficial for democracy in Turkey," Ihsanoglu said. "I congratulate the prime minister and wish him success."

The first round victory ensures Erdogan, currently serving his third term as prime minister, remains at the country's helm for another five years. It will also allow him to press ahead with his plans to strengthen the powers of the presidency — which until now was largely a ceremonial post.

With 98 percent of ballot boxes opened, Erdogan stood at 51.95 percent of the vote, a count by the state-run Anadolu news agency showed. Ihsanoglu had 38.34 percent and the third candidate, Selahattin Demirtas, had 9.71 percent. Anadolu has reporters stationed in vote counting centers across the country.

"The people showed their will at the polls today," Erdogan said in a brief speech before thousands of cheering supporters in Istanbul Sunday evening, but stopped short of declaring victory.

He headed to the capital, Ankara, from where he was to address his supporters from his party headquarters later Sunday night.

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