Turkey’s Erdogan snares revamped powers as rival concedes defeat

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday celebrated winning sweeping new powers in a decisive election victory, as his main rival accepted the outcome despite complaints over an unequal campaign that alarmed the EU.

A night of triumph for Erdogan saw the man who has dominated Turkey for the last 15 years declared winner of Sunday’s presidential poll without needing a second round and lead his ruling party-led alliance to an overall majority in parliament.

Erdogan vowed to “rapidly” implement the new presidential system agreed in an April 2017 referendum that opponents fear will give him autocratic powers and keep him in office for two five year mandates to 2028.

The new system creates a vertical of power with Erdogan at the top, giving him the power to appoint cabinet ministers and dispensing with the office of Prime Minister.

The President, 64, declared victory in Istanbul before returning to Ankara to deliver a triumphant speech at 3:00 am (local time) to tens of thousands of supporters from the balcony of the headquarters of his Justice and Development Party (AKP).

“Turkey has given a lesson in democracy to the entire world,” he added, pointing to a turnout of 88 per cent. His main rival Muharrem Ince of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), who had challenged Erdogan with an energetic campaign, broke an uncharacteristic overnight silence to declare on Monday to concede defeat.

“I accept these election results,” Ince said, adding Erdogan should “represent 80 million” and be “president for us all”. But Ince, who had faced limited airtime on television in the campaign and a near boycott by state media, said the run-up to the election had been unfair.

“This election was unjust until the results were announced,” he told a news conference at CHP headquarters after ordering out crews from state-run TRT over their campaign coverage.

Ince expressed alarm over the powers Erdogan assumes under the new system which he described as “a one-man regime.” International observers said voters enjoyed a “genuine choice” but decried the lack of “equal” conditions for candidates to campaign.

The team led by the OSCE said polling day procedures were “generally followed”, but pointed to issues over counting and tabulation.

The EU echoed the language of the OSCE in a notably chilly statement that did not congratulate Erdogan or mention him by name but asserted that campaign conditions were “not equal.”