Incumbent Erdogan wins unprecedented Turkey presidential runoff race
ISTANBUL — Incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan won a third term as Turkey's president Sunday, weathering the greatest political challenge of his career and defeating challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu and the opposition coalition that had tried to oust him in a rancorous runoff election that saw voter turnout of more than 80%.
With nearly 99% of ballot boxes opened, unofficial results from competing Turkish news agencies showed Erdogan with 52% of the vote, compared with 48% for his challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu. The head of Turkey's electoral board later confirmed Erdogan's victory, saying that there weren't enough remaining votes to change the results.
"I thank each member of our nation for entrusting me with the responsibility to govern this country once again for the upcoming five years," Erdogan said in his first comments to the nation.
Erdogan, a staunch nationalist and Islamist, ridiculed Kilicdaroglu, saying, "bye bye, Kemal."
Speaking to his supporters in Ankara later, Kilicdaroglu gave a concession speech high on defiance.
He characterized the election as the most unfair in recent years, one where all the "means of the state were mobilized for a political party and laid under one man's feet."
"Keep fighting for democracy, for yourself and your family," he said.
As the results became clear, thousands
