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Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu

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ADEM ALTAN / AFP

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's opponents admit defeat in the race for the Turkish presidency. Opposition candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said he would continue his struggle, but indirectly admitted defeat.

He regretted "the far greater problems" that now awaited the country, he said. In doing so, he indicated that incumbent Erdoğan had won the run-off election, but did not say so directly. He will continue to fight for democracy. The "most unfair election in years," said Kılıçdaroğlu, even before the electoral authority announced Erdoğan's victory. All state funds were mobilized for a political party and placed at the feet of a man."

In a speech in Ankara, Kılıçdaroğlu said the results showed the will of the people to change an authoritarian government. "I am deeply saddened by the difficulties that await the country."

Erdoğan had previously claimed victory in the run-off election for the presidency. After counting almost all the votes, he got a good 52 percent, Kılıçdaroğlu just under 48 percent.

Erdoğan has led Turkey for 20 years. Since the introduction of a presidential system in 2018, he has had more power than ever before. It is therefore feared that he will govern even more authoritarian after the election. Turkey is a NATO member, but maintains close relations with Russia as well as Ukraine and is an actor in the Syrian civil war. Accordingly, the election was also followed with great attention internationally.

Incumbent Erdoğan has had far-reaching powers since the introduction of the presidential system in 2018. Since then, he has usually ruled past the 600 parliamentarians. Opposition leader Kılıçdaroğlu ran for an alliance of six parties with different ideological orientations. Above all, they were united by the goal of ending Erdoğan's term in office.

Iyi Party leader congratulates

The alliance against Erdoğan also includes the nationalist Iyi Party. Party leader Meral Akşener congratulated Erdoğan on his victory and at the same time declared that she would continue on her path as an opposition. In a speech in Ankara, Akşener said the result showed that Erdoğan had a great lesson to learn, adding that she hoped Erdoğan would act like the president of all Turks.

Erdoğan's governing alliance was able to secure an absolute majority in parliament in the elections two weeks ago. Official results are still not available two weeks later due to the processing of numerous appeals.

asc/dpa/AFP