The head of the Supreme Election Commission in Turkey announced on Thursday the final results of the second round of the presidential elections in the country, which took place on May 28, and almost confirmed the preliminary results announced on the evening of the election.

"After receiving, dealing with and evaluating the objections, and according to the final results, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received 52.18% of the votes, and his rival Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu 47.82%.

Yenar added – at a press conference held in the capital, Ankara – that the authority sent the final results to the Official Gazette for publication.

He explained that the participation rate in the second round reached 84.15%, where 54 million and 23 thousand and 601 voters inside and outside the country cast their votes to elect the president.

Yenar said Erdogan received 27,834,589 votes, or 52.18%. Kılıçdaroğlu received 25,504,724 votes, or 47.82%.

He stressed that "after evaluations and decisions issued by the High Election Commission, it was proven that Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan was elected president of the country, and the final results were sent to the Official Gazette for publication."


Double victory

In the same context, the head of the presidential communication department, Fahrettin Altun, considered that Erdogan defeated not only the opposition candidate in the last elections, but also the xenophobic and anti-refugee parties that supported him.

Altun said in an article on Al Jazeera English that by choosing President Erdogan, the people clearly express that refugees residing in Turkey should return to their countries of origin only when they are safe.

Erdogan's victory in the recent elections is a testament to his approach to the refugee issue, he said, noting that this approach shows that Turkey provides refuge to all those in need while working to bring peace to their homelands.

Altun stressed that the incoming administration of President Erdoğan will continue to spread the message of truth and justice around the world, while constantly calling for reform of international organizations.

Erdogan, who raises the slogan "The world is bigger than five" (referring to the number of permanent members of the UN Security Council), will continue to work to make marginalized voices heard and redistribute powers within international bodies to ensure equality within the international system.

The head of the presidential communication department noted that Turkey, under the leadership of Erdogan, continues to cooperate with countries wishing to solve outstanding bilateral, regional and global challenges.


The next government

Regarding the formation of the next government, four senior officials indicated to Reuters that President Erdogan may include former Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek in his new government, whether as finance minister or vice president in charge of the economic file, describing the possibility of including him as almost certain.

Şimşek was highly regarded by financial markets when he served as finance minister and deputy prime minister between 2009 and 2018. Giving him a key role now could be a sign of a rollback from years of unconventional policies based on lowering interest rates despite high inflation and state control of markets.

These officials said Erdogan is considering appointing Şimşek as vice president, but Simşek prefers a role directly responsible for economic policy and therefore may take over the post of treasury and finance minister now held by Nurtin Vegetarian.

One official said the new policy would be "mixed" rather than traditional, and that change was expected to be gradual. Neither Erdogan's office nor Şimşek could immediately be reached for comment.

One official also said that former minister Cevdet Yilmaz could take over as treasury and finance minister if Şimşek became vice president. Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Lotfi Allwan is also expected to take over a ministry linked to the economy, he said.

Erdogan will announce the new cabinet posts by Saturday, according to senior officials, who said the new government would almost certainly include his spokesman Ibrahim Kalin and intelligence chief Hakan Fidan.

But the four officials, who spoke to Reuters, said no final decisions had been made and that the president could change his mind.