Turkey’s election is a blow to Erdogan and a victory for Kurds
, with results showing it losing its majority in parliament.
And, in a historic first, a party dominated by Kurds surged into the Grand National Assembly in Ankara, marking a new moment in the evolution of Turkey’s democracy as well as a direct challenge to Erdogan’s own ambitions to consolidate power as president.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's party won 259 seats out of 550, equivalent to 41 percent of the votes, while the Kurdish Democratic Peoples' Party won 78 seats (12.5 percent), according to results reported by local television.
A senior official in the opposition Republican People's Party in Turkey said that "the results of Sunday's elections reflect a clear rejection of the electorate to efforts by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to gain broad powers and the executive presidential system."
Murad Karaalgin , party chief in Istanbul, told reporters "voters said no clearly to the presidential system."
The expectations about the possibility of the Democratic People’s Party exceeded the threshold of 10% votes, allowing it to enter parliament, according to results that included about 70% of the votes have been counted at the beginning.
The polling stations in Turkey had closed after voters cast their ballots to choose 550 deputies in the legislative elections as the conservative Islamic party has been ruling for 13 years hopes to make a big win, establishes the President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s authority.
About 54 million voters cast their ballots, expectations indicated a new victory for the "Justice and Development party ", which won in all polling operations since 2002, but this victory will be crucial for Erdogan, whose fate is considered at risk in this election.
A deadly explosion on Friday in south-eastern Turkey, which is dominated by Kurds, shed the interest in the pro-Kurd opposition that is trying to enter the parliament as a party for the first time. as the Kurdish insurgency that lasted for three decades may stop, as well as the political ambitions of Erdogan on the fate of the party.
Presidential system Dream
Erdogan was seeking to win a large majority of the ruling Justice and Development to strengthen his powers, and says that the executive presidency along the lines of the American system is necessary to strengthen regional influence and economic successes of Turkey, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
He said in an election rally in Ardahan province in north-eastern Turkey on Saturday, " they say that if Erdogan got what he wanted on Sunday, he will become someone that no one can stand in his way. They mean that no one will not be able to stop Turkey."
"Justice and Development" party has been in power since 2002, it is expected to become once again the biggest party till now.
Although the Constitution requires to rise above the partisan maneuvers but Erdogan witnessed many rallies during the campaign marked by confrontational character and joined Prime Minister ,Ahmed Davutoglu in opposing attacking parties
Both men made the election as a choice between "new Turkey" and returning to the history of coalition governments marked as short-termed, economic instability and military coups.
Davutoglu said at an election rally in the city of Antalya, "either the stability continue as has been characterized in the last 12 years or a crisis scenario would return for those who want to return Turkey to chaos and atmosphere of crisis that characterized the period of the nineties."
So Commenting on the results of the Turkish general election , Altaoshad , the participating leader in Turkish- Kurdish democratic people’s party said, "Salah al-Din Dmirattash" passed for the first time the electoral barrier by (10%) which qualifies him to enter parliament, describing it as "a great victory".
Dmirattash said at a news conference held after the unofficial results of the elections, "We the oppressed, poor, advocates of justice, peace, freedom have made success and a great victory, and I congratulate all the members of our party and all of Turkey."
