Turkey's Voters Choose Erdogan in Presidential Runoff

World leaders congratulate Erdogan on reelection victory in historic runoff

ISTANBUL, TURKEY — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won Turkey’s presidential election, extending his power into a third decade after defeating opposition leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu in the runoff voting on 28th May.

According to the preliminary official results released by Turkey’s Supreme Election Council (YSK), Erdogan was declared the winner having secured 52.14% of the votes, while Kilicdaroglu received 47.86% of the votes.

“We are not the only winners, the winner is Turkey. The winner is all parts of our society, our democracy is the winner,” said Erdogan in his winning speech.

While Erdogan may have been re-elected back into power, he now faces a host of domestic issues in a country that is deeply divided from a weakened economy, pressure for the repatriation of Syrian refugees, and the need to rebuild in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake.

The Challenges that Lay Ahead

Economic Woes
Since Erdogan first came to power in 2014, the Turkish lira has lost about 90% of its value against the US dollar. This resulted in rampant inflation. Poorer households suffered in particular from an increase in prices, having to spend a substantial portion of their modest income on everyday necessities.

Critics blame Erdogan’s unorthodox strategy of keeping interest rates low to support growth, while economists generally recommend raising rates to combat inflation. Despite a deteriorating economy, Erdogan won the election, in part by reducing the effects of inflation through public spendings, such as raising the minimum salary and pensions. It is yet to be seen in which direction the leader’s policies will head moving forth.

Rebuilding After the Devastating Earthquake
Despite criticism that the government’s response was slow and ineffective, Erdogan won by a wide margin in the provinces that were severely affected by the February 6th earthquake, which claimed about 50,000 lives.

Voters supported the president in 9 out of 11 provinces that were impacted, including the particularly hard-hit Hatay. Erdogan declared in his victory speech that his government would prioritize rebuilding and reconstruction efforts.

Pressure to Send Refugees Home
Erdogan is well aware of the deteriorating public opinion against the 3.4 million Syrians who escaped to Turkey after being displaced due to violence in their home country, particularly as the nation grapples with its current economic crisis.

In his victory speech, Erdogan said that 600,000 refugees had already voluntarily returned to Syria, where his government is establishing so-called “safe-zones” in northern areas under Turkey’s control. Additionally, he indicated that a cooperative resettlement initiative in collaboration with Qatar would result in an additional million.

However, HRW’s Emma Sinclair-Webb said that many refugees still don’t feel safe in Syria, and that the polarized political climate in Turkey is making matters worse.

 
Anti-LGBTQ Stance and Crackdown on Freedom
During Erdogan’s presidency, there has been a crackdown on the right to free speech and rise in animosity towards minority groups. He routinely targets members of the LGBTQ community and didn’t shy away from using his victory speech to take a jab.

“In our culture, family is sacred,” Erdogan said. “No one can interfere. We will strangle anyone who dares to touch it.”

To make things worse, the anti-LGBTQ rhetoric escalated during his election campaign. At a rally in Izmir in April, he said, “In this nation, the foundations of the family are stable. LGBT will not emerge in this country.”

Anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments have been on the rise in Turkey for a number of years, where pride parades have been banned and queer people have reported feeling concerned about their future.


The NATO Trade-Off
In its yearly human rights reports, America has harshly criticized Erdogan for years, highlighting his suppression of political opponents and journalists. However, after the outcome of the 2023 elections, the United States and its allies appear ready to focus on persuading Erdogan to withdraw his opposition to Sweden’s accession to NATO and to maintain his support in general, while the alliance defends Ukraine against Russia’s prolonged battle.

Biden took to Twitter to congratulate Erdogan on his victory and said that he “looks forward to continuing to work together as NATO Allies on bilateral issues and shared global challenges.”

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