NATO head Stoltenberg congratulates Erdoğan, praises high turnout
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg answers journalists during a Foreign Affairs and Defense ministers meeting in Luxembourg on June 25, 2018. (AFP Photo)


NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday he will call President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to congratulate him on his election victory.

He also praised Turkey's high voter turnout in Sunday's presidential and parliamentary elections. Voter turnout was just over 86 percent for the parliamentary polls and 84 percent for presidential polls.

Erdoğan received 52.6 percent in the election.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) also secured a victory with 42.5 percent of the votes in parliamentary elections, with 99.64 percent of the ballots counted.

Along with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the AK Party's election ally, the People's Alliance has won 53.7 percent of the vote so far.

Turkey is a key NATO member and has its second largest military.