Good Party (IP) Chairperson Meral Akşener Sunday congratulated President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for his win in Türkiye’s historic runoff elections.
“Our people voiced their choice in these elections. Our duty is to understand this message and do what is necessary. People should not give away to despair regarding the election results and should not feel pessimism or loss. If we believe in democracy, we must not forget that elections are the most fundamental display of democracies,” Akşener said at a press conference at her party headquarters.
Akşener added the election agenda tired Türkiye and that many problems that remained in the shadow of the elections, including the economy, must be focused on.
“Since the first day, we have acted by listening to the voice of our nation. We did not allow any power or personal ambition other than the demands and wishes of our nation, and for this reason, we were subjected to severe criticism from time to time, and we paid a great price,” she said on the other side, referring to disputes within the six-party opposition coalition.
Akşener was the most vocal leader in the coalition defending that the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairperson Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu should not be the candidate of the alliance. She advocated the people wanted a new face and suggested Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu or Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş should be nominated instead, which resulted almost in the collapse of the opposition coalition.
She said that the IP emerged with the same number of lawmakers as in 2018 and that the party would now discuss its internal issues and its future cooperation with the Nation Alliance.
“It's a process. So I don't know what will happen now.”
Erdoğan has a mandate to rule until 2028, securing five more years as leader of a country at the crossroads of Europe and Asia that plays a key role in NATO.
Erdoğan thanked the nation for entrusting him with the presidency again in two speeches he delivered in Istanbul and Ankara.
“The only winner today is Türkiye,” Erdoğan said outside the Presidential Complex in Ankara, promising to work hard for Türkiye’s second century, which he called the “Century of Türkiye.” The country marks its centennial this year.
The election had been seen as Erdoğan's biggest political challenge, with the opposition confident of unseating him and reversing his policies.
But he prevailed with 52.2% of the vote, to Kılıçdaroğlu's 47.8%.
