The second round of presidential elections on May 28 will herald the "Century of Türkiye," President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Tuesday.
"We will utilize the coming days in the best and most productive way. We will make May 28 the herald of the 'Century of Türkiye,'" Erdoğan wrote on social media.
He said that his People’s Alliance has overcome difficulties and fought struggles.
The 69-year-old leader defied pollsters and his country's most dire economic crisis since the 1990s to come within a fraction of a percentage point of winning Sunday's presidential ballot.
He even won in regions hit by a calamitous February earthquake that claimed over 50,000 lives.
Erdoğan secured 49.5% of the vote and main opposition candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu picked up 44.9%. Nationalist candidate Sinan Oğan – a former member of a far-right party now allied with the government – won 5.2%.
Official turnout reached a record 88.9%.
Observers from the Council of Europe said the election was “competitive."
"I would like to thank each of you for your efforts and sacrifices. Now is the time to crown the success we achieved on May 14 with a greater victory. The second round of the elections will be held on May 28, one day after the 63rd anniversary of the May 27 coup.
The May 27 coup that overthrew the Menderes government is known as the first fatal blow to Turkish democracy in the fledgling Republic of Türkiye.
Saying that Türkiye expects service from the government, Erdoğan added: “Our earthquake victims are waiting for us to heal their wounds as soon as possible. We have already started working for the May 28 election, as the color of the ballot box becomes clear.”
