World leaders united in congratulating President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on securing his third term as the President of Turkey following his victory in the second round of elections on Sunday (28/5).
Joe Biden, the President of the United States and a fellow member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), expressed the White House’s commitment to continuing bilateral cooperation with Turkey.
The US considers Turkey to be a significant NATO ally and a valuable partner. “As a NATO ally, I look forward to advancing our bilateral cooperation and addressing global challenges together,” tweeted Biden, as quoted by AFP.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also offered his congratulations to Erdogan. “Your victory in this election is a logical outcome of your hard work as the leader of the Republic of Turkey,” Putin stated in a released statement on the Kremlin’s website.
In his statement, Putin even referred to Erdogan as a “friend.” He viewed Erdogan’s triumph as “clear evidence of the Turkish people’s support” for the president’s efforts to bolster the nation’s sovereignty and pursue an “independent foreign policy.”
Despite differences in their perspectives on conflicts in the Middle East, the relationship between Putin and Erdogan has grown stronger in recent years, including their approach to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Turkey has emphasized its reluctance to impose sanctions on Russia, unlike most of its Western allies.
Ankara has also acted as a mediator, facilitating dialogue between Kyiv and Moscow in an effort to ease tensions resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In addition to Biden and Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and French President Emmanuel Macron also conveyed similar messages of congratulations.
“Congratulations to President Erdogan, and I anticipate further robust collaboration between our nations, encompassing expanding trade and addressing security threats as NATO allies,” tweeted Sunak.
Leaders from NATO and the European Union also extended their congratulations to Erdogan.
Erdogan emerged victorious in the second round of the Turkish general elections held on Sunday (28/5).
The results revealed that the incumbent president secured 52.14 percent of the votes. Meanwhile, Erdogan’s main rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, garnered 47.86 percent of the votes in this election.
This victory ensures that Erdogan’s tenure will extend until 2028. This election in 2023 marks Erdogan’s third consecutive win during his 20-year rule of Turkey.
“We will govern the country for the next five years,” Erdogan declared in his victory speech on Sunday evening, local time.
“With God’s permission, we will prove ourselves worthy of your trust,” he added.
