Turkey’s strongman president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,
tightened his grip on power decisively on Sunday as his ruling Justice and
Development party (AKP) swept back to single-party government with an
unexpectedly convincing win in national elections.
The high-stakes vote, Turkey’s second in five
months, took place in a climate of mounting tension and violence following an
inconclusive June poll in which the conservative, Islamic-leaning AKP failed to
secure an outright majority for the first time since coming to power in 2002.
The result could exacerbate divisions in a country
deeply polarised along both ethnic and sectarian lines; Erdoğan is adored by
supporters who hail him as a transformative figure who has modernised the
country, but loathed by critics who see see him as an increasingly autocratic,
even despotic leader.
In a statement, Erdoğan said the election result
showed people chose and environment of stability and confidence.
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