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Erdogan on track to secure 2nd term as president – preliminary results Erdogan on track to secure 2nd term as president – preliminary results
(35 minutes later)
Incumbent Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has secured a comfortable lead in the election, preliminary results indicate. The parliamentary election results so far are similar, with a substantial lead for the ruling AK Party.Incumbent Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has secured a comfortable lead in the election, preliminary results indicate. The parliamentary election results so far are similar, with a substantial lead for the ruling AK Party.
The initial official results of the Turkish presidential and parliamentary election, held on Sunday, have emerged, signaling an expected win for the incumbent president and his party. To achieve an outright win and avoid a second round, Erdogan needs to secure more than 50 percent of the vote.  The initial official results of the Turkish presidential and parliamentary election, held on Sunday, have emerged, signaling an expected win for the incumbent president and his party. To achieve an outright victory and avoid a second round, Erdogan needs to secure more than 50 percent of the vote. 
As of 16:10 GMT, Erdogan is leading in the polls with nearly 58 percent of the vote after 32 percent of the ballot boxes were opened. In the parliamentary election, the AK Party leads with 50 percent of the vote, with 15 percent of the ballot boxes opened. The turnout was at 87 percent for both polls. He is currently leading in the polls with 56 percent of the vote. In the parliamentary election, his AK Party is also in first place with over 47 percent. Turnout was at 87 percent for both polls, preliminary data shows.
Erdogan’s closest competitor, Muharrem Ince, has secured nearly 28 percent of the vote. His Republican People’s Party (CHP) is also in second place in the parliamentary election, with 16 percent. Erdogan’s closest competitor, Muharrem Ince, has secured over 28 percent of the vote. His Republican People’s Party (CHP) placed second with nearly 19 percent.
The preliminary results correlate with recent opinion polls, which predicted around 52 percent for Erdogan, and 45 percent for his AK Party (AKP). The AKP’s results are expected to be lower than they were in the 2015 election, when the party received nearly 50 percent, achieving a comfortable majority in the parliament. The preliminary results correlate with recent opinion polls, which predicted a victory for Erdogan and his AK Party (AKP). The AKP’s results are expected to be lower than they were in the 2015 election, when the party received nearly 50 percent, achieving a comfortable majority in the parliament.
Today’s election is the first since Turkey switched to a presidential system of governance after the April 2017 constitutional referendum. The referendum effectively split Turkish society in half, as the amendment package passed by a close margin, securing 52 percent of the vote. Today’s election is the first since Turkey switched to a presidential system of governance after the April 2017 constitutional referendum. The plebiscite effectively split Turkish society in half, as the amendment package passed by a close margin, securing 52 percent of the vote.
DETAILS TO FOLLOW The victory allows Erdogan to further consolidate political power and implement the constitutional reforms. The powers in question include the abilities to pick cabinet ministers from outside of the legislature, pass laws by decree, single-handedly declare a state of emergency and launch extraordinary elections. The post of the prime minister is also set to be abolished.
The Turkish opposition, however, sees such changes as a power grab, which effectively destroys the country’s century-old parliamentary democracy. Erdogan’s closest competitor, Ince, vowed that he would lift the state of emergency within 48 hours if elected president and reverse all the constitutional reforms afterward.
Erdogan counters that view, saying “Turkey is staging a democratic revolution.” 
“With the presidential system, Turkey is seriously raising the bar, rising above the level of contemporary civilizations.”
Drastic changes in Turkey’s political system followed a botched coup attempt in July 2016. Erdogan accused his late ally and now nemesis, US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, of masterminding the coup. The cleric has firmly rejected the accusations.
Following the failed coup, Turkey has been under a state of emergency for nearly two years and has seen a widespread crackdown on alleged supporters of Gulen. Around 160,000 people have been detained, and thousands of public servants and soldiers have been fired.
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