The current president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, declared victory in today's second round of presidential elections.
Unofficial data show that, according to 99,85 percent of the votes counted, Erdogan leads with 52,15 percent of support compared to the opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who won 47,85 percent of the votes, reports Turkish Radio and Television (TRT).
Reuters previously reported that the chairman of the Supreme Electoral Council announced that Erdogan, based on 75 percent of the votes counted, was leading with 53,41 percent of voter support.
According to the British agency, Erdogan said that the citizens gave him the responsibility to rule for the next five years, declaring Turkey the only winner of the election.
Addressing supporters from the roof of a bus in Istanbul, Erdogan, who has led Turkey for two decades, thanked citizens for voting.
The turnout was 84,22 percent.
Kilicdaroglu, as reported by Reuters, said that he will continue his fight, and called these elections the most unfair in recent years.
Speaking in Ankara, he said the results showed the will of citizens to change the authoritarian government, and that he was saddened by the "trouble" that awaits Turkey.
According to data from the TRT website, Kilicdaroglu won more votes than Erdogan in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.
Polling stations are closed at 17:XNUMX local time.
Erdogan said earlier, after the vote, that he hoped for a high voter turnout.
"Turkey showed a great example of democracy with the participation of 90 percent of the population in the first round. I believe that the country will do the same today," Erdogan told reporters, as reported by Turkish media.
Earlier today, Kilicdaroglu called on voters to vote "against the authoritarian regime" of Erdogan.
"I call on the citizens to vote for true democracy and freedom, so that we can get rid of authoritarian authorities," Kilicdaroglu said in Ankara as he inserted his ballot into the box.
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