International leaders congratulate Erdogan on election win
6 Min Read
Leaders from all over the world have rallied to congratulate Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his election victory after he overtook his opponent in the runoff election.
-
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech to supporters outside his residence in Istanbul, Turkey, May 28, 2023 (AP)
Foreign leaders gathered on Sunday to congratulate Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after preliminary election results showed him ahead of opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu in the presidency.
"They are all calling me one after another. And they are telling me: 'If needed, say it, invite us, and we will come right away,'" Erdogan said while addressing his supporters in Istanbul after the preliminary results were released.
Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani took to social media to congratulate Erdogan on his reelection, even as the Supreme Election Council was still analyzing returns from polling places.
"I wish you a successful new term and that you achieve what the brotherly Turkish people aspire to in terms of progress and prosperity and for the strong relationship between our two countries to further develop and grow," he wrote.
Among the first to congratulate Erdogan on winning the presidency once again were the leaders of Hungary, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi saw the election victory as a clear indication of the Turkish people's valuable trust in Erdogan.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also congratulated Erdogan, the Kremlin said on Sunday.
"Dear Mr. Erdogan, dear friend, please accept my sincere congratulations on your reelection as president," the congratulatory message, published by the Kremlin, read.
"We highly appreciate your personal contribution to the strengthening of friendly Russian-Turkish relations and mutually beneficial cooperation in various areas," the Russian leader added.
"I would like to reaffirm our readiness to continue our constructive dialogue on topical issues of bilateral, regional, and international agenda," the message read.
The message said Erdogan's election victory was a result of his dedicated work and "clear evidence of the Turkish people's support for your efforts to strengthen state sovereignty and pursue an independent foreign policy."
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi offered congratulation to his Turkish counterpart on the re-election in the Turkish presidential runoff.
In a message on Sunday afternoon, President Ebrahim Raeisi congratulated Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his victory in the Turkish presidential election second round, considering the election victory as signaling the continued valuable trust that the Turkish people have in Erdogan.
US President Joe Biden said he hoped to work with Erdogan on "shared global challenges".
"I look forward to continuing to work together as NATO allies on bilateral issues and shared global challenges," Biden tweeted, completely disregarding recent tensions in the bilateral relationship.
Congratulations to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Türkiye on his re-election.
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 28, 2023
I look forward to continuing to work together as NATO Allies on bilateral issues and shared global challenges.
French leader Emmanuel Macron said the two nations had "immense challenges" to work on together, including the "return of peace to Europe".
"With President Erdogan, who I congratulate, we will continue to move forward," Macron wrote on Twitter.
On his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed Erdogan's win.
"We count on the further strengthening of the strategic partnership for the good of our countries, as well as the strengthening of cooperation for the security and stability of Europe," Zelensky said in a post on Twitter, where he congratulated Erdogan on his victory.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hailed the countries as "close partners and allies" whose "people and economies are deeply intertwined."
"Congratulations to President Erdogan -- together we want to advance our common agenda with a fresh impetus," Scholz wrote on Twitter.
Erdogan received accolades on social media from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for winning a decisive victory.
Erdogan also received a call from President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan to congratulate him on his "historic win" and to explore prospects for a complete alliance, and Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, Turkey's main Central Asian ally, who also extended an invitation for Erdogan to visit. Erdogan agreed to the invitation, the Azeri presidency said.
Additionally, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic was quick to congratulate Erdogan, making him among the first European leaders to congratulate him, Serbian news agency Tanjug reported.
Vucic also invited Erdogan to his country, calling Turkey an important partner for Serbia both politically and economically.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also congratulated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on winning the presidential elections.
The European Union, UN, and NATO, also congratulated Erdogan on his re-election.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the Commission of the European Union, said the bloc wanted to strengthen ties with the country.
"I congratulate (Erdogan) on winning the elections. I look forward to continue building the EU-Turkiye relationship," she wrote on Twitter, using an alternate spelling for Turkey.
"It is of strategic importance for both the EU and Turkiye to work on advancing this relationship, for the benefit of our people."
Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary-General, also sent congratulations.
"Congratulations President (Erdogan) on your re-election. I look forward to continuing our work together and preparing for the NATO Summit in July," he tweeted.
UN chief Antonio Guterres congratulated Erdogan on his re-election, as per a statement by his spokesperson on Sunday.
"He looks forward to further strengthening the cooperation between Turkiye and the United Nations," Dujarric added.
Prior to all the congratulations, Erdogan said on Sunday night, speaking outside the presidential residence in Ankara's Bestepe area, that all the "dirty games" with regard to Turkey have failed.
"Didn't German, French, British magazines flip covers to destroy Erdogan? They also lost. You have seen what kind of alliances have been formed against us for several months," Erdogan told his supporters.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won Sunday the Turkish presidential election in the runoff round, and he, alongside his supporters, celebrated the victory at his home in Istanbul before the official election results not being declared yet.
Speaking from the porch of his home in Istanbul, the Turkish President hailed his supporters and the Turkish people.
Saying: "Bye, bye, bye, Kemal," referring to his opponent, opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Erdogan declared his victory before thousands of his supporters in Istanbul as he prepared to lead the country for an additional five years while the country's major cities were celebrating the major victory.
