Erdogan wins runoff, reelected as Turkish President

After months of campaigning by two dozen political parties, four presidential candidates and a bewildering lineup of electoral alliances, Turkish voters head to the polls, again, on Sunday, to make a critical choice between two men. 

The first round two weeks ago saw Erdogan clinch 49.52% of the votes and Kilicdaroglu 44.88%. To win the election, a candidate must receive a simple majority of the votes.

Erdogan said that on May 28, Turkish voters would have to make "the most important choice of their lives, a decision concerning the future" of the country and its children.

Kilicdaroglu, for his part, noted that "for the first time, Turkish citizens will have to choose between two candidates and two worldviews.

Sinan Ogan, the third-placed candidate in the first round, who received 5% of the votes, announced on Monday that he was throwing his support behind Erdogan in the upcoming run-off and called on his supporters to vote for the incumbent president.

Followings are the latest updates:

Iran's Raeisi felicitates Erdogan 

The Iranian president has 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.

The Iranian president considered the election victory as signaling the continued valuable trust that the Turkish people have in Erdogan.

Erdogan declares victory in Turkey runoff election

“We have completed the second round of presidential election with the favour of our nation,” Erdogan has said.

“We will be ruling the country for the coming five years,” he told his cheering supporters from atop a bus in his home district in Istanbul. “God willing, we will be deserving of your trust.”

Just 2% of votes left to count

More than 98% of the ballot boxes have been opened, according to the government-controlled Anadolu Agency news agency. 

Erdogan is ahead on 52.1%, meanwhile opposition candidate Kilicdaroglu has 47.9%. 

Fifty per cent of the vote is needed for either candidate to win. 

Hamas congratulates Erdogan

The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas offered its sincere congratulations to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on winning the presidential race in Turkey in the runoff.

Qatar congratulates Erdogan

Qatar's Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has congratulated his “brother” Recept Tayyip Erdogan after winning the Turkish presidential runoff, Doha News reported.

Erdogan wins presidential run-off: State media

Erdogan has won re-election, according to unofficial results from the state-run Anadolu Agency.

With 97 percent of ballot boxes opened in the run-off, Erdogan has 52.1 percent of the vote, and challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu has 47.9 percent.

Erdogan gains 54% of overall of votes: Commission

Erdogan gains over 54% of vote in presidential runoff, according to preliminary results of Turkish Electoral Commission

Participation rate

Turkey's electoral board has said more than 84% of the eligible voters turned out to vote at the polling stations and more than 64 million votes were obtained.

Erdogan leads in preliminary results

Incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan took an initial lead with nearly 52.61% of the vote in the runoff Sunday, compared to his rival Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's 47.39%, according to unofficial nationwide results, Daily Sabah reported.

Preliminary results were based on around 91.55% of the ballot boxes opened. The turnout was over 85%, according to initial unofficial results.

Erdoğan emerged victorious in the first round of elections with 49.52% of the votes against Kılıçdaroğlu's 44.88%.

CHP stance as counting continues

The spokesperson of the People's Republican Party said while counting in the presidential elections runoff continues in the country, "We are now in a sensitive stage. We must seriously pursue the counting of votes."

Counting in runoff faster than the first round

The head of Turkiye’s Supreme Electoral Council, Ahmet Yener, said the results of the second round of the presidential election may appear earlier than the results of the first round. 

He noted that "As you know, 24 political parties, as well as our presidential candidates, took part in the May 14 elections. And because only presidential candidates participate in these elections, we think that the results will be earlier."

President Erdogan calls for patience as counting votes continues 

resident Recep Tayyip Erdoğan took an initial lead with nearly 52.61% of the vote in the runoff Sunday, compared to his rival Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's 47.39%, according to unofficial nationwide results showed.

Preliminary results were based on around 91.55% of the ballot boxes opened. The turnout was over 85% according to initial unofficial results.

Erdoğan emerged victorious in the first round of elections with 49.52% of the votes against Kılıçdaroğlu's 44.88%.

Voting ended in Turkish presidential election runoff

Voting ended in Turkey's first presidential runoff elections, as polling stations closed.

Turkey issues arrest warrants for 5 people suspected of election disinformation: report

Istanbul's chief public prosecutor's office has issued arrest warrants for five people suspected of disseminating false information on social media about the second round of the country's presidential election, Turkish media reported on Sunday.

An investigation was launched into social media accounts that publicly shared false information about the presidential election runoff with the aim of disrupting public order and creating false perceptions, a Turkish newspaper reported, adding that some "provocative" posts were also created.

Opposition party reports attack on election observers

According to the German Press Agency (dpa), the deputy leader of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Ozgur Ozel, says that there has been an attack on the election observers at the polls.

Ozel said on Twitter that the CHP's election observers in a village in the southeastern Turkish province of Sanliurfa were beaten and their phones were broken after they objected to voting irregularities. He said that CHP lawmaker Ali Seker was on the scene.

The CHP deputy leader urged authorities to ensure the security of the election.

The German Press Agency said it could not independently verify the report.