In what was a hard-fought election from day one, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has officially been reelected the president of Turkey. The country faces an uphill battle, with its people reeling from the recent earthquakes that killed a supposed 50,000 civilians, as well as the nation’s skyrocketing inflation rates. Erdogan has quite a job on his hands.
While the Turkish Muslim population rejoices with a barrage of open arms, others have a understanding sense of worry on Turkey’s future. Refugees from nearby, war-devastated Syria continue to pour into the country. Erdogan also has secured himself at least five more years of uncontested rule, adding onto his twenty-year reign already. Some wonder if Erdogan and his party may take greater measures to continue ruling. Muslim supporters again have publicly declared their outright support for Erdogan, mainly because of his upholding of “conservative Islamic values”.
Erdogan has immediately pledged to begin working for the people of Turkey once more, outlining a plan to help resettle close to a million Syrian refugees, along with a main priority in tackling inflation issues. He will also play a crucial role in several NATO exchanges, including Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden with the UK and the US respectively.
Regardless, for now, Turkey will breathe a sigh of calm as they gradually shift into a time of relative calmness. “We are not the only winners, the winner is Turkey. The winner is our nation with all its segments, our democracy is the winner,” Erdogan stated as he accepted the top position once again. Whether or not he will be able to fulfill the promises that he has set is another debate.
Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/turkey-election-runoff-results-intl/index.html
Image Credits: CNN
