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Erdogan re-elected as President, with more executive powers

Published

8 years ago

June 25, 2018

Erdogan re-elected as President, with more executive powers

Turkey may slip into a state under dictatorship, Haaretz fear

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won more than half the votes in the key presidential election, in a result that will allow him to keep his seat with increased powers and become Turkey’s first executive president. State-run Anadolu news agency has reported that Erdogan’s share of the vote stood at 52.5 percent.

Erdogan has ruled the country for 15 years as PM and then President. He won the last presidential election in 2014 after completing two terms as prime minister.

According to reports from Ankara, Sadi Guven, the head of country’s Supreme Election Committee (YSK) has said that with 97.7 percent of ballots counted, Erdogan received on Sunday more than half the votes required to secure an outright victory.

Immediately after the election result announcement, Erdogan told his enthusiastic supporters in capital Ankara, “Our democracy has won, the people’s will has won, Turkey has won,” and thanked citizens who cast their ballots with a record turnout of 87 percent.

Moreover, President Erdogan also declared victory for the People’s Alliance, a bloc between his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), saying they had won a parliamentary majority in the legislative elections, also held on Sunday.

Before going to the capital Ankara, Erdogan had addressed a crowd of cheering, flag-waving supporters from the top of a bus in the country’s largest city of Istanbul.

Erdogan’s closest rival, Muharrem Ince, of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), received 30.8 percent of the votes. Ince was followed by Selahattin Demirtas, of the pro-Kurdish Democratic People’s Party (HDP) with 8.1 percent, while right-wing IYI (Good) Party’s Meral Aksener could get only 7.4 percent of total votes.

All three major opposition parties have accused s Anadolu of manipulating the results, a claim dismissed by the government. Erdogan said in his speech, “I hope nobody will try to cast a shadow on the results and harm democracy in order to hide their own failure.”

More than 56 million voters were eligible to cast their ballots in the elections, which were advanced by more than 18 months by the AK Party-controlled parliament in April. Official results are expected to be announced a few days later.

The Sunday voting marked the first time Turkish voters cast their ballots in simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections, in line with the constitutional changes approved in a referendum last year that will transform the country’s parliamentary system to an executive presidential one.

In accordance to the modified constitution, new system is set to hand the next president significant executive powers as well as abolish the prime ministry and remove the monitoring role of parliament, among others.

In the new era, the presidential office will have the power to appoint vice presidents, ministers, high-level officials and senior judges. The president will also be able to dissolve parliament, issue executive decrees, and impose a state of emergency.

In April 2017, 51 percent voters endorsed constitutional changes backed by Erdogan which granted new executive powers to the president and scrap the post of prime minister. The constitutional overhaul would also mean that Erdogan could stay in power to another two terms until 2029. A majority of 360 votes in parliament are required to take a constitutional change to referendum in the new executive presidential system.

In the parliamentary elections, Erdogan’s AK Party got 42.4 percent of the votes, while its far-right MHP secured 11.2 percent. The two parties are predicted to claim 293 and 49 seats in the 600-member parliament respectively with almost all of the ballot boxes opened. Erdogan was their joint presidential candidate.

The state of emergency has been in place since July 2016 following a failed deadly coup blamed by the government on the movement of Fethullah Gulen, a US-based self-exiled religious leader.

Meanwhile, Israel’s leading newspaper Haaretz, published an analysis written by Zvi Bar’el on Monday saying that with Erdogan’s re-election Turkey faces a future as a purely autocratic state, persecuting political rivals and settling scores.

Related Topics:Istanbul Recep Tayyip Erdogan Turkey

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Iranian President Pezeshkian at UN says Iranians have been victims of US terrorism

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said at the UN General Assembly that Iranians had been victims of US terrorism and insisted that Iran had acted in self-defence.

Published

2 days ago

September 23, 2026

APNLive Desk

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States of subjecting Iranians to what he described as terrorism while addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.

Pezeshkian said Iran had defended itself against attacks and rejected the characterisation of the country as a terrorist actor. His remarks came during a rare wartime appearance at the UN as tensions between Iran and the United States remain high.

Pezeshkian accuses US and Israel of attacks

Speaking at the General Assembly, Pezeshkian said Iranian civilians had been targeted by attacks and described the actions against his country as aggression.

“We have only defended ourselves. We are not terrorists,” he said, according to the report.

Pezeshkian also accused the United States and Israel of attacking Iran, while maintaining that Tehran’s response was an act of self-defence.

The Iranian president displayed photographs of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and more than 150 schoolchildren who, according to his account, were killed during the early days of the conflict.

Iran’s message at the UN

Pezeshkian’s address came against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States and heightened tensions in the region.

Iranian officials had indicated ahead of the UN visit that they intended to highlight what Tehran considers attacks against its people and raise concerns over the international response to the conflict.

The Iranian delegation’s visit to New York also comes amid restrictions imposed by the United States on the delegation’s movement and other aspects of its stay, according to reporting ahead of the address.

Pezeshkian says Iran defended itself

Pezeshkian’s central message at the UN was that Iran’s military actions should be viewed as a response to attacks rather than terrorism.

His description of the conflict and the allegations against the United States and Israel represent the Iranian government’s position. They should therefore be attributed to Pezeshkian rather than presented as independently established facts.

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PM Modi’s Canada visit could help wrap trade talks, says Canada PM Mark Carney

Canadian PM Mark Carney said he is looking forward to hosting PM Narendra Modi, with both countries aiming to conclude their ongoing trade negotiations.

Published

3 days ago

September 23, 2026

APNLive Desk

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he is looking forward to hosting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as India and Canada continue efforts to advance their bilateral relationship and conclude ongoing trade negotiations.

The two countries have been working towards a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with both sides previously setting a target to conclude the negotiations in 2026.

Carney and Modi have held discussions on strengthening economic ties between India and Canada, including trade and investment. Their engagement has gained momentum following Carney’s visit to India earlier this year.

India-Canada trade talks

India and Canada formally resumed efforts towards a broader trade agreement after a period of strained bilateral ties. The two sides have committed to advancing negotiations on a CEPA covering their economic relationship.

In June, Carney and Modi reviewed progress in bilateral economic cooperation during their meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France. They expressed satisfaction with the progress in CEPA negotiations and reaffirmed their shared objective of concluding the talks in 2026.

During Carney’s visit to India in March, the two leaders had also agreed to accelerate negotiations on the CEPA and work towards finalising the agreement during 2026.

Modi’s proposed Canada visit

Carney had invited PM Modi to visit Canada in 2026, and the two leaders agreed to remain engaged through diplomatic channels to work towards a mutually convenient date for the visit.

The proposed visit comes as New Delhi and Ottawa seek to build on renewed diplomatic and economic engagement, with trade negotiations remaining a key part of the relationship.

The focus on completing the trade talks comes as both countries look to expand commercial ties and establish a broader economic framework through the proposed CEPA.

Latest world news

Trump issues fresh Iran warning at UN General Assembly, signals deal after midterms

US President Donald Trump issued a fresh warning to Iran during his UN General Assembly address, saying he faces a choice between a deal and further escalation.

Published

3 days ago

September 22, 2026

APNLive Desk

US President Donald Trump used his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday to outline what he described as a major decision over Iran, putting the possibility of a deal against further military escalation.

Speaking at the UN in New York, Trump said he had a “big decision” to make. He questioned whether the United States should pursue an agreement that would allow Iran to rebuild or instead take further action against the Islamic Republic.

Trump later indicated that he believed an agreement with Iran could be reached after the US midterm elections, which are scheduled for November 3.

Trump says deal with Iran remains possible

During his speech, Trump presented two possible paths. He said a deal could allow Iran to rebuild and become a stronger country, while also raising the possibility of destroying the Islamic Republic if an agreement was not reached.

Trump said he believed a deal could eventually be reached, arguing that Iran was waiting to see the outcome of the US midterm elections.

His comments came amid the continuing US-Iran conflict and renewed diplomatic activity surrounding the confrontation. Trump’s UN appearance came as Washington was also engaged in discussions with multiple international leaders over the Iran conflict and other global issues.

Iranian delegation walks out during Trump’s speech

The Iranian delegation reportedly left the General Assembly chamber as Trump began describing the military confrontation with Iran.

According to the report, only one person from the Iranian delegation remained seated as Trump spoke about the conflict and the military strikes of the past six months.

The walkout came as tensions between Washington and Tehran remained high, with both sides facing pressure over the continuation of the conflict.

Trump’s latest warning follows earlier comments

Trump’s UN remarks came days after he said he was approaching a major decision over whether to intensify military action against Iran or pursue another route.

He had also indicated before his UN appearance that he could be open to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during the UN General Assembly in New York.

The possibility of renewed negotiations comes against the backdrop of continuing military and diplomatic tensions between the two countries.