Foreign
TURKISH opposition presidential candidate Muharrem Ince of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) began his first post-election news conference by ejecting a broadcaster he said had ignored him during the election race.
“You didn’t broadcast my three major rallies. Please just leave,” Ince who lost told representatives of thr broadcaster TRT as he started talking to media hours after public broadcasters called the election for President Recep Erdogan.
Ince said: “I recognise the election results” as he accepted his loss to Erdogan.
He had seen strong interest in his campaign in recent weeks for the snap elections, which had built up expectations, at the very least, that he would force Erdogan into a run-off in July.
Instead, unofficial reports showed Erdogan winning more than half the vote. Official results are not expected until later this week, at the earliest.
But Ince repeated claims that the election results were controlled by Erdogan supporters.
“This has been an unfair election. It was marred by blood,” he said, speaking at CHP headquarters.
He also said Turkey has cut ties to the parliamentary regime it has had for 143 years, warning that Turkey is slipping towards one-man rule.
Erdogan, 64, and his ruling AK Party on Sunday claimed victory in presidential and parliamentary polls, overcoming a revitalised opposition that in recent weeks had gained considerable momentum and looked capable of staging an upset.
He took 52.5 per cent of the vote in the presidential race, with more than 99 per cent of the votes counted.
His AK Party took 42.5 per cent in the parliamentary polls, and was boosted by its nationalist allies, which outstripped expectations and took 11.1 per cent.
“It is out of the question for us to turn back from where we’ve brought our country in terms of democracy and the economy,” Erdogan said in an address on Sunday.
Voter turnout was high, at nearly 87 per cent. (Dpa/NAN)
– Jun. 25, 2018 @ 11:19 GMT |
Tags: Citing bias failed Turkish candidate ejects TV crew from concession
