AK Party wins parliamentary elections

PanARMENIAN.Net - The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) won a landslide victory in yesterday's general elections, leaving its nationalist rivals far behind as it secured an unparalleled 46,9 percent of the national vote, comfortably ensuring that it will again form a single-party government.



The center-left but nationalist Republican People's Party (CHP), the closest rival of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party, won 20,7 percent of the vote, finishing the race close to the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). The MHP secured a return ticket to Parliament, following a five-year break, with 14,3 percent. The results reflected 98 percent of the votes having been already counted.







"Our democracy successfully passed a significant test in a manner that would constitute a model to the world and proved its maturity. Our democracy emerged stronger. The winner of the elections is democracy, security and stability," Erdogan told supporters packing a street outside his party headquarters, Zaman reports.



In response to accusations of opponents, who say Erdogan wants to turn Turkey into an Islamic state, the PM pledged to maintain secular democracy and work for national unity. "We are not going to reconsider attitude to human values and fundamental principles of our republic. We promise to secure Turkey as a united country with no signs of discrimination," Erdogan said.



Vote in Turkey is compulsory. According to the CEC, 80% of those 42 million eligible to vote, took part in the parliamentary elections.