Good morning. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called it “magnificent”; his rival Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu called it “the most unfair election in years”. Either way, after the most significant challenge to his supremacy since he rose to power in Turkey two decades ago, Erdoğan is president again, winning yesterday’s runoff election by 52% to 48%, a margin of more than 2m votes. Now the question is what he will do with that victory.
Erdoğan’s success will have significant consequences for Turkey’s economy, minority groups and refugees, and the country’s position on the international stage – and it could pave the way for a significant consolidation of his power. Today’s newsletter, with Dr Ziya Meral, senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) thinktank, explains what just happened – and what might happen next. Here are the headlines.
