Turkish elections: World leaders congratulate Erdogan for re-election

AFP , Sunday 28 May 2023

World leaders have congratulated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after being re-elected for a third term on Sunday.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan waves to supporters outside his residence in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, May 28, 2023. Turkey s incumbent President Erdogan has declared victory in his country s runoff election, extending his rule into a third decade. AP

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Erdogan, who has collaborated closely with Russia on key international issues despite disagreements, on his re-election.

"Your victory in these elections is the logical result of your dedicated work as head of the Turkish Republic," Putin said, according to the Kremlin website.

Putin told Erdogan that his victory was "clear evidence of the Turkish people's support for your efforts to strengthen state sovereignty and pursue an independent, foreign policy".

Putin also told Erdogan that Russia "highly values your personal contribution to the development of friendly Russian-Turkish relations" and expressed "readiness to continue our constructive dialogue".

Also, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the re-election of Erdogan, who despite close ties with Russia's leader has positioned himself as a mediator in the ongoing conflict.

"We count on the further strengthening of the strategic partnership for the good of our countries, as well as the strengthening of cooperation for the security and stability of Europe," Zelensky said in a post on Twitter.

For his part, French leader Emmanuel Macron congratulated Erdogan saying the two nations have "immense challenges" to work on together.

Writing on Twitter, Macron said these include the "return of peace to Europe".

"With President Erdogan, who I congratulate, we will continue to move forward", he said.

Similarly, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz congratulated Erdogan, hailing the countries as "close partners and allies" whose "people and economies are deeply intertwined".

"Congratulations to President Erdogan, together we want to advance our common agenda with a fresh impetus," Scholz wrote on Twitter.

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