Turkish flag in hand or banner bearing the image of the president, there are thousands of people gathering under the fireworks and dancing in an atmosphere of popular celebration, to celebrate the re-election of their hero: Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to the results, the outgoing head of state, 69, won 52.1% of the vote against 47.9% for his social-democratic rival Kemal Kiliçdaroglu who, at 74, lost the bet of “peaceful democracy” he promised.
>> Presidential election in Turkey: what can Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s new mandate change (or not) in international relations?
At the headquarters of the AKP, in Istanbul, on Sunday May 28, Erdogan’s supporters shouted their joy at this re-election: “Chief, great commander, we are with you! God willing, we will be with you until death”, exclaims Kaan, 21. This fan of the “Reis”, the leader for 20 years and for five more years now, sees the Turkish president as a true savior of the nation and defender of Islam. “Tonight, we feel that we have recovered our country from the hands of traitors to the fatherlandhe rejoices. They are afraid now: Islam is back! The Ottomans are back!”
“They are afraid of us, they cannot go out in the streets, because we are there with the authorization of God.”
Kaan, a supporter of Recep Tayyip Erdoğanat BlazeTrends
“Frankly, I would not like to be in their place”
Like him, the president’s supporters sang in the streets of Istanbul until the end of the night. Some do not hide their relief after this election, which is unprecedented in Turkey, to say the least. Fatih, smiling, also savors the victory. “I wish a good recovery to the oppositionhe quips. Frankly, I wouldn’t like to be in their shoes. Over the next five years, with Erdogan, we will continue to straighten out the state.”
In the evening, a considerable crowd gathered in front of the presidential palace in Ankara. Two giant portraits were projected on either side of the monumental entrance: that of Recep Tayyip Erdogan and that of his most illustrious predecessor, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, which celebrates its hundredth anniversary this year.
