the leader of the six-party opposition coalition in Turkey
On Sunday, Meral Aksener, the leader of the six-party opposition coalition in Turkey, expressed acceptance of the results of the second round of the presidential race. The coalition had nominated Kemal Kilicdaroglu as their candidate.
Aksener emphasized the significance of voter opinion and acknowledged the voters’ will as the primary indicator. She emphasized the need to understand and act upon the message conveyed by the voters.
Aksener stated that the coalition would learn from the election and emphasized the importance of the upcoming days for their work. Additionally, she congratulated President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his victory and assured that her party would continue its political activities.
Aksener mentioned that the opposition parties in the alliance would gather for a meeting at the Republican People’s Party headquarters in Ankara, upon Kilicdaroglu’s invitation, to assess the situation. Kilicdaroglu, in a speech earlier on Sunday in Ankara, criticized the presidential runoff results, considering it as the most unjust election in years.
He vowed to persist in the fight for democracy but did not explicitly state whether he conceded defeat or would challenge the election results.
According to the chief of Turkey’s Supreme Election Council, Erdogan secured the victory with 52.14% of the vote, after counting 99.43% of the ballots. Kilicdaroglu received 47.86% of the vote.