Turkey’s Erdogan celebrates presidential election run-off win

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won re-election, according to the country’s Supreme Election Council and unofficial data from the state-run Anadolu Agency, in a tense run-off after he failed to secure more than 50 percent of votes required for an outright victory in the first round on May 14.

With almost all of the votes counted, Erdogan received 52.14 percent of votes in the second round on Sunday, beating his challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who won 47.86 percent, according to the Supreme Election Council, reports Al Jazeera.

The result is expected to be confirmed in the coming days.

The vote seals Erdogan’s place in history as he extends his 20-year rule for a further five years.

He had already outstripped the 15-year presidency of the Republic of Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

As Erdogan’s victory seemed complete, crowds headed to the presidential palace in Ankara to wait for his celebratory speech.