Turkish President hails Lukashenko’s victory, eyes closer bilateral relations

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has congratulated Aleksandr Lukashenko on his victory in the Belarus presidential election.

Erdogan expressed his confidence that this electoral outcome would further fortify the ties between Türkiye and Belarus across multiple domains, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

According to a statement from the press service of the Belarusian leader, Erdogan’s message emphasized the promise of deepened cooperation between the two nations.

"I am convinced that the existing cooperation between our countries in the political, economic, and humanitarian spheres will be further strengthened in the coming period thanks to our joint efforts," Erdogan remarked in his congratulatory note.

With 86.82 per cent of the vote, Lukashenko has further consolidated his position as the nation’s leader.

The announcement was made during a press conference by Igor Karpenko, chairman of the CEC. These results show a significant increase compared to the 2020 election, where Lukashenko garnered 80.10 per cent of the vote amid widespread protests and international scrutiny.

The CEC emphasized that these results are based on a preliminary count of all ballots cast nationwide. The final results are expected to be officially announced on February 3.

Lukashenko’s landslide victory reinforces his long-standing rule in Belarus, which began in 1994, making him one of Europe’s longest-serving leaders.

By Vafa Guliyeva