AK PARTY WINS PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS
PanARMENIAN.Net
23.07.2007 14:23 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party)
won a landslide victory in yesterday’s general elections, leaving
its nationalist rivals far behind as it secured an unparalleled 46,9
percent of the national vote, comfortably ensuring that it will again
form a single-party government.
The center-left but nationalist Republican People’s Party (CHP), the
closest rival of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party, won
20,7 percent of the vote, finishing the race close to the far-right
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). The MHP secured a return ticket
to Parliament, following a five-year break, with 14,3 percent. The
results reflected 98 percent of the votes having been already counted.
"Our democracy successfully passed a significant test in a manner that
would constitute a model to the world and proved its maturity. Our
democracy emerged stronger. The winner of the elections is democracy,
security and stability," Erdogan told supporters packing a street
outside his party headquarters, Zaman reports.
In response to accusations of opponents, who say Erdogan wants
to turn Turkey into an Islamic state, the PM pledged to maintain
secular democracy and work for national unity. "We are not going to
reconsider attitude to human values and fundamental principles of
our republic. We promise to secure Turkey as a united country with
no signs of discrimination," Erdogan said.
Vote in Turkey is compulsory. According to the CEC, 80% of those 42
million eligible to vote, took part in the parliamentary elections.