<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan turned away a challenger who sought to reverse his authoritarian-leaning changes, securing five more years to oversee the country at the crossroads of Europe and Asia that plays a key role in NATO.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Erdogan prevailed by winning more than 52% of the vote in Sunday’s presidential runoff, which came two weeks after he fell short of scoring an outright victory in the first round. A majority of Turkish voters in the second round chose him over challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu, showing their support for a man who they see as a strong, proven leader.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Voters were divided between loyalty to Erdogan, who has ruled for two decades, and hopes for the opposition candidate, who promised to return to democratic norms, adopt more conventional economic policies and improve ties with the West.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With his immediate political future secure, Erdogan must now confront skyrocketing inflation that has fueled a cost-of-living crisis and rebuild in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In two speeches — one in Istanbul and one in Ankara — Erdogan thanked the nation for entrusting him with the presidency again.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We hope to be worthy of your trust, as we have been for 21 years,” he told supporters on a campaign bus outside his home in Istanbul.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He said the divisions of the election are over, but he continued to rail against his opponent.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“The only winner today is Turkey,” Erdogan said outside the presidential palace in Ankara, promising to work hard for Turkey’s second century, which he called the “Turkish century.” The country marks its centennial this year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Supreme challenges lie ahead, starting with the economy that has taken a beating from what critics view as Erdogan’s unorthodox policies. He also must tend to massive rebuilding efforts in 11 provinces hit by the Feb. 6 earthquake that leveled entire cities.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kilicdaroglu said the election was “the most unjust ever,” with all state resources mobilized for Erdogan.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We will continue to be at the forefront of this struggle until real democracy comes to our country,” he said in Ankara. He thanked the more than 25 million people who voted for him and asked them to “remain upright.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The people have shown their will “to change an authoritarian government despite all the pressures,” Kilicdaroglu said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Supporters of Erdogan, a divisive populist and masterful orator, took to the streets to celebrate, waving Turkish or ruling party flags, honking car horns and chanting his name. Celebratory gunfire was heard in several Istanbul neighborhoods.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">His next term is certain to include more delicate maneuvering with fellow NATO members over the future of the alliance and the war in Ukraine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Leaders across the world sent their congratulations, highlighting Turkey and Erdogan’s enlarged role in global politics.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Erdogan, a 69-year-old Muslim, is set to remain in power until 2028.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He transformed the presidency from a largely ceremonial role to a powerful office through a narrowly won 2017 referendum that scrapped Turkey’s parliamentary system of governance. He was the first directly elected president in 2014 and won the 2018 election that ushered in the executive presidency.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The first half of Erdogan’s tenure included reforms allowing the country to begin talks to join the European Union, as well as economic growth that lifted many out of poverty.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But he later moved to suppress freedoms and the media and concentrated more power in his own hands, especially after a failed coup attempt that Turkey says was orchestrated by the U.S.-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen. The cleric denies involvement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the Kurdish-majority city of Diyarbakir, 37-year-old metalworker Ahmet Koyun said: “It is sad on behalf of our people that a government with such corruption, such stains, has come into power again. Mr. Kemal would have been great for our country, at least for a change of scene.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But he said everyone must accept the results. AP/UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>