Voters in Istanbul are reacting to the news that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan remains as popular as ever, and has secured another five years at the helm of the Turkish republic.
“The newly elected president establishes a new Turkey,” one Istanbul resident said. “Hopefully he will make further progress. Good days are ahead for Turkey.”
Another local commented: “It’s not good that he was elected straight away – for the nation, for us. He could have at least been elected in the second or third round. The voting turnout was really low.”
“For the first time people elected their president. We hope that there will be positive developments to improve democracy,” said another local, adding, “I hope Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be a good president and will embrace everybody. I hope he will become the president for 100 percent of people, instead of 50 percent. That is our hope.”
Erdogan said he will exercise the full powers granted to the presidency under current laws. He will serve his five-year term from the Cankaya Presidential Palace in Ankara.
