“Congratulations to President [Recep Tayyip Erdogan] on his unquestionable election victory,” Hungary Prime Minister Orbán Viktor tweeted.
“Your victory in the elections was a natural result of your selfless work as head of the Republic of Türkiye, and is clear evidence of the Turkish people’s support for your efforts to strengthen state sovereignty and pursue an independent foreign policy,” President Vladimir Putin of Russia added.
President Joe Biden congratulated Erdogan on his recent victory as well. During a recent rally, he told the crowd that he’d like “express [his] gratitude to [the] people who made us live this democracy holiday.”
U.S. News outlets have expressed concern with Erdogan’s recent re-election. Neyran Elden and Henry Austin of NBC News wrote that the country had veered “further toward authoritarianism” under Erdogan’s leadership. Jen Kirby also said that the most recent election was not “a completely fair fight” because “Erdogan largely controls the media and state resources.”
“[Erdogan] wants to see the birth of the Turkish Empire, the belief that Turkey is destined to be a hegemon, regionally, but also a global power in [the] 21st century,” Asli Aydintasbas of the Brookings Institution said.
“There is a bit of a new imperial sentiment, obviously, but he has convinced the Turkish public that this is the course Turkey should take.”
