Turkish FM: Muslims prayed for Erdogan's victory

By Tugrul Cam

ANKARA (AA) – Turkey's foreign minister said on Monday that oppressed people of the world and the Muslim community prayed for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s election victory.

Addressing Muslim opinion leaders from the U.S. in capital Ankara, Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey is an indispensable country for the U.S. and other allies.

Earlier on Monday, Sadi Guven, head of Turkey’s Supreme Election Council (YSK), said that with 99.2 percent of ballot boxes opened, Erdogan won an absolute majority in the presidential election with 52.5 percent of the vote, while his top rival Muharrem Ince lagged behind at 30.6 percent.

In the parliamentary polls, along with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the Justice and Development (AK) Party's election ally, the People's Alliance won 53.6 percent of the votes, with 99.1 percent of ballot boxes opened.