Turkish presidential aide slams US congressman

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) - A top Turkish presidential aide on Tuesday slammed a U.S. congressman for criticizing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's victory in Sunday's elections.

Adam Schiff, a U.S. congressman for California, claimed on Twitter: "Erdogan ‘won’ reelection in Turkey this weekend only by decimating the opposition through arrests, violence and squashing freedom of the press."

"Do not congratulate," he added.

In response to Schiff, presidential aide Ibrahim Kalin tweeted: "President Erdogan certainly does not need YOUR @RepAdamSchiff congratulations. Turkish people have spoken up. You need to shut up."

In Sunday's presidential and parliamentary elections, Erdogan won the Turkish presidency, according to preliminary results.

Erdogan won an absolute majority in the presidential poll with 52.5 percent of the vote, while his closest rival Muharrem Ince got 30.6 percent, according to unofficial results.