Turkey’s opposition leader has conceded defeat after failing to block President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan from securing a third term in a historic runoff election held on Sunday, Agence France-Presse reported.
“My real sadness is about the difficulties awaiting the country,” secular opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said in his first public remarks after the election.
Yet, he promised to carry on opposing Erdoğan.
“I could not be silent when millions of immigrants came and you became second-class citizens. I could not be silent when people were unemployed,” he said on Sunday night. “I have always fought for your rights and I will continue to do so.”
The secular leader had pledged to deport all of the 3.4 million Syrian refugees living in Turkey, if elected.
“I have a request from you, support the struggle for democracy,” he continued. “We have experienced the most unfair election in recent years. All the facilities of the state were given to one man.”
“In this election, the will of the people to change an authoritarian administration has emerged. The Republican People’s Party is fighting with all its elements. We will continue this struggle until democracy is restored.”
He pushed Erdoğan into Turkey’s first runoff on May 14 and narrowed the margin further in the second round, receiving 47.8 percent of the vote while Erdoğan got 52.1 percent.