Erdogan urges 'correct evaluation' of Turkish elections
Our nation made AK Party winner, but our party could not achieve its target, president tells party's parliamentary group
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday told the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party's parliamentary group to correctly evaluate the "fine tuning" made by the Turkish nation during the June 24 elections.
Erdogan, who won the presidential race with 52.6 percent votes, said: "Our nation made AK Party the winner, but our party could not achieve its target.
"We should correctly evaluate the fine tuning made by the nation in the ballot boxes."
According to the official results announced by Supreme Election Council (YSK), AK Party received 42.56 percent votes (295 seats).
In the presidential vote, Erdogan received 26,330,823 votes.
Out of the 59,367,469 registered voters, 51,197,959 had cast their ballots for presidential elections, meaning the turnout stood at 86.24 percent.
Erdogan said Turkey would enter a new period with the presidential swearing-in ceremony on Monday.
He also said 22 presidents, 17 prime ministers, deputy presidents and parliament speakers would attend the ceremony.
On Monday, Erdogan will be sworn in as president for the first time under the new executive presidential system.
The swearing-in ceremony will be held at 4 p.m. local time (1300 GMT) at the parliament in capital Ankara, a source said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.
Later, a ceremony will be held at the presidential complex to mark the country’s transition to the presidential system of government.
The June 24 vote marked Turkey's transition to an executive presidential system of government, doing away with the prime minister's post, among other changes.
Erdogan also said the Turkish parliament opened on April 23, 1920, with prayers in Ankara's historic Haci Bayram Mosque.
"We will go to Haci Bayram for Friday prayers before our first Cabinet meeting. We will pray and then we will hold our first Cabinet meeting."
Erdogan will announce the first Cabinet under the new presidential system on Monday at 9 p.m. (GMT 1800).
He added that "as a state tradition" he would pay his first official visit to Azerbaijan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
The president also said he would attend the NATO summit in Brussels on July 11.
