Pakistan president congratulates Erdogan on re-election

In this file photo, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan salutes party supporters during a rally on the eve of the elections in Istanbul on June 23, 2018. (Aris MESSINIS/AFP)

• Erdogan on Sunday declared victory in Turkey’s presidential election, continuing his 15-year run in power
• Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain expressed his wish for the “historic and unparalleled” relations between the two countries to “continue to grow from strength to strength”

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain on Monday congratulated his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his re-election.
Hussain “extended heartfelt felicitations” to Erdogan on behalf of his country’s government and people, said Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman Dr. Mohammad Faisal.
Erdogan on Sunday declared victory in Turkey’s presidential election, continuing his 15-year run in power.
Hussain underscored that “the large turnout and the peaceful conduct of the parliamentary and presidential elections is a testimony to the strength and vibrancy of Turkey’s democratic values and institutions,” said Faisal.
Turkish voters had for the first time cast ballots for both president and Parliament in the snap polls, with Erdogan looking for a first-round knockout and an overall majority for his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
The stakes in this election were particularly high as the new president is the first to enjoy enhanced powers under a new constitution agreed in an April 2017 referendum strongly backed by Erdogan.
“The winner of this election is each and every individual among my 81 million citizens,” he said in his victory speech.
Expressing hope that Turkey will continue on its path of progress and prosperity under Erdogan’s leadership, Hussain expressed his wish for the “historic and unparalleled” relations between the two countries to “continue to grow from strength to strength,” said Faisal.