ANKARA
Turkish president-elect Recep Tayyip Erdogan's victory in the country's first-ever presidential election decided by popular vote has been reported around the world.
Global media reported on Monday that Erdogan had been elected the day before by an absolute majority to serve a five-year term, receiving 51.8 percent share of the vote.
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the joint candidate for Turkey's two largest opposition parties - the Republican People's Party and the Nationalist Movement Party - won 29.21 percent of the votes, followed by Selahattin Demirtas - the candidate of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democracy Party - with 8.28 percent.
Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported on the election and Ihsanoglu's congratulations to Erdogan on his victory.
Chinese national news agency Xinhua said the prime minister had left his opponents behind him.
Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung ran the headline: "Erdogan elected as Turkey's President", saying Erdogan had won the election in the first round.
'Milestone for Turkey'
The German Suddeutsche Zeitung daily reported: "Erdogan becomes Turkey's president", saying he now wanted to give more power to the top of the government.
German newspaper Die Welt also led on Erdogan's election victory.
The BBC broadcast Erdogan's customary balcony speech, in which he said that those who did not vote for him had also won.
The BBC also reported that the ruling Justice and Development Party should determine a new party leader and prime minister.
The UK's Financial Times ran the headline: "A milestone for Turkey", saying that Erdogan had left all his previous hostility behind and called for a new constitution during his balcony speech.
British national daily newspaper The Guardian said Erdogan would bring change during his presidency.
'Political dominance'
French newspaper Le Monde said that, despite the strong support for Erdogan, there were still people in Turkey who strongly opposed him.
The headline of Italy's Corriere della Sera was: "Referendum for Erdogan in Turkey".
It said Turkey was now likely to begin a transition to a presidential system, after Erdogan's strong victory in the first round.
The Italian daily La Stampa said Erdogan would achieve unlimited power when constitutional reforms were passed, leading to a presidential system.
The Athens-Macedonian News Agency, or AMNA, emphasized that Erdogan's election as president would extend his political dominance for at least another five years.
"Erdogan's election as 12th president is not a surprise," Al-Ayyam Daily Palestine Newspaper said.
The Jerusalem-based daily Al-Quds said the Turkish people's love for Erdogan had propelled him to success.
The headline of As-Safir, a daily newspaper in Lebanon, was: "He won in the first round, opposition lost."
www.aa.com.tr/en
