ISTANBUL -- In an extraordinary electoral comeback, the current Turkish government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan won 49% of the votes in the general election on Sunday, clinching 312 seats in parliament.
Just 5 months ago in June elections, Erdogan’s AKP party lost its parliamentary majority, but the refugee crisis spurred by the war in neighboring Syria, violence by the militant Kurdish group PKK, and a heightened sense of insecurity seems to have worked in favor of Erdogan who, in presenting this election as a choice between stability and chaos, appealed to nationalist sentiments.
Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, head of AKP, declared victory after preliminary election results poured in. After state-run TRT television reported 95% of the votes were counted, Davutoglu released a statement that said, "Today is the day of victory of democracy and the people."
He later tweeted "Praise God."
Elhamdülillah...— Ahmet Davutoğlu (@Ahmet_Davutoglu) November 1, 2015
The main opposition party CHP got only 25% of the vote and the Kurdish HDP barely passed the threshold with 10.5%.
During the last 5 months, there have been a number of bloody attacks in Turkey. The Islamic State, also known as ISIS, claimed responsibility for an attack in the capital Ankara in early October which killed 97. But other, smaller, attacks have also claimed lives.
The opposition has pointed fingers at the AKP for orchestrating some of this violence, but Erdogan seemed to be able to convince voters that his party stands for security.
The campaign itself was uneven as the AKP was able to use vast state resources, handing out assistance to families in poorer provinces and using a broad number of media outlets under its control. Earlier this week, riot police forcefully took control of opposition networks, giving a clear signal to other media groups.
With this electoral victory, Erdogan is poised to remain in the presidential palace until 2019. Opponents of Erdogan fear that Turkey will become even more authoritarian, with intensified disregard for freedom of speech and rule of law in the country. Opposition parties point out that businessmen believed to be critical of the government have had their assets confiscated, with media groups facing the most critical threat.
It's tense in central Diyarbakir. Can't help but remember celebration by HDP supporters at this very spot 7 June. pic.twitter.com/DlqRg3EEJw— Ayla Albayrak (@aylushka_a) November 1, 2015
In parts of the country, violence erupted on the streets as news of the expected victory by the AKP broke. Small clashes broke out between Kurdish youth and Turkish police in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir. Police used a water cannon to disperse the protesters who had gathered in the street to demonstrate against the AKP.
Celebration in #AKP HQ #İstanbul #TurkeyElections pic.twitter.com/1kTB2jQ8Gp— Şura E. Durmuş (@DurmusSura) November 1, 2015
But on the streets of Istanbul, supporters of AKP gathered at the party's Istanbul headquarters. They set off fireworks and fired celebratory gunshots in the air, waving Turkish flags in celebration of the victory.
Additional reporting by Mashable's Megan Specia.