Recep Tayyip Erdogan will become Turkey's next president, after declaring victory in the country's first-ever direct presidential election Sunday.
Erdogan, who is currently Turkey's prime minister, secured 51.96% of the vote, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency. His two main rivals, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu and Selahattin Demirtas, claimed 38.33% and 9.71%, respectively.
"I thank everyone who appointed me the 12th president of the Turkish Republic," Erdogan, leader of the Justice and Development Party, said in a victory speech delivered in Turkey's capital of Ankara. "You did not choose a president through an intermediary, you chose him yourself."
Turkish citizens voted at polling stations across the country; the presidential election was the first to be decided by popular vote. Check out photos of Turkey's election day, below:
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Evgeny Feldman is a staff photographer for the Russian publication Novaya Gazeta.
Additional reporting by Anita Li and The Associated Press