The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has said he would step down if he loses Sunday’s election, refuting concerns that he may not leave power.
Erdoğan gave the assurance in reaction to the question of whether he would cling to power if he lost.
“A very ridiculous question … We come to power through democratic means in Turkey … If our nation decides otherwise, I will do what democracy requires; there is nothing else to do,” he said.
Erdoğan said his bloc will respect “any results coming out of the ballot box.”
He advised the opposition to deploy people to monitor the election.
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“If the opposition is concerned about electoral safety, they should monitor all polling stations and “ensure safety’’ just as Erdoğan’s party members do,” he said.
He added: “The will of the nation cannot be compromised.”
The Turkish President believes that he will be re-elected for another term, as well as secure a parliamentary majority on Sunday.
After 20 years at the helm of Turkey, Erdoğan faces his toughest election test amid public resentment over economic troubles and the handling of February earthquakes and about 3.5 million Syrian refugees.
A united opposition candidate, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, is polling slightly ahead.
(dpa/NAN)
