"If 15 million people supported me today, then I will be soon supported by 30 million people. Mr. Erdogan, do not behave like the head of the party. You are now the president of all citizens of the country. If I became president, I would do so. These were totally unfair elections, but I accept their results," Ince told reporters.
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The Republican People's Party (CHP) candidate stressed that he was "not the one to throw mud at the winner after losing," and pledged to draw conclusions for the future. CHP is the oldest political party in the country and is strongly associated with the founder of the country, the secular nationalist Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
"My goal was to get 35 percent. And if you calculate and add up the votes of all opposition parties, you could count on the second round and the victory. But the parties scored less than they had hoped," Ince pointed out.
With 99.6 percent of the ballots counted, the Nation Alliance, which includes the Republican People's Party, the Iyi (Good) Party, the Felicity Party (SP), and the Democrat Party (DP), secured 33.96 percent of the vote. The People's Alliance, made up of Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), won 53.65 percent of the vote.