Turkish PM vows to pursue reform, safeguard secular fabric after poll victory

ANKARA (AFP) — Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to safeguard the Muslim country's secular fabric and pursue reforms after his Islamist-rooted ruling party won a resounding election victory on Sunday.

It was a moment of glory and vindication for Erdogan who had called the snap poll after the secularist opposition in parliament blocked his Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) from electing one of its own as president.

The crisis in April and May was deepened by a menacing military statement and mass anti-government demonstrations accusing the AKP of seeking to erode Turkey's fiercely-guarded secular system.

But on election day, Erdogan's governing party, which has its roots in a now-banned Islamist movement, won 46.8 percent of the vote — more than double that of its nearest rival, according to unofficial results.

"Our democracy has successfully passed a test... Our unity, democracy and the republic have emerged stronger from the ballot box," Erdogan told cheering supporters outside party headquarters under a shower of fireworks.

"We will never make concessions from the basic principles of the republic," he said.

"We will pursue economic and democracy reforms with determination." With turnout above 80 per cent, the AKP's vote share was the largest for any single party since 1969 and should translate into 340 seats in the 550-member parliament.

Turkish newspapers Monday were almost unanimous in ascribing the AKP's success in large part to a public rejection of military meddling in democratic politics.

Erdogan faced the worst crisis of his career in April when an opposition boycott prevented his closest aide, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, from almost certain election to the presidency.

The crisis climaxed as the powerful army warned in a stiff statement that it stood ready to step in to protect the secular system and millions of Turks took to the streets to demonstrate against the prospect of an AKP president.

"The people do not like governments that quarrel with the soldiers, but the people also do not like military intervention," the mass-circulation Hurriyet said.

"The nation says the last word," said the moderate Islamist Zaman.

The AKP has disowned its Islamist roots, pledged commitment to secularism and carried out far-reaching economic and democracy reforms that ensured the start in 2005 of Turkey's membership talks with the European Union.

It dismisses opposition accusations that it has a secret Islamist agenda as "scaremongering" to curb the party's rising popularity.

Erdogan's campaign focused on his party's impressive economic achievements since it swept to power five years ago.

His government has drastically reduced inflation, maintained strong growth and attracted record foreign investment with a strong privatisation drive.

It has also won credibility for easing access to medical care, providing free textbooks for schoolchildren and building cheap lodgings for the poor.

"The AKP's economic success was the key factor in its victory," economist Eser Karakas said.

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) finished second Sunday with 20.6 per cent of vote and 110 seats, according to unofficial results. The right-wing Nationalist Action Party (MHP) was third with 14.3 per cent and 72 seats.

No other party passed the 10-per cent national threshold needed to enter parliament, but 28 independent candidates won seats, 24 of them Kurds campaigning for broader rights for their sizeable community.

Erdogan has said he will seek a compromise in the presidential election, but insists that the candidate must be from his party.