EDITOR'S NOTE.

• Author: Ataman, Muhittin

Turkiye successfully conducted both presidential and parliamentarian elections on May 14, the second elections since the change of the governmental system, so completing yet another election process without encountering significant issues. The People's Alliance led by AK Party has secured the majority in the legislative body, the Grand National Assembly of Turkiye. Although President Recep Tayyip Erdogan came first in the first round of the presidential elections, he could not pass the 50 percent threshold. President Erdogan received 52 percent of the votes after the runoff elections on May 28. Thus, both President Erdogan and AK Party, which has won all general elections since 2002, are continuing in the task of ruling the country for the next five years.

Both Turkish and foreign observers and officials have attached great importance to these elections. Some even claimed that this year the Turkish elections are the most important globally due to the implications for international politics. However, it is crucial to emphasize that a significant number of Western media outlets and experts, influenced by their inclination to envision a Turkiye without Erdogan, were unable to accurately forecast and analyze the election outcomes. In certain instances, they even launched direct attacks on Turkish democracy and President Erdogan. Nevertheless, the election results, which genuinely reflect the national will, served as a profound lesson for all, high-lighting the importance of recognizing and respecting the democratic choices made by the Turkish people. Yet the discussions surrounding the election results and their potential impact on Turkiye, its foreign policy, and the broader international political landscape are well-founded.

There are several expectations from President Erdogan and his government for the next five years. First of all, President Erdogan and the AK Party government will consolidate and institutionalize the new governmental system that was introduced after the 2016 July 15 coup attempt, one of the main turning points in the recent history of the country. Although there are high expectations that the Erdogan government will make some revisions within the new political system, there is no chance to return to a parliamentarian system, which was the main promise of the opposition during the election campaign.

Second, the current Turkish foreign policy orientation will be consolidated and institutionalized. In recent years, Turkiye has been following a relatively independent and Ankara-centered foreign policy orientation. Turkiye has abandoned its Western-oriented foreign policy orientation and diversified its foreign relations. In an interview with the press during his first foreign visit since his re-election on May 28, 2023, President Erdogan has clearly underlined Turkiye's diversified foreign policy understanding. He has pointed out that Turkiye, which pursues the policy of balance based on national interests, is close to both the West and the East.

Third, with the separation of internal and external security after the change of the...