Erdogan wins Turkish presidency with 52pc

ISTANBUL: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Sunday won Turkey's presidency in the first round of elections with 52.1 per cent of the vote, an almost complete vote count said, according to a news Erdogan's main rival Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu won 38.8 per cent of the vote and Kurdish candidate Selahattin Demirtas 9.1 per cent of the vote, Turkish television channels said, based on a 99 per cent vote count.
With his victory now certain, Erdogan, a pious Muslim, headed to the historic Eyup Sultan Mosque in Istanbul for prayer.