Erdogan's AK Party wins historic third term in office

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) won a landslide victory in Sunday's general elections, taking nearly half of the overall votes with 49.91 percent. This is the third straight general election victory for Erdogan's party, with its support rising from the 34.28 percent which it won in the fall 2002 elections which first took it to power. But the AK Party won fewer seats than it did in the last general elections, capturing 326 seats in the 550-seat Parliament. The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) won 25.91 percent of the votes, with 135 seats, and the opposition Nationalist Movement Party won 13 percent, with 53 seats. Independent candidates won 2.8 million votes to claim 36 seats in Parliament.