Iran Applauds Turkey Peaceful Election
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry hailed Turkey’s success in holding peaceful parliamentary election with high turnout as a sign of the Turkish people’s political maturity.
“Holding election in a calm atmosphere and with a turnout of more than 86 percent was a great victory for the government and people of Turkey, demonstrating the growth and maturity of that country’s people,” Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham said on Tuesday.
“As a neighbor and friend of Turkey with very close and amicable ties with its government and nation, the Islamic Republic of Iran attaches great importance to the calm and peaceful election in the neighboring country (of Turkey),” she added.
She said Iran respects the results of the election, and hoped that the energetic polls would contribute to more prosperity of the Turkish nation and also establishment of peace and stability in the region.
On Sunday, Turkey held parliamentary election. The ruling AKP party won the most seats, but fell short of the majority needed to rule without forming a coalition with other parties.
With 98% of votes tabulated, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) won 41% of the vote, or 259 of the 550 seats up for grabs.
The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) also crossed a 10 percent threshold to enter parliament for the first time.