AKP Party in Turkey Wins Election Majority

Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has won the critical parliamentary election held yesterday, regaining the majority it lost in the previous elections in June.

With almost all ballots counted, state-run Anadolu Agency said AKP had won 49.4% of the vote, with the main opposition CHP on 25.4%.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called the result a “victory for our democracy and our people”.

The pro-Kurdish HDP crossed the 10% threshold needed to claim seats, and the nationalist MHP won seats in Ankara.

With almost all of the results counted, the AKP won substantially more than the 276 seats needed to get a majority, allowing it to form a government on its own.

However, it fell 14 seats short of the amount needed to call a referendum on changing the constitution and increasing the powers of the president, AKP founder Recep Erdogan.

The AKP’s opponents said the vote was a chance to curb what it sees as the increasingly authoritarian tendencies of Mr Erdogan.

Addressing AK Party supporters in his home town, prime minister and AK Party leader, Ahmet Davutoglu, said that all 78 million people of Turkey would be embraced, whether or not they voted for the party.

“We are here to plant seeds of love. There is no rival or enemy on this land. There is only affection,” he said.

Rabia Agun, a 30-year-old voter who works in international trade, believes justice has prevailed.

She told Al Jazeera: “I respect the wise people of our party who went to polls once again after June polls. Tomorrow, I will wake up to a firmer and more secure Turkey for my children.”

• Pray for Turkey in the aftermath of the elections, that cities and towns around the country will remain peaceful, and for political stability to return to Turkey.
• Pray for the new Government, that they will be true to their promise of a fairness and equality for all.
• Pray for the Turkish Church, for the government to recognise the Church as both legitimate and important, and allow Turkish Christians to meet together and worship without fear or oppression.
• Pray for protection for Turkey, including Christians there, from ISISL influence and violence.
• Pray for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict with the Kurdish communities.

Psalm 22 vs 27: “All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.”

Source: http://www.aljazeera.com, http://www.bbc.com