Erdogan announces his "victory" in the Turkish presidential election

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced his victory in the presidential election from the first round.

"The unofficial results of the elections indicate that the Turks elected me as president for a new term, although the results have yet to be announced," he told supporters from his supporters.

Turkish state media reported that Recep Tayyip Erdogan tops the presidential race after most votes have been counted.

His main challenger, Social Democrat Muharram Engha, was second in the presidential election by more than 30 percent of the vote after two thirds of the votes were counted.

The opposition coalition won about 32 percent of the vote after half the cards were counted.

According to preliminary results, published by the official Anatolia agency, Erdogan achieved 52.7 percent of the votes, while his closest rival Muharram Enja, 28 percent.

She added that the congratulations began to continue on the Turkish President from a number of world leaders.

If Erdogan wins more than 50 percent of the vote, he will be officially declared president of Turkey without a second round.

The results came amid warnings from Erdogan's rivals that the official agency manipulated the results by declaring areas loyal to the president first, to create public opinion as the winner.

In addition to the presidency, voters also elect members of parliament.

According to the official Anatolia news agency, the president's Justice and Development Party (AKP) received 48 percent, after 27 percent of the votes were counted. While the main opposition Republican People's Party won 18 percent.

Turnout was about 87 percent, according to the official agency.

The initial results are believed to be in favor of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), and Erdogan's votes are expected to fall as more votes are counted.

The current election took place amidst the state of emergency imposed throughout the country since the failed coup in July 2016.

The elections were scheduled for November 2019, but Erdogan called for early elections for the presidency and parliament.

If he wins, Erdogan will rule the country with absolute powers after changing the constitution, which gave him broad powers.

Erdogan was prime minister for 11 years before becoming president in 2014.

How was the vote?

There were two votes on Sunday, one for the next president of Turkey and the other for members of parliament.

The number of Turks eligible to vote is about 60 million.

If one of the candidates receives more than 50 percent of the vote, he will win the post.

If no one reaches this threshold, the two candidates with the most votes will run on a second round on July 8.

In the parliamentary elections, the AKP faced fierce competition to retain a majority in the 600-seat parliament.

The race is testing a government-led coalition against an alliance of opposition parties.

What are the main election issues?

The big issue is the economy. The Turkish lira has fallen and inflation has reached about 11 percent.

The issue of "terrorism" comes second, as Turkey faces attacks by Kurdish militants and jihadists in the organization of the Islamic state.

What happens if Erdogan wins?

His second term will begin with a new version of the post with unprecedented powers. The presidency was once a mere ceremonial role, but in April 2017, 51 percent of Turkish voters supported a new constitution giving the president new powers.

These powers include:

The appointment of senior officials directly, including ministers and vice-presidents.

Powers to intervene in the country's legal system.

Powers to impose a state of emergency.

The post of prime minister will also be abolished.

Opponents accuse Erdogan of trying to turn the country into a single-person system.