Erdoğan promises peaceful transition if he loses Sunday’s vote

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Saturday says he will accept Sunday’s vote results and step down if he loses, refuting concerns that he may not leave power.

Erdoğan gave assurance in reaction to the question whether he will cling to power if he loses.

“A very ridiculous question … We come to power through democratic means in Turkey … If our nation decides otherwise, I will do what democracy requires, there is nothing else to do,” he added.

Erdoğan therefore said his bloc will respect “any results coming out of the ballot box”.

He advised the opposition to deploy people to monitor the election.

If the opposition is concerned about electoral safety, they should monitor all polling stations and “ensure safety” just as Erdoğan’s party members do, he said.

“The will of the nation cannot be compromised,” Erdoğan added.

The Turkish President believes that he will be re-elected for another term as well as secure parliamentary majority on Sunday.

After 20 years at the helm of Turkey, Erdoğan faces his toughest election test amid public resentment over economic troubles, and the handling of February earthquakes and about 3.5 million Syrian refugees.

A united opposition candidate, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, is polling slightly ahead.