A host of world leaders congratulated President Recep Tayyip Erdogan following the Yes victory in Sunday’s historic referendum.
“We believe that everyone should respect the will of the Turkish people,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, according to Russian news agency TASS.
He said referendum was internal matter of Turkey.
Muslim Bosniak member of the tri-partite Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bakir Izetbegovic said that the outcome of Turkey’s constitutional referendum would bring stability to Turkey and make it even a stronger regional force. President Donald Trump called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to congratulate him on his referendum victory, a controversial election that increased his governing powers, the White House said Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was the first leader to congratulate Erdogan in a telephone call on Sunday, saying that the result demonstrated “the Turkish people’s great support” for Erdogan’s policy.
“Certainly this referendum will mark the beginning of a new stage in the history of your brotherly country and reinforce the international role and standing of a stable and powerful Turkey,” he said.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also congratulated Erdogan, Turkish presidential sources said.
According to diplomatic sources, foreign ministers from Hungary, Macedonia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Sudan, Kenya, and the U.K. offered congratulations to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in telephone calls.
One of Pakistan’s largest political parties, Jamaat-e Islami, congratulated Erdogan and the Turkish people on the “historic” win.
Party leader Siraj-ul-Haq, who is also a member of the Senate, said that the result showed the trust Turks place in the policies of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party.
“Our best wishes are with President Erdogan, his team, and the brotherly people of Turkey,” he said. “I am sure this historic referendum victory will forge the way forward toward a strong, united, and prosperous Turkey.”
Iraqi Vice President Osama al-Nujaifi also sent a message of congratulations, saying, “Mr. President, I am glad to congratulate you and the friendly Turkish nation on the referendum aimed at constitutional change.”
Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh said he was pleased with the victory for democracy in Turkey.
On Twitter, Izzet Er-Resa, a top Hamas leader, sent congratulations from the group to Erdogan, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, and the leaders of Turkish political parties. “Turkey has taken a big step on the path of development while achieving new success,” he said.
The Palestinian Liberation Organization expressed its happiness at the vote, saying the result would contribute to Turkey’s stability and more support on the Palestinian issue.
Talaat Fehmi of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood said that Turkey had given the world a lesson in democracy by showing that “leaders backed by their people can overcome all difficulties”.
Turkish presidential sources said Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko also congratulated Erdogan with written statements Monday.
Lukashenko said that the referendum outcome would help enhance Turkey’s sovereignty and independence.
“Having supported the constitutional reform, the people of Turkey supported the current government’s efforts to ensure economic growth and political stability in the world and in the country,” he said.
Anas al-Abdah of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, commonly known as the Syrian National Coalition, also hailed Erdogan’s victory, presidential sources said.
The head of Malaysia’s Movement for the Enlightenment of the Ummah (WADAH) sent a congratulatory message to Turkey. “We wish to express our sincere and heartfelt congratulations to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the proud people of Turkey for their success in the constitutional referendum.
“The Turkish people have made the decision through a democratic process to replace the existing parliamentary system of government with a presidential system,” Ahmad Azam Ab Rahman said in the message.
The Bosniak leader congratulated the Turkish people on the outcome and said that Turkey had a stabilizing and positive role in the region.
