Triumph after two weeks of turmoil. Turkey’s prime minister is celebrating victory in local elections widely seen as the toughest test of his 12-year rule.<br /><br />It comes amid allegations of vote rigging and corruption, and the government’s attempt to shut down social media platforms. <br /><br />Not many seem surprised the government has come out on top.<br /><br />“This was obvious, no matter how many votes they lose, and they haven’t lost any. This was supposed to happen. These are the reactions (votes),” said Ankara resident Necdet Goker.<br /><br />With the ruling AK party winning 44.8 percent of the vote, the main opposition CHP says it plans to appeal but some question whether such action is worthwhile.<br /><br />Some political analysts say Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan may now feel he has a mandate for strong action against his enemies.<br /><br />Politial analyst, Murat Somer said: “The election results will probably be interpreted by the prime minister as a confirmation of his policies. His (acceptance) speech showed he will probably interpret the election results as a vindication of his nationalist discourse, religious discourse and authoritarian policies.”<br /><br />Erdogan has already promised to take revenge against his critics whom he has described as “terrorists” and an “alliance of evil”.
