Turkey's ruling AKP wins parl. elections

According to Turkish media, based on results from 99% of the ballots counted, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has collected over 50 percent of the votes, with his party set to secure around 326 out of 550 seats in the parliament, which is less than the 330 needed to hold a referendum on a re-written constitution, a Press TV correspondent reported Monday. 

Erdogan delivered a victory speech in Ankara and thanked Turkey for participating in the democratic process, and highlighted his intentions to serve all his fellow countrymen, regardless of ethnicity or religious sect. The Turkish premier also said he would promote peace and deepening of stability. 

"To the Turkish nation, whether you voted for AKP or not, the real winner of the 2011 elections is Turkey," the Turkish premier said. 

"No one should have any doubt, whether you voted for us or not, all of your beliefs and values and lifestyles are our pride," he added. "We are thrilled after winning one out of every two voters' votes in the country." 

Erdogan also said, "The nation has assigned us the task of creating a new constitution." 

"We are not going to close our doors. We will go to the opposition. If they accept, we will sit down and work towards consensus with civic groups, with parties outside of the parliament, with academics." 

Local commentators also believe this was a great victory for the ruling party as it will return to power for a third term. 

“I think it is a huge victory, because they have been in power for nine years and their votes are still increasing. They got almost 50 percent of the votes. It means that one in two people voted for the AKP,” said Yagiz Senkal, a Turkish journalist. 

The major opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have respectively polled around 26% and 13% of the votes cast, giving each 135 and 54 seats accordingly. 

“They should seek support for constitutional change from other political groups. They need the support of four or five MPs so they can negotiate with independence. The MHP has already spoken about rewriting the constitution. They already said they would support the AKP,” Senkal added. 

Candidates of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) scored well in the Kurdish stronghold, southeast of the country, and won 5.8% of ballots and 35 seats. 

Erdogan has promised to draft a new constitution to enhance individual freedoms, uphold pluralism, and strengthen democracy. Critics, however, accuse him of trying to consolidate his grip on power by modifying the constitution. 

More than 50 million people were eligible to cast their ballots in Turkey's parliamentary elections.