President Abdulla Yameen has sent a congratulatory message to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, following his victory in the Turkish presidential election.

He further wished President Erdoğan “continued wisdom and resolve in ensuring the peace, security and stability of Turkey”, as well as in bringing “further progress and prosperity” for the Turkish people.

“President Yameen also congratulated President Erdoğan on the majority secured in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey by the governing alliance led by AK Party,” said the President’s Office.

Furthermore, President Yameen reflected on the nearly four decades of diplomatic relations between Maldives and Turkey, and expressed his “firm” confidence that the existing ties “of close cooperation and understanding will further deepen for the good of the people of both countries, and in the joint pursuit of just solutions to contemporary challenges facing the Muslim Ummah” under President Erdoğan’s leadership.

Erdoğan, Turkey’s long-standing leader, secured outright victory in the first round of presidential poll, with nearly 53% of the votes. He declared himself the winner even before the official results were confirmed.

After 97.7% of the votes were counted chief of Turkey's Supreme Election Board, Sadi Guven said Erdoğan had won an absolute majority in the election, avoiding a runoff against his principal challenger, Muharrem Ince.

Erdoğan has ruled the nation for the last 15 years, and with the new five-year term he will have new powers, as granted in a narrowly won referendum in 2017. While the office of prime minister has been demolished under the new system, his critics describe this “as a blatant power grab”.