The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Turkey, has won a vital parliamentary election, reclaiming the majority it lost in June.
With the majority of ballots counted, the state-run news agency, Anadolu, stated that the AKP had won 49.4% of the vote, with CHP (the main opposition) on 25.4%.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that voters had demonstrated their preference of action and development over controversy.
HDP, which is pro-Kurdish, crossed the 10% minimum needed to claim seats.
Also taking seats in Ankara will be the nationalist MHP.
President Erdogan said in a statement that the electorate had given evidence that they strongly desire the integrity and unity of Turkey.
Early on Monday, he asked the world to respect the national will of Turkey.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu embraced the new result and congratulated the people on changing the dirty games being played in the country.
With the majority of results counted, the AKP had won significantly more than the 276 seats required to form a government alone.
Nevertheless, it fell 14 seats short of the required number to call a referendum on increasing the powers of the President and AKP founder Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and changing the constitution.
If it had 60 more seats, those changes would have been able to be brought about by the government without a referendum.
Opponents of the AKP said that the vote was an opportunity to restrain what it sees as the growing authoritarian tendencies of the President.
Today the AKP starts its process of forming a new government after its shock overwhelming victory, reclaiming the majority lost in the election in June.
Their best ever result was almost equaled, persuading voters with their message of stability following weeks of violence with the PKK Kurdish rebels.
Hope now exists that the two sides may be encouraged to resume peace talks.
The lira, the Turkish currency, has steadied after an unstable few months. However, an economic crisis could still loom.
Fears also exist that the political polarization fueled by President Erdogan could deepen and suppression on free speech could get worse as the AKP feels strengthened.
Since the June elections, a ceasefire between militants from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Turkish army has crumbled after a July suicide bombing by suspected militants of Islamic State (IS).
The attack killed more than 30 Kurds, near the border with Syria.
More than 100 people were killed when Turkey suffered its worst attack in its modern history after a peace rally in Ankara was attacked by two suicide bombers. This rally was mostly attended by left-wing demonstrators, including HDP supporters.
According to the government, the two bombers were linked to IS.
The government denies critics’ accusations of President Erdogan renewing violence to restrict support for the HDP.
An HDP senior official stated that the results were disappointing.
10.7% of the vote was won by HDP, enough for it to have 59 parliamentary seats, which is 21 fewer than it had in the June election.
HDP co-chairman Selahettin Demirtas stated on Sunday that the election had not been equal or fair, and the party cancelled rallies after the Ankara attack.
As results were being counted, clashes were reported in Diyabakir, a mainly Kurdish city. Protestors throwing stones had teargas fired at them by police.