Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with 52% of the vote, won the presidential race in Turkey after counting 98% of the ballots, according to preliminary results of the election committee.

Officially, the winner will be announced after consideration of all appeals.
At the moment, after counting 98% of ballots Tayyip Erdogan gaining 20.7 million votes (52%). Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, voted for the 15.4 million voters (38.5%). Selahattin Demirtas scored 3.9 million votes (9.7%).

Ankara and Istanbul give majority of votes to Erdogan (53% and 50%, respectively). Second and third place in both metropolitan areas are divided between Ihsanoglu (43.5% and 41.16) and Demirtas (3.5% and 9.1%). Erdogan won more than 50% of the vote in the 51 provinces. Ihsanoglu and Demirtas achieved such a result in 11 provinces and 9, respectively.

In the whole country for the present prime minister voted in 58 provinces from 81. Single candidate from several opposition parties Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu received the support of 13 provinces, located on the shores of the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, as well as in the province of Eskisehir. Kurdish candidate Selahattin Demirtaş has traditionally supported the Kurdish population in the south-east of the country (10 provinces).

In Turkey, was finished the first-ever direct presidential elections. From 1923 to the present head of the Turkish Republic is elected by Parliament. The attendance was 72.9%. Total voted 40.7 million of the 52.9 million voters.

There are three candidates for the presidency – present Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu and Selahattin Demirtas. To win, a candidate must obtain an absolute majority (50% plus one vote). Otherwise, on August 24 could be held the second round.

According to the presidential administration, a bilateral meeting between the President of Georgia and the Secretary General of NATO was held in Prague in the 58th session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.