The Supreme Election Council (YSK) announced on Monday that all ballot boxes were opened in Sunday's presidential and parliamentary elections while a small number of overseas ballots were still not available. The council announced President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan won 49.51% of the vote and confirmed a runoff vote, scheduled for May 28.

In a highly anticipated news conference in the capital Ankara, Ahmet Yener, chair of the YSK, told reporters that "100%" of the ballot boxes were opened in 81 provinces of Türkiye and the turnout rate was registered as 88.92% within Turkish borders and 52.69% among voters abroad.

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the main rival of Erdoğan, won 44.88% of the vote, ahead of Sinan Oğan, the candidate of the ATA Alliance who won 5.17% of the vote. Muharrem Ince, who dropped out of the race days before the vote, won 0.44% of the vote as his name remained on ballots, including those already cast abroad before his announcement of withdrawal. "It is decided that none of the candidates secured the required majority in the presidential election and therefore a runoff vote will be held on May 28," Yener concluded in his statement.

Yener also announced that the propaganda stage for runoff started as of Monday. He said final, formal results for the first round of the election will be announced on May 19 and voters abroad would be able to start voting on May 23.

Though this is the first time that he faced a runoff, President Erdoğan is victorious anyway in Turkish politics as he has been over the past two decades. This was indeed his 16th victory in elections where he ran either as prime minister or president, along with victories in critical referendums in the same period.

A joyous Erdoğan appeared at the terrace of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) headquarters in the capital Ankara in the early hours of Monday as a vibrant crowd waving flags and his posters eagerly awaited him. Accompanied by first lady Emine Erdoğan, the president burst into his campaign song "For Those Who Hear and Those Who Don't," a rendition of a well-known romantic song with lyrics emphasizing on mutual admiration between "Reis" (chief) as he is affectionately known among his supporters and a loyal electorate.

In his speech there, Erdoğan has said they were waiting for the "outcome of the national will," but they had a "clear lead, though unofficial results have been announced." "Türkiye has proven once again that it is among world's leading democracies with its commitment to superiority of national will, freedom of its citizens in their political choices," he added.

After an uneventful vote that ended at 5 p.m. local time, a tense night prevailed in Türkiye as ballot boxes were opened. The opposition bloc of six parties repeatedly opposed the vote count, claiming their candidate Kılıçdaroğlu was ahead of incumbent President Erdoğan. They contested the official results and cried foul over results announced by the public news agency Anadolu Agency (AA). Both Erdoğan and Kılıçdaroğlu called on their supporters to remain vigilant at the venues where votes were counted, "to stand guard at the ballot boxes."

In the early hours of the vote count, Erdoğan criticized the opposition parties for claiming they were leading in the presidential and parliamentary elections while the vote count was still underway. Erdoğan slammed what he called a "robbery of political will" by the opposition in a tweet late Sunday. His statements came amid allegations from the opposition that the vote results were manipulated or delayed and amid pro-opposition media outlets publishing their own results.

"The May 14 elections were held in peace and have been a festival of democracy. It is a reflection of Türkiye's democratic maturity. As we carried out the elections in such a positive and democratic atmosphere and as the votes are still being counted, rushing the declaration of the results means robbery of political will," he said. Erdoğan said he was pleased with the reflection of the nation's will in the ballots and urged his supporters to stay at the venues where ballots are being counted.

"Some people are in the kitchen and here we are, on the balcony," Erdoğan told the vibrant crowd. Erdoğan had earlier mocked Kılıçdaroğlu for shooting videos in his house's kitchen, instead of embracing people on the street. "Our country wrapped up another festival of democracy. It seems like the count of votes across the country and abroad will take a little more time," he said. "We are unlike those trying to deceive people. We know we have a clear lead but we await the manifestation of national will since official results are not clear yet," he said. The president thanked "brothers and sisters" who voted for the People's Alliance.

"The winner is, undoubtedly, our country, our nation. Türkiye once again proved it is among the world's leading democracies thanks to its adherence to the supremacy of national will. We proved it through a record turnout. It is unique in the world. This is the highest turnout in our history," he highlighted. He said statements of CHP administrators and "some mayors" did not change this fact. "In our political life, we have always respected the national will and we will do so in future elections too. The People's Alliance knows what to do, and we expect the same democratic maturity from others," he said.