Turkey's Kurds lament another five years of President Erdogan's rule

Re-elected leader cracked down on the minority in 2016

Kurds in Turkey have expressed regret at what many considered a dark day as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan secured another five years at the helm of the country.

Most Kurdish voters supported Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP), who was Mr Erdogan's opponent in the presidential race.

“The things we always complain about won’t come in the next five years. It's upsetting. The Kurds did the right thing to support Kilicdaroglu, there was a hope he would bring justice, democracy and peace to Turkey. There was no other option because Erdogan won’t do any of these,” said Adem Yalcin.

“We need to come together and raise our voice for peace for the Kurds and to fight for Kurdish rights – guaranteed, in a peaceful way,” he said.

Following decades of restrictions, Mr Erdogan and his conservative Justice and Development Party (AKP) previously lifted some of the social and linguistic restrictions imposed on Kurds.

But any warming of ties disintegrated when Mr Erdogan ended peace talks with Kurdish insurgents and unleashed a sweeping crackdown in the wake of a failed 2016 coup.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan acknowledges supporters in Ankara after winning re-election in a run-off vote. EPA

Mr Erdogan's supporters celebrate in Istanbul. AP

Mr Erdogan's supporters wave Turkish flags as they wait for him to make a speech at the Presidential Palace in Ankara. Reuters

The Turkish President won 52.14 per cent of the vote. AP

Turkey's lira weakened to 20.05 against the dollar on Sunday after Mr Erdogan claimed victory. Reuters

Mr Erdogan said the election was Turkey's 'most important' of the modern era. Reuters

The Turkish leader acknowledged that inflation was the most urgent issue for the country, but said it would also fall. Getty

Mr Erdogan was congratulated by world leaders, including President Sheikh Mohamed, US President Joe Biden, Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Reuters

Mr Erdogan's supporters cheer in Istanbul. EPA

Mr Erdogan speaks to Turkish flag-waving supporters. EPA

Mr Erdogan's supporters celebrate near Taksim Mosque in Istanbul. AFP

Mr Erdogan's supporters celebrate outside the offices of his Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Istanbul. AP

A man waves a Turkish flag outside the presidential palace in Ankara. EPA

Mr Erdogan's supporters gather outside the AKP's offices in Istanbul. AP

Investors are now looking for any signs that Mr Erdogan will start to relax the state’s tight grip over markets. AP

Total foreign holdings of Turkish stocks and bonds are down by about 85 per cent, or $130 billion, since 2013. Getty

AKP supporters walk to the Presidential Palace in Ankara to attend his victory speech. Reuters

Electoral officials empty a ballot box in Diyarbakir. AFP

There was a gap of more than two million votes between Mr Erdogan and his rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Reuters

AKP supporters after early election results were announced. EPA

AKP supporters wave flags and chant slogans. Getty

People react after the early election result. EPA

Many senior Kurdish politicians and activists remain detained, while some mayors in towns dominated by Kurds have been replaced by Ankara.

“There is injustice applied by the AKP on Kurdish cities, like appointing trustees to govern,” said Istanbul resident Yasin Savci, 39.

“We hoped there would be an end to this injustice. Erdogan needs to go back to 10 years ago when he opened civil societies and tried to reach out to the Kurds. But with his coalition it’s not possible, he’s backed by far-right guys. With this team, it’s not possible to go back.”

Kurds in Turkey make up about a fifth of the population and typically come from the east and south-east of the country.

“I felt like I woke up in a nightmare,” said 35-year-old Hashem Kilic. “I thought we would change the dictatorship, but it didn’t happen. But life still continues, we have to demand change and we have to try and get it. We have thousands of Kurds in prisons, the Erdogan regime imprisoned all of them.”

Splintered opposition

Mr Kilicdaroglu, who was backed by a multi-party coalition, was about 4 four per cent behind Mr Erdogan in the second round of the election.

He had presented the biggest challenge to Mr Erdogan's two decades of leadership when he forced a run-off after the incumbent President fell just short of the 50 per cent of the vote required in the first round.

Both sides courted smaller parties to bolster their voting tallies for the second round. Mr Kilicdaroglu increasingly used anti-refugee rhetoric and hammered out an alliance with Umut Ozdag, the leader of the far-right Victory Party.

That move alarmed many Kurds and Turkey's pro-Kurdish party, although the latter still said it would back Mr Kilicdaroglu.

“Can you imagine the far right and Kurds working together? It’s not reality. It affected the motivations of people. That’s why even under these awful living conditions, Erdogan has once again won,” said Azmi Usta, 42, drinking tea outside as the dust settled on Monday morning.

Turkey is facing a difficult economic situation, with inflation soaring and the Turkish lira continuing to drop against the US dollar. The financial difficulties have in part been blamed on Mr Erdogan's unorthodox economic policies.

A woman shops at a gold store in Istanbul's famous Grand Bazaar.

Voter turnout was lower in the second round compared to the first, particularly in traditionally Kurdish areas. It is thought this may have been because some Kurdish voters' support of Mr Kilicdaroglu cooled after his pursuit of far-right alliances and anti-refugee rhetoric.

But while it is believed there are a few hundred thousand or so Kurdish voters who participated in the first round but not in the second, Mr Kilic does not believe it would have changed the final result.

“I’m sure we will be blamed, even though it's not true. They shouldn’t blame the Kurds, [the opposition] should check their history and find their own mistakes. Of course, it was bad to ally with a far-right politician. If you make a deal with the far right, of course, the Kurds have sentimental feelings. Why would the Kurds be supportive of this, of course, some will say 'no',” he said.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife Emine casts their ballots in Istanbul in the run-off election on Sunday. AFP

Main opposition alliance presidential candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu and his wife Selvi arrive to vote at a polling station in Ankara. Getty

A woman checks a voting list at a polling station as people wait to vote in Istanbul. AP

Voters in Turkey returned to the polls on Sunday to decide between Mr Erdogan and Mr Kilicdaroglu. AP

A woman casts her ballot at a polling station in Ankara. EPA

A first election was held on May 14, when none of the candidates exceeded the 50 per cent mark. EPA

People leave a polling station in Ankara. Reuters

A woman casts her ballot in Adana. AFP

A woman casts her ballot at a polling station in Ankara. Reuters

An election representative checks a stamp at a polling station in Istanbul. AP

A woman votes in Istanbul. AFP

A woman holds a ballot in Istanbul. Reuters

A man arrives to vote in Ankara. Getty

A ballot slip featuring Mr Erdogan and Mr Kilicdaroglu is seen at a polling station in Ankara. Getty Images

A voter in Istanbul. Reuters

A voter casts her ballot at a polling station in Ankara. AFP

Mr Usta said the opposition was too broadly and unrealistically spread.

Emre, a 28-year-old baker, said he had expected change but it failed to happen.

“I'm sad because the work conditions are really difficult, the economy is in really bad shape – we can’t survive in these economic conditions. I hope [Erdogan] will make it work, but I doubt it.

“Umut Ozdag is the enemy of the Kurdish people, and the Kurds didn’t like Kilicdaroglu partnering with an enemy of ours. This is why many Kurds didn’t go to the ballot box in the second round.

“It’s been 20 years of Erdogan, and I don’t think in the near future his policy on Kurds will change. I don’t have any expectations that he will talk to the Kurds,” added Emre, referring to failed negotiations between Mr Erdogan's government and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) armed group. The Turkish government regards the PKK as a terrorist organisation.

“Under these circumstances, I don’t think Turkey’s future will be bright.”