What Erdoğan's re-election means for Turkey and the West

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan claimed victory in the presidential election on Sunday, extending his rule into a third decade.

With 99% of ballot boxes counted, Erdoğan has secured 52% of the vote putting him well ahead of rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu's 48%, according to state-owned news agency Anadolu.

The election has been seen as one of the most consequential in Turkey's recent history, with the opposition believing it had a good chance of unseating Erdoğan who presided over a bruising cost-of-living crisis.

But what impact will his victory have on Turkey and the West? 

Already the longest-serving leader in the history of the Turkish Republic, Erdoğan has consolidated power during his time in office, establishing a presidential system for himself.

Critics say the 69-year-old has shifted Turkey away from its democratic foundations towards authoritarian rule. 

He crushed anti-government protests and evaded a corruption investigation into his inner circle.

Erdoğan has taken control of most of Turkey’s institutions and sidelined liberals and critics. In its World Report 2022, Human Rights Watch said Erdoğan’s AK party (AKP has set back Turkey’s human rights record by decades.

Ilke Toygür, professor of European Geopolitics at the University Carlos III of Madrid said a victory could see Erdoğan buckle down even more.

"I would even expect the more frightening attitudes when it comes to democracy and when it comes to foreign policy," she told Euronews in May.  

Erdoğan is popular among conservative and religious voters. 

He has defended the rights of conservative Muslims after decades of a resolutely secular regime, allowing women to wear the headscarf in public buildings, such as universities and civil service, where they were