EU hopes post-elex Turkey to remain committed partner

Turkey will hopefully "remain a committed partner" for the European Union, a European Commission spokesman said Monday.

Margaritis Schinas was speaking during a daily press briefing in Brussels after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan won an absolute majority in Turkey's presidential election on Sunday.

"We hope that under President Erdoğan's leadership, Turkey will remain a committed partner for the European Union on major issues of common interest such as migration, security, regional stability and fight against terrorism," he said.

According to the Supreme Election Council's (YSK) Erdoğan won an absolute majority in the presidential election with 52.5 percent of the vote, while his closest rival lagged behind at 30.6 percent, with 99.9 percent of ballot receptacles opened.

In the parliamentary polls, along with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the Justice and Development (AK) Party's election ally, the People's Alliance won 53.6 percent of the votes, with 99.9 percent of ballot boxes opened.

Erdoğan has served as president since 2014 -- Turkey's first popularly elected president. Before that, he served as prime minister from 2003 to 2014.

Erdoğan is now Turkey's first president under the new presidential system of government, which was chosen by Turkish voters in an April 2017 referendum.