Non-Muslim religious leaders hail Erdogan’s victory

By Sorwar Alam

ANKARA (AA) - Religious leaders of non-Muslim communities in Turkey congratulated President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his success in presidential and parliamentary elections on Sunday.

Istanbul's Armenian Catholic Archbishop Levon Zekiyan, Vicar of Armenian Patriarch of Turkey Aram Ateshian, the head of the Jewish Community of Turkey Ishak Ibrahimzadeh, Turkish Syriac-Catholic Church Patriarchal Vicar Orhan Canli, the head of the Armenian Foundations Union Bedros Sirinoglu, chief rabbi of the Jewish community in Turkey Ishak Haleva are among the religious leaders who congratulated Erdogan.

According to unofficial results, with 96.31 percent of ballots counted, Erdogan received 52.68 percent of the vote.

The ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party and the People’s Alliance -- an alliance between the AK Party and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) -- also secured a parliamentary majority with a combined vote of 53.69 percent.