UPDATE 2 - Azerbaijan reelects Ilham Aliyev as president

ADDS ALIYEV'S ADDRESS TO NATION, CONGRATULATIONS FROM TURKISH PM

By Ruslan Rehimov

BAKU (AA) - Incumbent Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has been reelected, according to partial results.

The head of the Central Election Commission of Azerbaijan, Mazahir Panahov, held a news conference Wednesday in which he announced that Aliyev was reelected with 86.09 percent of the vote.

Panahov added that voter turnout in the election had reached 74.51 percent.

President Aliyev extended his thanks to the Azerbaijani people during his address to the nation.

"The Azerbaijani people voted for stability, safety, development and improvement in this election," Aliyev said.

He said Azerbaijan's international influence has increased and thanked the people for their contribution to this success.

"The coherence between the people and the government has made Azerbaijan a powerful country."

Following the results, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated Aliyev in a phone call for his success in the elections, according to presidential sources.

Erdogan also stated that Aliyev's election for the fourth time would benefit the region's peace, security and stability.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim also congratulated Aliyev for the results.

Earlier, the ELS Independent Research Center, which conducted an exit poll survey of 80,000 voters at 300 ballot boxes, said Aliyev had won 82.7 percent of the vote.

Other surveys conducted by such polling companies as OpinionWay from France and U.S.-based Arthur J. Finkelstein & Associates showed that Aliyev had won more than 85 percent of the vote.

In a constitutional referendum in Azerbaijan held on Sept. 26, 2016, the presidential term was increased from five to seven years, the Azerbaijan State News Agency (AZERTAC) reported.