World leaders congratulate Erdogan on referendum win

ANKARA (AA) - Many world leaders sent congratulatory messages to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the wake of Sunday's Yes victory in a historic referendum.

As of 11.30 p.m. local time (2030GMT), unofficial results showed Yes won with 51.37 percent -- 24,966,843 votes -- while No had 48.63 percent, or 23,636,067 votes.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev congratulated Erdogan and the Turkish people during a phone call, Aliyev's office said in a statement.

“This referendum will undoubtedly mark the dawn of a new era in the history of our sister country and will strengthen the role and place of stable, strong Turkey in the international arena,” Aliyev said.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also congratulated Erdogan, Turkish presidential sources said.

According to diplomatic sources, leaders from Pakistan, Hungary, Macedonia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Kenya congratulated Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in phone calls.

Pakistani president and prime minister have congratulated Turkey over the referendum win, which they said was reflective of the desire of the Turkish people for a strong Turkey.

The Pakistani leaders expressed hope that it would help consolidate the impressive gains made in Turkey over the past 15 years for stability and prosperity and pave the way for continued accelerated progress of the Turkish people in future.

Jamat-e 'Islami, one of Pakistan's largest political parties, congratulated President Erdogan and the Turkish people on the “historic” Yes victory.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, party leader Siraj-ul-Haq, also a member of the Senate, said that the Turkish people’s decision showed their trust in the policies of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party.

"Our best wishes are with President Erdogan, his team, and the brotherly people of Turkey. I am sure this historic referendum victory will forge the way forward toward a strong, united, and prosperous Turkey,” he said.

The U.S. State Department said in a statement Sunday that it was following the referendum results in Turkey.

"We will refrain from commenting until the results have been confirmed and OSCE/ODIHR has reported on its initial findings," a department spokesperson said, referring to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland said in a statement that "in view of the close result the Turkish leadership should consider the next steps carefully. It is of utmost importance to secure the independence of the judiciary in line with the principle of rule of law enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights."

He added, "The Council of Europe, of which Turkey is a full member, stands ready to support the country in this process”.

Sunday’s referendum asked voters to choose Yes or No on an 18-article bill that would see the country switch from a parliamentary to a presidential system, among other changes.