ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Selahattin Demirtas, the presidential candidate for the pro-Kurdish HDP congratulated his party members on Monday for meeting the 10-percent threshold.
“Passing the threshold amid state of emergency principles and pressure ... This is a big success,” tweeted Demirtas through his lawyers. “…all of us have to analyze the results and receive the necessary lessons."
Demirtas, although jailed in Edirne Prison and facing more than 140 years on terror-related charges, the Peoples’ Democratic Party chose the fiery orator to run against the ruling Justice and Development Party leader and incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
"First of all, I congratulate the results of election. I congratulate all citizens who went to ballot boxes and cast their vote. I express my gratitude to all those friends who have volunteered in the unjust and unequal election race," tweeted Demirtas, claiming that he only could post 100 tweets while other candidates held 100 rallies.
He won 8.3 percent of votes, according to unofficial results published by the state-run Anadolu Agency, but his party has earned 11.7 percent of the votes in the parliamentary election with more than 99 percent of ballots counted to give them 67 seats, up from 59 in the last election.
Main opposition leader Muharrem Ince has already conceded the presidential vote to Erdogan, who won 52.38 percent, according to AA. The AKP won 295 seats in the parliament and is allied with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) that won 49.
