From Putin to Zelenskyy, world leaders congratulate Turkey's Erdogan on election win

Congratulatory messages poured in from all around the world to celebrate Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's historic election win. The 69-year-old bagged reelection on Sunday, thus unfurling his reign into a third decade. Several world leaders congratulated Erdogan, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Penning a letter to his counterpart and "dear friend", Putin celebrated strong Russian-Turkish ties. "From the bottom of my heart I wish you new successes in such a responsible activity as the head of state, as well as good health and well-being," he wrote, according to Sky News.

On the other side of Russia's border, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also wished Erdogan and emphasised on the importance of "further strengthening" Kyiv and and Ankara's "strategic" partnership. Joining Putin and Zelenskyy were leaders of the West, such as UK PM Rishi Sunak, US President Joe Biden, and France's Emmanuel Macron.

Congratulations to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Türkiye on his re-election.

I look forward to continuing to work together as NATO Allies on bilateral issues and shared global challenges.

— President Biden (@POTUS) May 28, 2023

Congratulations to @RTErdogan. I look forward to continuing the strong collaboration between our countries, from growing trade to tackling security threats as NATO allies.

— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) May 28, 2023

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took to Twitter to congratulate Erdogan. "I am confident that our bilateral ties and cooperation on global issues will continue to grow in the coming times," he tweeted.

Congratulations @RTErdogan on re-election as the President of Türkiye! I am confident that our bilateral ties and cooperation on global issues will continue to grow in the coming times.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 29, 2023

Western leaders celebrate Erdogan's election victory

“I look forward to continuing to work together as NATO Allies on bilateral issues and shared global challenges,” Biden said in a tweet, as Sunak expressed his hopes of continuing the “strong collaboration” between the UK and Turkey such as “tackling security threats as NATO allies”.

Macron avered that France and Turkey “will continue to move forward”. On the other hand, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz acknowledged  how “deeply intertwined” Berlin and Ankara are, and expressed that “together we want to advance our common agenda with a fresh impetus!”

Fransa ve Türkiye'nin birlikte göğüs germesi gereken önemli çelençler var. Akdeniz, Avro-Atlantik İttifakımızın geleceği, Avrupa'nın yeniden barışa kavuşması. Yeniden seçilmesini tebrik ettiğim Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan ile birlikte yolumuza devam edeceğiz.

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 28, 2023

The wishes come after Erdogan defeated his rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu by securing 52% of the vote, compared to the opponent's 48% on Sunday. A second term for the leader not only means a strengthened hold on domestic affairs but also internationally with Turkey's crucial role in NATO.