AKP sweeps to third term in Turkey / Turkish tolerance key to realising full democracy / Kurd poll gains spur demands for autonomy

Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised to seek a consensus to rewrite Turkey’s constitution, after he secured a sweeping victory in parliamentary elections on the 12 June 2011.

The decisive victory – improving on a 47 per cent landslide in 2007 – confirmed Mr Erdogan’s dominance of Turkish politics.

However, the AKP is unlikely to achieve the 330 seats needed to take constitutional reforms to a referendum.

EurActiv, 14.6.11: Turkey's Erdoğan to build consensus after big win http://www.euractiv.com/enlargement/turkey-erdo-build-consensus-big-win-news-505582

ESO: Background information: Turkish general election, 2011 http://www.europeansources.info/record/turkish-general-election-2011/

BBC News, 13.6.11: Turkey PM Erdogan 'to build consensus' after poll win http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13744972

Deutsche Welle, 12.6.11: Erdogan wins parliamentary elections, falls short of two-thirds majority http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15148628,00.html

France24, 12.6.11: Turkey's ruling AKP wins general election http://www.france24.com/en/20110612-ruling-akp-poised-win-parliamentary-vote-turkey-erdogan-elections

European Council: President / European Commission; Press Release, PCE/0148/11 (13.6.11): Joint statement by President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy and President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the results of the general elections in Turkey http://www.consilium.europa.eu/App/NewsRoom/loadDocument.aspx?id=363&lang=EN&directory=en/ec/&fileName=122656.pdf

Radikal, 13.6.11: Comfortable victory for Erdogan (via PressEurop) http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/708951-confortable-victory-erdogan

Spiegel Online international, 13.6.11: Erdogan Falls Short of Goal in Turkish Elections http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,768175,00.html

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