Erdogan declares victory in Turkey's historic presidential runoff

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed victory in a runoff election Sunday for his third term as Turkey's president.

With nearly 99% of votes counted, Erdogan has 52.1% support compared to secular challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu's 47.9%, according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency.

"I thank each member of our nation for entrusting me with the responsibility to govern this country once again for the upcoming five years," Erdogan told supporters Sunday on a campaign bus outside of his Istanbul home, The Associated Press reported.

"The only winner today is Turkey," he said. Erdogan also mocked Kilicdaroglu using the phrase, "bye bye bye, Kemal," while his supporters booed.

As Erdogan was unable to secure a majority in elections two weeks ago, the first presidential runoff in Turkish history was held Sunday. Erdogan, who served as Turkey's prime minister from 2003 until 2014 when he was first elected president, is set for another five-year term.

The election tested Erdogan's hold on power as the economy in Turkey struggles and the country recovers from a devastating earthquake that hit earlier this year.

The last Turkish president to be elected three times was Celal Bayar, who served from 1950 to 1960.

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.