President Erdoğan congratulates Serbia's Vucic on election win

Vucic announcing his election win in Belgrade (Photo: AA)

President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdogan has congratulated Aleksandar Vucic, Serbia's president and the leader of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), on his reelection on Sunday (April 3).

In a phone call yesterday (April 4), Erdoğan said he believes that the two countries' friendship will be strengthened further with solidarity and sincerity, according to a statement by the Presidency Communications Directorate.

The two presidents also discussed bilateral relations and the Russia-Ukraine war. Vucic stressed the importance of good relations with Turkey for Serbia and its economy.

Both presidents, who also chair their parties, face similar criticism in terms of human rights, political freedoms and freedom of the press internally and externally.

In the US-based Freedom House's democracy index, Turkey is categorized as "not free" while Serbia is among the "partly free" countries. In the RSF Press Freedom Index, Serbia ranks 93rd and Turkey ranks 153rd. 

Elections in Serbia

Vucic won another five-year term in the first round, and his SNS had won the most votes in Sunday's elections.

The Serbian Republican Election Commission said yesterday that nearly 95 percent of the votes had been counted in the presidential polls.

Vucic was reelected with 58.65 percent of the vote, easily more than the 50 percent needed for victory in round one.

In parliamentary elections, Vucic's Together We Can Do Everything coalition is leading with 42.95 percent of the vote, and is expected to get 120 seats in the 250-seat parliament.

The United for Serbia's Victory won 37 seats and the Socialist Party of Serbia won 32. (VK)