No surprise: Erdogan re-elected as president of Turkey

The opponents of Turkey’s president, Recep Erdogan, especially those in jail, have little or no chance of replacing him as that country’s leader, after Sunday’s elections.

Erdogan, 64, took 52.5% of the vote, underlining that he is both the most popular and divisive Turkish leader in modern times.

His victory can hardly be celebrated by liberal democracies. He has promised to crackdown further on his country’s “enemies” — a definition he confers.

He has said he will curtail parliament’s powers and tighten his grip on media control. In assuming extraordinary powers, narrowly approved by referendum last year, Erdogan will take complete control of the cabinet and have the power to appoint senior judges and officials, including unelected vice-presidents.

He will also have the power to issue decrees that carry the force of law.

Those powers will allow him transform Turkey’s politics for years, and possibly decades, to come, as he can rule until 2028.

Trying to slow the rise of autocratic nationalist strongmen is one of the great challenges facing true democracies all around the world.