Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan cast his ballot in Isatanbul Sunday. (Photo: AP)

Cairo (People's Daily) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been declared the winner in Turkey’s presidential election, but the opposition party has vowed not to accept the result until all ballots have been counted.

"Our nation has given me the mandate for the presidency," Erdogan said in a victory speech in Istanbul, noting his declaration was based on unofficial results. 

"I would like to congratulate our nation once again. This has been another test of democracy and we have passed this test successfully," the president said.

According to Anadolu Agency, 95.5 percent of the votes have been counted, with Erdogan winning a 52.72 percent share of the national vote, while opposition CHP party’s candidate, Muharrem Ince, pocketed 30.75 percent. 

An official result is expected to be announced late Sunday. If Erdogan's victory is ultimately confirmed, he will gain unprecedented power once resuming office. He narrowly won a referendum last year to transform the country's parliamentary system to a powerful executive office.

Erdogan called snap elections in April, citing economic challenges and the war in Syria as he felt Turkey needed to make a quick switch to a powerful executive presidency meant to go into effect after the vote. 

However, the opposition challenged the status quo, led by presidential hopeful Ince, by organizing massive demonstrations in major cities like Istanbul, Azmir and Ankara.