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AFP
Istanbul
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared victory on Sunday in a historic referendum that will tighten his grip on power, but the knife-edge result left the country bitterly divided, with the opposition crying foul.
The 'Yes' campaign won 51.3 percent of the vote against 48.7 percent for 'No', the election commission said in figures quoted by state news agency Anadolu, in a count based on 99 percent of the ballot boxes.
As huge crowds of flag-waving supporters celebrated, Erdogan praised Turkey for taking a"historic decision"."With the people, we have realised the most important reform in our history," he added.
"We would like other countries and institutions to show respect to the decision of the nation," he said.
