Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Sunday evening described the outcome of a general election which swept his AK Party back to a parliamentary majority as “a victory”.

“Today is a victory for our democracy and our people,” Davutoglu told a crowd of cheering AKP supporters outside his home in the central Anatolian city of Konya, according to the Reuters news agency.

“Hopefully we will serve you well for the next four years and stand in front of you once again in 2019,” he said, referring to Turkey’s next general election in four years time.

The AK Party, founded by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, came first in elections in June but lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in more than a decade, forcing it to seek a coalition partnership.

Coalition-building efforts with Turkey’s pro-secular party later collapsed, forcing Erdogan to call a new election.