ANKARA: Turkey’s High Electoral Board on Friday confirmed Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as the country’s first popularly elected president.

Board chairman Sadi Guven declared that Erdogan “has been elected the 12th president of the Turkish Republic.”

The board confirmed that Erdogan received 51.79 percent of the vote in the elections held Aug. 10.

Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the former head of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation received 38.44 percent and Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas came third with 9.76 percent, the Board said.

Erdogan is to be sworn in on Aug. 28.

Erdogan said Thursday that Turkey’s ruling party is likely to pick a prime minister to replace him during a meeting of senior party leaders next week. Erdogan, who is reported to want a staunchly loyal prime minister, is scheduled to chair the meeting.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is the strongest contender to succeed Erdogan, Turkish media reports say. Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc and Binali Yildirim, a former transport minister, have also been named as possible replacements.