By Feyza Süsal
ANKARA
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has congratulated Tunisian Nidaa Tounes party leader Baji Caid Essebsi on his general election victory
Nidaa Tounes party won the highest number of seats in the North African country's recent parliamentary vote.
On October 26, Nidaa Tounes, which is comprised of former officials of the Ben Ali regime, obtained the most seats by a single party in the first post-Ben Ali democratic parliamentary elections.
"As Turkey, we have always provided all kind of support for Tunisia and so we shall continue to do so," Davutoglu said in a phone call to Essebsi on Thursday afternoon.
According to the Turkish Prime Ministry, Essebsi described Turkey as a key friend of Tunisia, saying "it is significant for us to see it persist."
The Turkish premier also phoned Rashid al-Ghannushi, leader of the Ennahda Movement that came second in the parliamentary polls, to reiterate Turkey's lasting support for Tunisia.
"It is Tunisia who won after a democratic election process," Ghannushi said in return.
Nidaa Tounes, which includes a number of Ben Ali-era politicians, won 84 seats in the assembly, while the Islamist-leaning Ennahda won 69, according to an Anadolu Agency tally.
Nidaa Tounes chairman Essebsi, who served as parliament speaker under the ousted Ben Ali regime, is also contesting the upcoming presidential polls, scheduled for November 23.
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