ISTANBUL — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed a "historic" victory Sunday in a tightly contested national referendum that would radically change his country's system of government and give the president vast, new powers.With 99% of the ballots counted, Erdogan's referendum had 51.4% "yes" votes, while 48.6% opposed the changes, Turkey's Anadolu news agency reported. Car horns honked and Turks waved flags and rallied in the streets after Erdogan declared victory, but multiple opposition parties alleged voting irregularities and sought a recount.
