On Sunday, Turkey will go to the polls in what many consider the most important election in decades. Still suffering the impacts of the deadliest earthquake in centuries and facing a deep economic crisis, Turkish voters are divided between the current president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the main opposition leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
In Photos: Struggles in Turkey Divide Voters
- By Yan Boechat
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been in power for more than 20 years; he emerged as a political leader after a 1999 earthquake struck northwestern Turkey, killing more than 15,000 people. Istanbul, on May 8, 2023. (Yan Boechat/VOA)
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The main opposition leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, has united different parties around his candidacy. According to election polls, he has a real chance to win the presidential race. Istanbul, on May 9, 2023. (Yan Boechat/VOA)
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Children play in a park in the Fatih neighborhood in Istanbul, a traditional area for Syrian refugees in Turkey's biggest city, May 9, 2023. (Yan Boechat/VOA)
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Traditionally secular since it emerged after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Turkey has become more religious during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's years in power. Istanbul, on May 9, 2023. (Yan Boechat/VOA)
