Europe

What's At Stake In Turkey's Presidential Election

Current President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called snap elections more than a year ahead of schedule, catching his opposition off-guard.

What's At Stake In Turkey's Presidential Election
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Turkey's election on Sunday will determine what direction the country takes under its new "executive presidency" government. 

Current President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called snap elections more than a year ahead of schedule, catching his opposition off-guard. The election will also be held while the economy is still strong. It's shown recent signs of weakening.

Whoever is elected as Turkey's next president will be the first under a new system voters chose by a slim margin last year. The new model does away with the prime minister and vests more powers in the president. 

Erdoğan faces five opponents in the first round. If a candidate secures more than 50 percent of the vote, they'll be the next president. If not, the top two vote-getters will face each other in a runoff election. 

Turkey, founded as a secular, pro-Western democratic state, has become more and more authoritarian and Islamist under Erdoğan.