2/12Almost 65 million people are registered to vote in the presidential election that will take place Sunday in Turkey. Istanbul, on May 8, 2023. (Yan Boechat/VOA)
3/12If no presidential candidate reaches 50% of the vote, there will be a runoff election that will take place on May 28. Istanbul, on May 8, 2023. (Yan Boechat/VOA)
4/12A small park in Istanbul's Fatih neighborhood, a residential area popular with Syrian refugees. Turkey hosts more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees. May 8, 2023. (Yan Boechat/VOA)
5/12Turkish 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)
6/12The 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)
7/12Children 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)
8/12Traditionally 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)
9/12Like most of the Syrian refugees in Turkey, Samar is afraid of being deported back to Syria if the opposition wins the election. With more than 3.5 million Syrians living in Turkey, immigration has become a central issue in the election. Sakarya, on May 10, 2023. (Yan Boechat/VOA)
10/12In the earthquake-affected areas in southeast Turkey, the election campaign is taking place as in any other part of the country. In Nurdagi, on May 12, 2023. (Yan Boechat/VOA)
11/12Thousands of families are still living in tents or camps in the cities that were affected by the earthquake in February. In Nurdagi, on May 12, 2023. (Yan Boechat/VOA)
12/12A condemned building is being demolished in the city of Nurdagi, in Gaziantep province, May 12, 2023. Months after an earthquake killed more than 50,000 people in Turkey and neighboring Syria, many buildings like this are yet to be demolished. (Yan Boechat/VOA)
