Could Erdogan be ousted in Turkey’s coming election?
His exit would reshape the country and reverberate around the world
![Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan poses with the political party leaders of his alliance during a ceremony for the launch of amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu, aiming to extend its drone capabilities from land-based to naval operations, in Istanbul, Turkey, April 10, 2023. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/PPO/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20230506_FBP001.jpg)
He was jailed and barred from public office, yet managed to overturn the ban and came to dominate Turkish politics. He has won five parliamentary elections, two presidential polls and three referendums. He has even faced down a military coup. But on May 14th Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s grip on Europe’s second most populous country may slip. The polls suggest that the united opposition could wrest control of parliament from Mr Erdogan’s Justice and Development (AK) party and its allies. What is more, Mr Erdogan himself appears to be trailing in the presidential election to be held on the same day.
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This article appeared in the Briefing section of the print edition under the headline “Crossroads at a crossroads”
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