Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is facing headwinds in his bid to remain in office for another term. Presidential and parliamentary elections will be held on May 14.
The race is widely seen as a head-on clash between Erdogan and Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the largest opposition party and a joint candidate of six opposition parties.
Erdogan has 20 years of experience as the country's prime minister and president. He last year mediated a deal to export Ukrainian farm products that had been stalled by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Kilicdaroglu highlights the plunge of Turkish currency, the lira, and rising prices under the current administration.
He also accuses the government of allowing the construction of buildings that did not meet quake-resistance standards, which added to the damage caused by major quakes that struck southern Turkey in February.
The opposition leader has vowed to improve Turkey's relations with Western nations that have soured since Erdogan assumed office.
Some of latest opinion polls show Kilicdaroglu leading Erdogan by a small margin. But other polls indicate that Erdogan has been catching up with his main challenger.
If none of the presidential candidates wins a majority, a run-off election will be held between the top two contenders on May 28.