Turkey is gearing up for a historic election on Sunday that may unseat President Tayyip Erdogan after 20 years in power. Erdogan and his government have come under sharp criticism for their increasingly authoritarian policies, including suppression of the media and arrests of political dissidents. However, the country's economic crisis and the sharp rise in its cost of living have also escalated concerns among Turkish citizens, who may take to the polls to voice their dissatisfaction with the current administration. Erdogan's main challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who heads an opposition alliance of six parties, is slightly ahead in the polls, but a run-off election on May 28 is expected if neither candidate earns over 50% of the vote.

Turkey's economic recovery is crucial to the outcome of the election, as the nation is grappling with an inflation rate near 50% and a rise in poverty. While public debt remains relatively low, the quality of public services is rapidly declining, particularly in large metropolitan cities where real estate costs are high. Whatever the outcome of the election, Turkey's new leadership will have the opportunity to revive its economy and return the nation to its secular-democratic principles, or allow its slide towards increasing authoritarianism to continue.