Turkey's elections test President Erdogan's hold on power post-earthquake

Turkey is holding presidential and parliamentary elections Sunday, testing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's control of the country after a devastating earthquake earlier this year.

With most of the vote in, but the count still incomplete, Erdogan had the lead with 49.4%, compared to his opponent's 44.9%, according to the AP's reporting of state-run media outlet Anadolu.  However, if neither candidate reaches a majority, the election will go to a runoff, which would be scheduled for May 28.  As of press time, the race has not yet been called.

Erdogan, who has served as president since 2014 and as prime minister from 2003 to 2014, is seeking another five-year term, but he has been behind Republican People's Party Chairman Kemal Kilicdargolu in polls ahead of the election. Kilicdaroglu is the joint candidate of six parties opposed to Erdogan. 

A survey by pollster Konda late last week put Erdogan with 43.7% support and Kilicdaroglu with 49.3%, according to Reuters. Both men are still short of the majority needed to win and prevent a runoff election on May 28.

Erdogan faces criticism about his handling of the country's economy as well as about his response to a devastating earthquake in February that killed more than 50,000 people in Turkey.

The elections are being closely watched on the international stage. Turkey, a NATO member, has acted as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia following the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine last year.

The polls close at 5 p.m. local time, or 10 a.m. ET, and Turkish law bans reporting on the results until four hours later.

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.