Turkish Strongman Faces Election Challenge Amid Earthquake Devastation

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is facing criticism over his government's response to the earthquake that hit the country in February, with lax building regulations blamed for exacerbating the disaster. However, in Erdogan's strongholds, such as Kahramanmaras, many voters remain loyal to the president, despite the slow recovery efforts. The opposition coalition candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has a slight national lead over Erdogan, but polls suggest the earthquake response has done little to sway voters. The election is seen as a battle between two radically different visions for the future of Turkey.