Analysis-In Turkey, an election reckoning for the rise and fall of Erdogan's economy

FILE PHOTO: Supporters of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan take part in a rally ahead of the May 14 presidential and parliamentary elections, in Ankara, Turkey April 30, 2023. REUTERS/Cagla Gurdogan

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - If Turks oust President Tayyip Erdogan in elections this month it will largely be because of an economic reversal that saw their prosperity, equality and ability to meet basic needs start to tumble midway through his two-decade reign.

The May 14 vote, which lands during the Turkish Republic's centenary year, is Erdogan's biggest test yet. Some polls show he is trailing an opposition candidate, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who would reverse his unorthodox and heavy-handed economic policies.