Turkey election: Campaigners in final push ahead of poll

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Political campaigners in Turkey are making their final push for support ahead of Sunday's general election.

The vote could see the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party's majority shrink, as the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP) tries to enter parliament for the first time.

But President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hopes the result will help move Turkey towards a presidential system.

There has been heated debate ahead of a ban on media coverage at the weekend.

Friday is the final day for election rallies, with Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) appearing in the centre-left party's stronghold of Izmir.

Meanwhile President Erdogan, of the Islamist-rooted AK Party, is meeting residents of Golbasi, in the province of Ankara. He wants to see Ahmet Davutoglu hold on to the role of prime minister.

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At rallies earlier this week, President Erdogan blasted the country's main opposition parties. He accused them of working with perceived government rivals - including US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, the Armenian diaspora and what he called "homosexual associations" - to try to divide Turkey.

Mr Erdogan served as prime minister from 2003 until he won the presidential election last year with more than 52% of the vote.

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Opinion polls are banned in the last 10 days of campaigning, which means last-minute swings cannot be tracked.

But the most recent polls suggest the AK Party may not get the majority it needs to push for constitutional change to increase the power of the country's president.

The HDP would just about make it into parliament, passing the 10% entry threshold with more than 50 seats.

Meanwhile the CHP is likely to remain the second-largest party, with the the far-right National Movement Party (MHP) in third.