Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sought to rally his base today, two days before a crucial presidential election, the most divisive he has faced in his two decades in office.

In a traditionally conservative district of Istanbul, Erdogan addressed his supporters this afternoon and then inaugurated a mosque – one of thousands that have been erected under his presidency across the country.

In his speech, he warned that the country “will pay a heavy price” if the opposition, a six-party alliance that he said is hungry for “revenge”, wins the election.

Polls show his main rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) leading by a narrow margin.

On Thursday, one of the four candidates, Muharem Ince, withdrew his candidacy, a fact that observers say favors Kilicdaroglu.

If none of the remaining three manage to collect more than 50% on Sunday, the top two will face each other in the second round on May 28.

Erdogan, whose popularity has been eroded by Turkey’s financial crisis, appeared unusually reticent Thursday night about the results. “The polls will tell us on Sunday,” he replied to a reporter who asked if he thought he would win.

He also admitted that he has a hard time convincing young people (5.2 million Turks will vote in this election for the first time) who, he said, have not experienced the chaos and corruption of coalition governments.

“There is a generation in our country that has not known any of those who made us suffer“, summed up.

“We struggle to explain our values ​​to this new generation. Because our young people do not compare with the old Turkey but with countries that have better conditions“, he said today.

According to opinion polls, more than half of young people would prefer to vote for Kilicdaroglu. As for the Kurds, who also welcomed democratization efforts during the early years of Erdogan’s rule, they would now also support his opponent.

Observers believe that what is at stake on Sunday is Turkey’s democratic future. “Either Erdogan will lose, giving Turkey a chance to restore democracy, or he will win and possibly stay in power for the rest of his life,” commented Soner Cagaptay, a researcher at the Washington Institute.

In the face of discontent expressed by a section of society, Kilicdaroglu based his campaign on positive messages, avoiding personal attacks on Erdogan to focus on promises to restore economic stability and freedoms.

He is also surrounded by economists who enjoy the confidence of Western investors, as well as former allies of Erdogan, to appeal to the nationalist and conservative segment of the electorate.

The opposition leader emphasizes that his priority is to return to the parliamentary system, in order to close the chapter of the presidency that gained omnipotence after the constitutional reform of 2017. To do this, the opposition must also win the parliamentary elections, but the opinion polls give Erdogan’s conservative alliance the lead.

The CHP could still secure a majority in parliament if supported by the pro-Kurdish party and the parties of the left.