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New poll gives Turkish opposition slight edge as referendum nears

Opinion polls suggest Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is somewhat likely to lose the April 16 presidential referendum that would expand his powers.
People wave national flags as they wait for arrival of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan during a ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey, March 26, 2017. Picture taken March 26, 2017. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTX32WEA

Could the "no" votes win Turkey’s April 16 constitutional referendum on amendments expanding the country's presidential powers? Opinion polls by leading Turkish research firms suggest it's a possibility.

In a March 27 interview with Hurriyet Daily News Editor-in-Chief Barcin Yinanc, Konda polling company director Bekir Agirdir described the race as “neck and neck.” Agirdir said that while there are “some undecided even among the core loyalist constituency of the [Justice and Development Party] AKP," "there is no hesitation in the ‘no’ camp, where you have the voters of the [Republican People’s Party] CHP and [the Peoples’ Democratic Party] HDP.” Despite occasional setbacks, Konda remains one of Turkey’s most reliable polling firms.

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