ANKARA, April 28. /TASS/. The United States and Europe have tasked the Turkish opposition to remove the country’s current President Tayyip Erdogan from power, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said.

"America and Europe gave them instructions to depose Tayyip Erdogan, to remove Tayyip Erdogan from office," The Star newspaper quoted him as saying. "Why Tayyip Erdogan? Because America does not want him [at his current post], the West does not want him [to be the president of Turkey]. But it does not matter to us. We are following the will of our people."

Presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey are due on May 14. Four candidates will be participating in the race, but analysts predict that the main struggle will be between the incumbent, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the National Democratic Party, who was nominated as a single candidate from the opposition. Political analysts do not rule out a runoff, because recent opinion polls have so far indicated no definitive frontrunner.

In line with Turkey’s electoral law, 50% plus one vote are needed to win in the first round. If none of the candidates succeeds in doing so, a runoff will be held on May 28. The winner will be chosen by simple majority.