Prominent Muslim preacher voices support for Erdoğan

Sheikh Ghulam Rabbani Afghani, a prominent preacher in the United Kingdom and also the head of Faizan e Islami center has called on Muslims to support President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ahead of Sunday's presidential and parliamentary elections.

Afghani prayed on Saturday in the central mosque of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) in Malaysia's Gombak and said President Erdoğan transformed Turkey into one of the leading countries in the world.

He wished Erdoğan to lead his country following the elections as well as the Muslim world.

Prominent Muslim preacher Sheikh Ghulam Rabbani Afghani voices support for Erdoğan ahead of Sunday's elections https://t.co/kdvRyhxEld pic.twitter.com/YDfAWxsxAT

— DAILY SABAH (@DailySabah) June 23, 2018

Six candidates are running for president in Sunday's elections: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for the People's Alliance formed by Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Muharrem Ince for the Republican People's Party (CHP), Selahattin Demirtaş for the People's Democratic Party (HDP), Meral Akşener for the Good (IYI) Party, Temel Karamollaoğlu for the Felicity (Saadet) Party, and Doğu Perinçek for the Patriotic (Vatan) Party.

Erdoğan has served as president since 2014 -- Turkey's first popularly elected president. Before that, he served as prime minister from 2003 to 2014.

Should he win the June 24 elections, Erdoğan would be Turkey's first leader under the presidential system, which does away with the prime minister's post, among other changes.