Background: High blood pressure (BP) in an acute stroke has been demonstrated to result in a poor prognosis in several studies; however, controversial results were obtained. This study was designed to investigate the correlation between an initial high BP on admission and early mortality. Methods: This study is based on the medical records of 1725 patients, who were admitted to Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital, and diagnosed with stroke. A total of 1187 patients that met the inclusion criteria [849 (72%) with an ischemic stroke and 338 (28%) with a hemorrhagic stroke] were included in the study. BP levels were grouped as systolic BP (SBP) values and diastolic BP (DBP) values. In the determination of stroke severity on admission, the Scandinavian Stroke Scale was used. The stroke outcomes were defined as dead or discharged during a 10-day hospitalization stay. Results: In hemorrhagic stroke, mean initial SBP and DBP values were found to be statistically higher among those who died, as compared to patients who were discharged (p<0.01). In ischemic stroke, no statistically significant difference was present between mean initial SBP and DBP levels in died and discharged patients (p>0.05). Conclusion: The high initial SBP and DBP were found to be associated with deaths during the first 10 days after a stroke, but not with severity of stroke experienced by patients suffering hemorrhagic stroke. Further, they were not associated in ischemic patients with deaths during the first 10 days after a stroke or severity of stoke.