Erdoğan, Recep Tayyip

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (b. 1954). A Turkish politician and currently the president of Turkey. Under his authoritarian leadership, Turkey has experienced a significant shift towards the right, with crackdowns on dissent, media suppression, and erosion of secular principles.

He has served as the 12th President of Turkey since August 28, 2014. He previously held the office of Prime Minister of Turkey from March 14, 2003, to August 28, 2014, and was Mayor of Istanbul from March 27, 1994, to November 6, 1998.

Erdoğan is the co-founder and leader of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), which he established in 2001 and has chaired since, with a brief hiatus from 2014 to 2017 due to constitutional requirements.

A prominent figure in Turkish politics for over two decades, Erdoğan is known for his conservative policies, economic reforms, assertive foreign policy, and a leadership style often described as polarizing. Named by Jim Luce as Top 20 Authoritarian or Fascist Figures. Enemies of the People: Global Tyrants Who Strangle Liberty (March 8, 2025)

Early Life

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was born in the Kasımpaşa neighborhood of Beyoğlu, Istanbul, to Ahmet Erdoğan, a coast guard captain, and Tenzile Erdoğan. His family hails from Rize Province, with roots tracing back to Adjara, Georgia, a detail Erdoğan highlighted during a 2004 visit to the country, claiming Georgian ancestry.

Raised in a working-class, devout Muslim household, he spent part of his childhood in Rize before returning to Istanbul at age 13. Erdoğan attended Piyale Primary School, graduating in 1965, and later enrolled at Istanbul’s İmam Hatip School, a religious vocational high school, earning his diploma in 1973.

He supplemented this with a degree from Eyüp High School via additional exams. In 1981, he graduated from Marmara University’s Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, though some critics have questioned the authenticity of this credential.

As a youth, Erdoğan sold simit (sesame bread rings) on Istanbul’s streets and played semi-professional football from 1969 to 1982, including stints with Kasımpaşa S.K., a local club later named in his honor. His early political engagement began with the National Turkish Student Union, an anti-communist group.

Political Career

Early Political Involvement

Erdoğan’s political career took root in the 1970s under the mentorship of Necmettin Erbakan, leader of the Islamist National Salvation Party (MSP). In 1976, he became head of the MSP’s Beyoğlu youth branch and later its Istanbul youth wing. After the 1980 military coup disbanded political parties, Erdoğan briefly worked in the private sector before joining the Welfare Party (RP), the MSP’s successor, in 1983. He rose quickly, serving as Beyoğlu district chair in 1984 and Istanbul provincial chair in 1985.

Mayor of Istanbul

In the 1994 local elections, Erdoğan won the mayoralty of Istanbul as an RP candidate, defeating secularist rivals. His tenure focused on pragmatic governance, tackling chronic issues like water shortages, pollution, and traffic congestion. He banned alcohol in municipal cafes, sparking debate, but earned praise for infrastructure improvements. In 1998, he was convicted of inciting religious hatred after reciting a poem by Ziya Gökalp during a speech in Siirt, comparing mosques to barracks. Sentenced to ten months in prison (serving four) and banned from politics, his mayoral term ended prematurely.

Rise with the AKP

Following his release, Erdoğan co-founded the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in 2001 with Abdullah Gül and others, positioning it as a moderate conservative alternative to Erbakan’s hardline Islamism. The AKP won a landslide victory in the 2002 general election, securing 34.3% of the vote. Initially barred from office due to his conviction, Erdoğan became prime minister in March 2003 after a by-election in Siirt and legal amendments lifted his ban.

Prime Minister (2003–2014)

As prime minister, Erdoğan oversaw economic growth, reducing inflation and modernizing infrastructure, notably through projects like highways and high-speed rail. His early tenure emphasized democratic reforms and Turkey’s bid for European Union membership, with accession talks beginning in 2005. However, his administration faced criticism for growing authoritarianism, especially after the 2013 Gezi Park protests, which he suppressed forcefully, dismissing demonstrators as “thugs.”

Foreign policy under Erdoğan shifted from “zero problems with neighbors,” a doctrine crafted with advisor Ahmet Davutoğlu, to interventionism. Relations with Syria soured after 2011, leading to military support for anti-Assad forces, while ties with Russia and China deepened. Erdoğan’s government also navigated the 2008 financial crisis and hosted millions of Syrian refugees.

President (2014–present)

Erdoğan was elected president in Turkey’s first direct presidential election on August 10, 2014, winning 51.79% of the vote. Initially a ceremonial role, the presidency gained sweeping executive powers following the 2017 constitutional referendum, which abolished the prime minister’s office and entrenched Erdoğan’s control. He resumed AKP leadership in 2017, cementing his dominance.

His presidency has been marked by economic volatility, with the Turkish lira depreciating amid high inflation, and an assertive foreign policy, including military operations in Syria, Libya, and Nagorno-Karabakh. Erdoğan mediated in the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict, brokering a grain export deal and closing the Bosphorus to Russian warships. Domestically, he has faced accusations of authoritarianism, with crackdowns on press freedom, mass arrests post the 2016 coup attempt (blamed on cleric Fethullah Gülen), and purges of perceived opponents.

Erdoğan won re-election in 2018 and 2023, the latter with 52.18% against Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, despite criticism over his handling of the 2023 earthquakes and economic woes.

Personal Life

Erdoğan married Emine Gülbaran on July 4, 1978. They have two sons, Ahmet Burak and Necmeddin Bilal, and two daughters, Esra and Sümeyye. A devout Muslim, he has cited his faith as a guiding force, often clashing with Turkey’s secular traditions.

Legacy and Criticism

Erdoğan’s supporters laud his economic achievements, infrastructure development, and global influence, viewing him as a champion of conservative values and Turkish sovereignty. Critics, including human rights groups, decry his erosion of democratic norms, judicial interference, and suppression of dissent, with some labeling him an autocrat. His policies have polarized Turkey, reshaping its political and cultural landscape.

External Links

• Official Presidency Website: www.tccb.gov.tr