Tayyip Erdogan

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (born 26 February 1954) is a Turkish politician serving as the 12th and current President of Turkey since 2014. He previously served as the Prime Minister of Turkey from 2003 to 2014 and as the Mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998. He founded the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in 2001, leading it to general election victories in 2002, 2007 and 2011 before standing down upon his election as President in 2014. Coming from an Islamist political background and as a self-described conservative democrat, he has promoted socially conservative and populist policies during his administration.

Early life and career

Erdoğan was born in the Kasımpaşa neighborhood in Istanbul, to which his family had moved from Rize Province. He attended Kasımpaşa Piyale primary school and İmam Hatip school (religious vocational school) before studying in Marmara University's Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences. In his youth, he played semi-professional football at a local club. Erdoğan was elected the Mayor of Istanbul in the local elections in 1994. He was banned from office and sentenced to a ten-month prison term for reciting a poem during a public address in the province of Siirt in 1997.

Political career

Erdoğan's political career began with his election to the mayoralty of Istanbul in 1994. He was a member of the Islamist Welfare Party, but following its ban, he joined the Virtue Party. When the Virtue Party was also banned, Erdoğan and his colleagues founded the AKP in 2001. He led the AKP to a landslide victory in the 2002 general elections, becoming Prime Minister in March 2003. Under his leadership, Turkey initiated a series of reforms aimed at EU membership, and the economy grew rapidly.

In 2014, Erdoğan was elected President, the first to be elected by direct popular vote. He has since continued to implement conservative and Islamist policies, leading to criticism from those who argue that he is undermining Turkey's secular constitution.

Controversies

Erdoğan's tenure has been marked by controversies and allegations of authoritarianism. He has been accused of censorship and of curbing freedom of speech, with numerous journalists and media outlets being targeted. His government's handling of the 2013 protests in Istanbul's Gezi Park sparked international criticism. He has also been accused of corruption, with allegations of financial impropriety within his family and his inner circle.

Personal life

Erdoğan is married to Emine Erdoğan, with whom he has four children. He is known for his outspokenness and his love of football. He is a devout Muslim and has been a vocal advocate for the role of religion in public life.