Receb Tayyib Erdogan

Azer Iskandarov

Plan1) Childhood years and youth

2) Welfare Party and Erdogan

3) . Erdoğan was elected Mayor of Metropolitan İstanbul.

4) AK Party

5) President of the Republic of Turkey

Childhood years and youthRecep Tayyip Erdoğan was born in Kasımpaşa, a poor neighborhood of Istanbul. His family was originally from Rize,a conservative town on the northeastern coast of the Black Sea, and returned there when Erdoğan was still an infant, coming back to Istanbul again when he was 13. He spent those years attending Istanbul İmam Hatip school and selling lemonade and simit (sesame rings) on the city's streets to make extra money.

While studying business administration at what is today Marmara University's Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences and playing semi-professional football,Erdoğan also engaged in politics by joining the National Turkish Student Union, an anti-communist action group. In 1976, he became the head of a local youth branch of the Islamist National Salvation Party (MSP), led by Necmettin Erbakan, who would later go on to found the Felicity Party. This was the beginning of Erdoğan's long career in politics.

Assuming active responsibilities at the students’ branch of the National Turkish Students’ Association during his high school and university years, Mr. Erdoğan was elected the Head of the MSP Beyoğlu Youth Branch in 1976 and he was also elected the Head of the MSP İstanbul Youth Branch in the same year. Holding this position until 1980, he served as consultant and senior executive in the private sector during the September 12era when the political parties were closed down.

Mr. Erdoğan returned to political activities with the Welfare Party, established in 1983, and he was elected  the Beyoğlu District Head of the Welfare Party in 1984. In 1985, he was elected the İstanbul Provincial Head of the Welfare Party and in the same year he became a member of the Central Executive Board of the Welfare Party.

As for the local elections held on March 27, 1994, Mr. Erdoğan was elected Mayor of Metropolitan İstanbul. During his term in office as Mayor, he produced correct diagnoses and solutions to the chronic problems of İstanbul. The water problem was overcome by laying hundreds of kilometers of new pipe line , the garbage problem was solved through the establishment of the most modern recycling facilities and the problem of air pollution ended with the natural gas projects developed during Erdoğan’s term in office.

Mr. Erdoğan paid most of the debts of the İstanbul Municipality which he took over with its 2 billion dollars debt and he during his tenure achieved investments worth 4 billion dollars. Mr. Erdoğan, thus, accomplished a breakthrough in the municipal history and while his works served as good examples for other mayors, he won the confidence of the people.

On December 12, 1997, while addressing the public in Siirt, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan read a poem from a book, which was recommended by the National Education Ministry and published by a state agency, and after that, he was sentenced to imprisonment for reading that poem. Thus, his term as mayor was ended.

Mr. Erdoğan, after serving 4 months in prison, established the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) on August 14, 2001 with his friends as a result of the insistant demand from the public and the developing democratic process and he was elected Founding General Chair of the AK Party by the Council of Founders. The favor of the nation made the AK Party a political movement which enjoyed the broadest public support in the country in the very first year of its establishment and made it the sole ruling party with a two-thirds majority at the TBMM at the end of the parliamentary elections held in 2002.

Mr. Erdoğan, who was not a candidate for MP during the elections in November 3, 2002 due to the court’s decision against him at the time, joined the deputy renewal election held on March 9, 2003 in Siirt when the legal obstacle was lifted after the necessary legal regulations had been made. Taking 85 % of the votes cast in that election, he became a deputy from Siirt for the 22nd term.

Taking over the Prime Minister’s office on March 15, 2003. The country made great progress in democratization, transparency and the prevention of corruption.  In parallel with this, inflation which had not been overcome and which had adversely affected the country’s economy and the psychology of the people for decades was curbed. 6 zeros were removed from the Turkish currency, giving back the Turkish Lira its credit. An unprecedented number of dams, residential units, schools, roads, hospitals and power plants were constructed. All these affirmative developments were described by many foreign observers and Western leaders as a “Silent Revolution”.

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in addition to his fruitful initiatives described as a turning point in the history of the country in its bid to join the EU, has taken significant steps toward the resolution of the Cyprus problem  and toward the development of efficient relations with many countries through his rational foreign policy and intense series of visits and contacts. The environment of stability established in the country, while  moving the internal dynamics, has made Turkey a pivotal country. Turkey’s volume of trade and political power have remarkably increased not only in its region but also in the international area.

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as the General Chairman of the AK Party, won a great victory during the parliamentary elections held on July 22, 2007 and established the 60th government of the Republic of Turkey by winning 46.6 % of the votes and received the vote of confidence. Mr. Erdoğan, winning 49 % of the votes, arose triumphant at the end of the parliamentary elections held on June 12, 2011 and established the 61st government.

Elected the 12th President on August 10, 2014, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is also the first President of the Republic of Turkey elected by popular vote.

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