Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|President of Turkey since 2014}} |
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{{redirect2|Erdoğan|Erdogan|other people called Erdoğan|Erdoğan (name)}} |
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{{Redirect|Erdoğan|the name|Erdoğan (name)}} |
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{{Very long|date=December 2016}} |
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{{Pp-vandalism|small=yes}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}} |
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{{Infobox officeholder |
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{{Use British English|date=March 2024}} |
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|name = Recep Tayyip Erdoğan |
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{{Infobox officeholder |
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|office = [[President of Turkey|12th President of Turkey]] |
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| honorific-prefix = |
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|image = Recep Tayyip Erdogan 2017.jpg |
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| image = Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ukraine.jpg |
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|predecessor = [[Abdullah Gül]] |
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| caption = Erdoğan in 2022 |
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|primeminister = [[Ahmet Davutoğlu]]<br>[[Binali Yıldırım]] |
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| order = 12th |
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| office = President of Turkey |
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|signature = Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signature.png |
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| term_start = 28 August 2014 |
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|office2 = [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)#Party leaders|Leader of the Justice and Development Party]] |
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| term_end = |
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|predecessor2 = Position established |
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| primeminister = {{ubl|[[Ahmet Davutoğlu]]|[[Binali Yıldırım]]}} |
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|party = {{plainlist| |
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| vicepresident = {{ubl|[[Fuat Oktay]]<br />(2018–2023)|[[Cevdet Yılmaz]]<br />(2023–present)}} |
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*[[National Salvation Party]] {{small|(before 1981)}} |
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| predecessor = [[Abdullah Gül]] |
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*[[Welfare Party]] {{small|(1983–1998)}} |
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| successor = |
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*[[Virtue Party]] {{small|(1998–2001)}} |
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| order1 = 25th |
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*[[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|Justice and Development Party]] {{small|(2001–2014)}}}} |
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| office1 = Prime Minister of Turkey |
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|deputy1 = {{List collapsed|title=''[[Cabinet Erdoğan I|Cabinet I]]'' {{small|(2003–07)}}|[[Abdullah Gül]]|[[Mehmet Ali Şahin]]|[[Abdüllatif Şener]]}} |
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| term_start1 = 14 March 2003 |
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{{List collapsed|title=''[[Cabinet Erdoğan II|Cabinet II]]'' {{small|(2007–11)}}|[[Cemil Çiçek]]|[[Hayati Yazıcı]] {{small|(2007–09)}}|[[Nazım Ekren]] {{small|(2007–09)}}|[[Bülent Arınç]] {{small|(2009–11)}}|[[Ali Babacan]] {{small|(2009–11)}}}} |
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| term_end1 = 28 August 2014 |
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{{List collapsed|title=''[[Cabinet Erdoğan III|Cabinet III]]'' {{small|(2011–14)}}|[[Bülent Arınç]]|[[Ali Babacan]]|[[Beşir Atalay]]|[[Bekir Bozdağ]] {{small|(2011–13)}}|[[Emrullah İşler]] {{small|(2013–14)}}}} |
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| president1 = {{unbulleted list |
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|office1 = [[List of Prime Ministers of Turkey|25th]] [[Prime Minister of Turkey]] |
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| [[Ahmet Necdet Sezer]] |
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|predecessor1 = [[Abdullah Gül]] |
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| Abdullah Gül}} |
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|president1 = {{plainlist| |
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| deputy1 = {{list collapsed|title=''See list'' |
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*[[Ahmet Necdet Sezer]] |
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| [[Nazım Ekren]] |
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| [[Ali Babacan]] |
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|successor1 = [[Ahmet Davutoğlu]] |
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| [[Bülent Arınç]] |
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|successor2 = [[Ahmet Davutoğlu]] |
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| [[Beşir Atalay]] |
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|birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1954|2|26}} |
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| [[Bekir Bozdağ]] |
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|birth_place = [[Kasımpaşa (quarter)|Kasımpaşa]], [[Istanbul]], Turkey |
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| [[Emrullah İşler]]}} |
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|death_date = |
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| predecessor1 = Abdullah Gül |
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|death_place = |
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| successor1 = Ahmet Davutoğlu |
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|spouse = {{marriage|[[Emine Erdoğan|Emine Gülbaran]]|4 July 1978}} |
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| office2 = [[Leader of the Justice and Development Party]] |
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|children = {{hlist|[[Ahmet Burak Erdoğan|Ahmet]]|[[Bilal Erdoğan|Bilal]]|two others}} |
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| |
| term_start2 = 21 May 2017 |
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| term_end2 = |
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|alma_mater = [[Marmara University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences|Marmara University]]<ref name="bbcerdogan"/><ref name="oda TV">{{cite web |url=http://www.odatv.com/n.php?n=erdoganin-diplomasi-aslinda-hangi-okuldan-2504141200|title=Erdoğan'ın diploması aslında hangi okuldan |date=25 April 2014 |accessdate=3 December 2014 |work=oda TV |language=Turkish |trans-title=Which school is Erdoğan's diploma from}}</ref><ref name="sozcu.com.tr">{{cite web |url=http://sozcu.com.tr/2014/gunun-icinden/erdoganin-diplomasi-mecliste-497279/ |title=Erdoğan'ın diploması Meclis'te |language=Turkish |date=28 April 2014 |accessdate=3 December 2014 |publisher=''Sözcü'' |author=Cengiz Aldemir |trans-title=Erdoğan's diploma in parliament}}</ref><ref name="Zaman">{{cite web |url=http://www.zaman.com.tr/gundem_rektorluk-diplomasini-yayinladi-halacoglu-yeni-belge-gosterdi_2213158.html |title=Rektörlük, diplomasını yayınladı; Halaçoğlu yeni belge gösterdi|date=25 April 2014 |accessdate=3 December 2014 |publisher=''Zaman'' |language=Turkish |trans-title=Rectorate issues diploma: Halaçoğlu shown the new document}}</ref> |
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| predecessor2 = Binali Yıldırım |
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|website = {{url|tccb.gov.tr|Government website}}<br>{{url|rte.com.tr|Personal website}} |
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| successor2 = |
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| term_start3 = 14 August 2001 |
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| term_end3 = 27 August 2014 |
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| predecessor3 = Position established |
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|term_end1 = 28 August 2014 |
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| successor3 = Ahmet Davutoğlu |
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|term_start2 = 14 August 2001 |
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| office4 = [[Grand National Assembly of Turkey#Composition|Member of the Grand National Assembly]] |
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|term_end2 = 27 August 2014 |
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| term_start4 = 9 March 2003 |
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|office3 = [[List of mayors of Istanbul|Mayor of Istanbul]] |
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| term_end4 = 28 August 2014 |
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| constituency4 = {{plain list| |
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* [[Siirt (electoral district)|Siirt]] ([[2003 Siirt Province by-election|2003 by-election]]) |
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|predecessor3 = [[Nurettin Sözen]] |
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* [[Istanbul (electoral districts)|Istanbul]] [[İstanbul (1st electoral district)|(I)]] ([[2007 Turkish general election|2007]], [[2011 Turkish general election|2011]])}} |
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|successor3 = [[Ali Müfit Gürtuna]] |
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| order5 = 23rd |
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| office5 = Mayor of Istanbul |
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| |
| term_start5 = 27 March 1994 |
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| term_end5 = 6 November 1998 |
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|constituency4 = {{plainlist| |
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| predecessor5 = [[Nurettin Sözen]] |
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*[[Siirt (electoral district)|Siirt]] ([[Siirt Province by-election, 2003|2003 by-election]]) |
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| successor5 = [[Ali Müfit Gürtuna]] |
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*[[Istanbul (electoral districts)|Istanbul]] [[İstanbul (1st electoral district)|(I)]] ([[Turkish general election, 2007|2007]], [[Turkish general election, 2011|2011]])}} |
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| office6 = Chairman of the [[Organization of Turkic States]] |
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| term_start6 = 12 November 2021 |
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| term_end6 = 11 November 2022 |
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| predecessor6 = [[Ilham Aliyev]] |
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| successor6 = [[Shavkat Mirziyoyev]] |
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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1954|02|26|df=yes}} |
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| birth_place = [[Istanbul]], Turkey |
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| death_date = |
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| death_place = |
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| party = [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|Justice and Development]] (2001–2014; 2017–present) |
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| otherparty = {{plain list| |
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* [[National Salvation Party]] (before 1981) |
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* [[Welfare Party]] (1983–1998) |
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* [[Virtue Party]] (1998–2001)}} |
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| spouse = {{marriage|[[Emine Erdoğan|Emine Gülbaran]]|4 July 1978}} |
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| children = {{hlist|[[Ahmet Burak Erdoğan|Ahmet]]|[[Bilal Erdoğan|Bilal]]|[[Esra Erdoğan|Esra]]|[[Sümeyye Erdoğan|Sümeyye]]}} |
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| relatives = {{hlist|[[Berat Albayrak]]|[[Selçuk Bayraktar]]}} (sons-in-law) |
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| residence = [[Presidential Compound (Turkey)|Presidential Complex]], [[Ankara]] |
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| alma_mater = [[Marmara University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences|Marmara University]]{{efn|Various claims are made about his degree.<ref name="bbcerdogan" /> See [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan university diploma controversy]].}} |
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| signature = Signature Recep Tayyip Erdogan.svg |
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| website = {{oweb|tccb.gov.tr|Government website}} |
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}} |
}} |
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{{Recep Tayyip Erdogan sidebar}} |
{{Recep Tayyip Erdogan sidebar}} |
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'''Recep Tayyip Erdoğan''' ({{IPA-tr|ɾeˈd͡ʒep tɑjˈjip ˈæɾdo(ɰ)ɑn|tr|Recep_Tayyip_Erdogan,_Turkish_pronunciation.ogg}}; born 26 February 1954) is the [[President of Turkey]] since 2014. He previously served as the [[Prime Minister of Turkey]] from 2003 to 2014 and as the [[List of mayors of Istanbul|Mayor of Istanbul]] from 1994 to 1998. He founded the [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|Justice and Development Party]] (AKP) in 2001 and led it to three general election victories in [[Turkish general election, 2002|2002]], [[Turkish general election, 2007|2007]] and [[Turkish general election, 2011|2011]] before standing down as leader upon his [[Turkish presidential election, 2014|election as President]] in 2014. Originating from an [[Islamism|Islamist]] political background and as a self-described [[Conservative democracy|conservative democrat]], his administration has overseen [[Social conservatism|social conservative]] and [[Economic liberalism|liberal economic]] policies.<ref name="foxnews.com">{{cite news|url=http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/08/21/turkey-davutoglu-expected-to-be-docile-prime-minister-with-erdogan-calling/|title=Turkey's Davutoglu expected to be a docile Prime Minister with Erdogan calling the shots|agency=Associated Press|publisher=''Fox News''|date=21 August 2014|accessdate=27 November 2014}}</ref> His political agenda and ideals are often referred to as [[Erdoğanism]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Akyol |first=Mustafa |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/06/21/erdoganism-noun-erdogan-turkey-islam-akp/ |title=Erdoganism [noun] |publisher=Foreign Policy |date=21 June 2016 |accessdate=16 April 2017}}</ref> |
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'''Recep Tayyip Erdoğan'''{{efn|Pronunciation: {{IPAc-en|UK|ˈ|ɛər|d|ə|w|æ|n}} {{respell|AIR|də|wan}};<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/erdogan|title=Erdoğan|work=[[Collins English Dictionary]]|publisher=[[HarperCollins]]|access-date=19 September 2019|archive-date=19 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191019135646/https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/erdogan|url-status=live}}</ref> {{IPAc-en|US|-|w|ɑː|n}} {{respell|-|wahn}},<ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|Erdoǧan|access-date=19 September 2019}}</ref> {{IPA|tr|ɾeˈdʒep tajˈjip ˈæɾdoan|lang|Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish pronunciation.ogg}}.}} (born 26 February 1954) is a Turkish politician who is the 12th and current [[president of Turkey]] since 2014. He previously served as the 25th [[prime minister of Turkey|prime minister]] from 2003 to 2014 as part of the [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|Justice and Development Party]] (AKP), which he co-founded in 2001. He also served as [[List of mayors of Istanbul|mayor of Istanbul]] from 1994 to 1998. |
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Erdoğan was a semi-professional [[Association football|footballer |
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]] playing for [[Kasımpaşa S.K.|Kasımpaşa]] before being [[Turkish local elections, 1994|elected]] as the Mayor of [[Istanbul]] from the Islamist [[Welfare Party]] in 1994. He was stripped and banned from office and imprisoned for four months for the recitation of a poem in a political speech in 1998<ref>However, weaknesses of qualitative research is linked to the small sample size, this can create a strong element of selection bias such as in the case of MSSD or MDSD studies in comparative politics if the author selects two countries which are similar say Brazil and Argentina they may infer about causes of corruption but it could be that this is just caused by a common shared history and so this may be an omitted variable bias. Likewise, selection bias may emerge so that an independent variable such as political actors may not have been controlled for. [insert evidence, explain details here]. (beginning of evaluation and linking of cases) Qualitative research can still be useful, but the extent to which it is useful depends on the level of justification given by academics in their selection cases and explanation of how they have tried to reduce the impact of omitted variable or selection biases in their qualitative methods.</ref> after which he abandoned openly Islamist politics and established the moderate conservative AKP in 2001. The AKP won a landslide victory in the [[Turkish general election, 2002|2002 general election]], with the party's co-founder [[Abdullah Gül]] becoming Prime Minister until [[Cabinet Gül|his government]] annulled Erdoğan's ban from political office. Erdoğan subsequently became Prime Minister in March 2003 after winning a seat in a [[Siirt Province by-election, 2003|by-election]] held in [[Siirt (electoral district)|Siirt]].<ref name="Kumbaracibasi2009">{{cite book|author=Arda Can Kumbaracibasi|title=Turkish Politics and the Rise of the AKP: Dilemmas of Institutionalization and Leadership Strategy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tZLL9cg--u0C&pg=PA2|date=24 July 2009|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-203-87629-9|pages=1–2}}</ref> |
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Erdoğan was born in [[Beyoğlu]], [[Istanbul]], and studied at the [[Marmara University|Aksaray Academy of Economic and Commercial Sciences]], before working as a consultant and senior manager in the private sector. Becoming active in local politics, he was elected [[Welfare Party]]'s [[Beyoğlu]] district chair in 1984 and Istanbul chair in 1985. Following the [[1994 Istanbul mayoral election|1994 local elections]], Erdoğan was elected mayor of Istanbul. In 1998 he was convicted for inciting religious hatred and banned from politics after reciting a poem by [[Ziya Gökalp]] that compared mosques to barracks and the faithful to an army. Erdoğan was released from prison in 1999 and formed the AKP, abandoning openly Islamist policies. |
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As part of his '[[2023 vision]]' for the centenary of the [[History of Turkey|Turkish Republic]], Erdoğan's government oversaw [[Accession of Turkey to the European Union|accession negotiations for Turkey's membership]] of the [[European Union]], an economic recovery following a [[2001 Turkish economic crisis|financial crash in 2001]], two successful constitutional referendums in [[Turkish constitutional referendum, 2007|2007]] and [[Turkish constitutional referendum, 2010|2010]], a [[Solution process]] with [[Kurdistan Workers' Party|Kurdish militants]], an allegedly [[Neo-Ottomanism|Neo-Ottoman]] foreign policy and investments in infrastructure that included new [[List of highways in Turkey|roads]], [[List of airports in Turkey|airports]], and a [[High-speed rail in Turkey|high-speed train network]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/18/us-turkey-constitution-idUSBRE91H0C220130218|title=Erdogan's ambition weighs on hopes for new Turkish constitution|author=Nick Tattersall|date=28 February 2013|publisher=Stratejik Boyut|accessdate=9 July 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metrogroup.de/internet/site/ts_turkey/print/234842/Len/index.html |title=Growing consumption|date=24 November 2011 |work=Metro Group|accessdate=28 July 2012}}</ref> With the help of [[Fethullah Gülen]]'s [[Gülen movement|Cemaat Movement]], Erdoğan was able to [[Civil–military relations during the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan government|curb the political power]] of the [[Turkish Armed Forces|military]] through the controversial ''[[Sledgehammer (coup plan)|Sledgehammer]]'' and ''[[Ergenekon trials|Ergenekon]]'' court cases. In late 2012, his government began [[Solution process|peace negotiations]] with the [[Kurdistan Workers Party]] (PKK) to end the [[Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present)|ongoing PKK insurgency]] that began in 1978. The ceasefire broke down in 2015, leading to a [[Kurdish–Turkish conflict (2015–present)|renewed escalation in conflict]]. In 2016, a [[2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt|coup d'état was unsuccessfully attempted]] against Erdoğan and Turkish state institutions. This was followed by [[2016 Turkish purges|purges]] and an ongoing state of emergency. |
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Erdoğan led the AKP to a [[2002 Turkish general election|landslide victory]] in the election for the [[Grand National Assembly of Turkey|Grand National Assembly]] in 2002, and became prime minister after winning a [[2003 Siirt Province by-election|by-election]] in [[Siirt (electoral district)|Siirt]] in 2003. Erdoğan led the AKP to two more election victories in [[2007 Turkish general election|2007]] and [[2011 Turkish general election|2011]]. His tenure consisted of economic recovery from the [[2001 Turkish economic crisis|economic crisis of 2001]], the start of [[Accession of Turkey to the European Union|EU membership negotiations]], and the reduction of [[Civil–military relations during the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan government|military influence on politics]]. In late 2012, his government began [[2013–2015 PKK–Turkey peace process|peace negotiations]] with the [[Kurdistan Workers Party]] (PKK) to end the [[Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present)|Kurdish–Turkish conflict]], negotiations which ended three years later. |
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Nationwide protests against the perceived authoritarianism of Erdoğan's government began in May 2013, with the internationally criticised police crackdown resulting in 22 deaths and the stalling of EU membership negotiations. Following a split with long-time ally Fethullah Gülen, Erdoğan brought about large-scale judicial reforms that were criticised for threatening judicial independence, but which Erdoğan insisted were necessary to purge sympathisers of the preacher Fethullah Gulen. A US$100 billion [[2013 corruption scandal in Turkey|government corruption scandal]] in 2013 led to the arrests of Erdoğan's close allies, with Erdoğan himself incriminated after a recording was released on social media.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.zaman.com.tr/gundem_yeni-yolsuzluk-dosyasinin-ekonomik-boyutu-100-milyar-dolar_2189530.html|title=Yeni yolsuzluk dosyasının ekonomik boyutu 100 milyar dolar|trans-title=New economic corruption files valued at $100 billion|language=Turkish|date=27 December 2013|accessdate=3 December 2014|work=Zaman|last1=Genç|first1=Göksel|last2=Esit|first2=Elif}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://sozcu.com.tr/2013/gundem/100-milyar-dolarlik-yolsuzluk-430737/|title=100 milyar dolarlık yolsuzluk|language=Turkish|trans-title=$100 billion dollar corruption|work=Sözcü|date=26 December 2013|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.milliyet.com.tr/yolsuzluk-operasyonunun-maliyeti-10/gundem/detay/1809059/default.htm|title=Yolsuzluk operasyonunun maliyeti 100 milyar Euro|language=Turkish|trans-title=Corruption operation costs 100 billion euros|work=Milliyet|date=17 December 2013|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref> Erdoğan's government has since come under fire for alleged [[Human rights in Turkey|human rights violations]] and [[Censorship in Turkey|crackdown on press and social media]], having blocked access to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube on numerous occasions.<ref name="Turkey Blocks Twitter">{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/turkey-blocks-access-to-twitter/2014/03/20/7bad19d2-b08c-11e3-b8b3-44b1d1cd4c1f_story.html|title= Turkey Blocks Twitter|publisher=''The Washington Post''|date=21 March 2014|accessdate=27 November 2014}}</ref> Erdoğan's government lifted the bans upon court orders.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26873603|title=Official in Turkey 'lift Twitter ban'|date=3 April 2014|accessdate=27 November 2014|publisher=''BBC News''}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/03/turkey-lifts-twitter-ban-court-ruling|title=Turkey lifts Twitter ban after court ruling|publisher=''The Guardian''|agency=Reuters|date=3 April 2014|accessdate=27 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-27691892|title=YouTube access restored in Turkey|date=4 June 2014|accessdate=27 November 2014|publisher=''BBC News''}}</ref> Opposition journalists and politicians have criticised authoritarian tendencies.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/feb/15/turkish-opposition-leader-dictator-erdogan|title=Turkish Opposition Leader Condemns 'dictator' Erdogan|publisher=''The Guardian''|author=Simon Tisdall|date=15 February 2013|accessdate=27 November 2014}}</ref><ref name="Board">{{cite news|url=http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-06-03/opinions/39715196_1_protesters-akp-protect-journalists |title=Prime Minister Erdogan's strongman tactics in Turkey|newspaper=Washington Post |date=3 June 2013 |deadurl=no |accessdate=22 June 2013 |first=Editorial |last=Board}}</ref> Analysts suggest that Turkey is a [[majoritarian democracy]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Burak Bekdil |url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/ok-turkey-is-a-majoritarian-democracy-not-a-dictatorship.aspx?pageID=449&nID=94065&NewsCatID=398 |title=OK, Turkey is a majoritarian democracy, not a dictatorship - BURAK BEKDİL |publisher=Hurriyetdailynews.com |date=20 January 2016 |accessdate=16 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Ömer Faruk Gençkaya |url=http://whogoverns.eu/majoritarian-or-pluralist-democracy-for-turkey/ |title=Majoritarian or pluralist democracy for Turkey? | Who Governs Europe |publisher=Whogoverns.eu |date=21 October 2015 |accessdate=16 April 2017}}</ref> |
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In 2014, Erdoğan became the country's [[2014 Turkish presidential election|first directly elected president]]. [[Presidency of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan|Erdoğan's presidency]] has been marked by [[democratic backsliding]] and a shift towards a more [[authoritarianism|authoritarian]] style of government. His [[Erdoğanomics|economic policies]] have led to [[Turkish economic crisis (2018–current)|high inflation rates and the depreciation of the value]] of the [[Turkish lira]]. He has intervened in the ongoing conflicts in [[Turkish involvement in the Syrian civil war|Syria]] and [[Turkish intervention in Libya (2020–present)|Libya]], [[Turkish involvement in the Syrian civil war|launched operations]] against the [[Operation Euphrates Shield|Islamic State]], [[2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria|Syrian Democratic Forces]] and [[Operation Spring Shield|Assad's forces]], and has made threats against [[Greece–Turkey relations|Greece]]. He oversaw the transformation of Turkey's [[parliamentary system]] into a [[presidential system]], introducing [[term limit]]s and expanding executive powers, and [[Turkey's migrant crisis]]. Erdoğan responded to the 2022 [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]] by closing the [[Bosphorus]] to Russian naval reinforcements, [[Black Sea Grain Initiative|brokering a deal between Russia and Ukraine]] regarding the export of grain, and mediating a prisoner exchange.<ref>{{cite news |title=Turkey is the headache NATO needs |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/turkey-nato-sweden-finland-is-the-headache-nato-needs/ |access-date=28 May 2023 |work=[[Politico]] |first=Lili |last=Bayer |date=3 April 2023 |language=en |archive-date=1 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230601101839/https://www.politico.eu/article/turkey-nato-sweden-finland-is-the-headache-nato-needs/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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Erdoğan's supporters point out that since the attempted coup, press restrictions are changing, Erdoğan's government dropped charges against the secular Dogan Group, including Hurriyet paper after it was alleged that the $4.5 billion tax fraud charge was initially perpetrated by Gulenist officers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/inspectors-involved-in-tax-fines-on-dogan-group-dismissed-for-gulen-links.aspx?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=inspectors-involved-in-tax-fines-on-dogan-group-dismissed-for-gulen-links.aspx&utm_term=post&pageID=238&nID=106968&NewsCatID=345 |title=$4.5 billion tax conspiracy by Gülenists against Doğan Group - BUSINESS |publisher=Hurriyetdailynews.com |date=6 December 2016 |accessdate=16 April 2017}}</ref> Erdoğan enthusiasts also highlight the fact that in the aftermath of the coup attempt, Erdoğan issued a Presidential pardon against those who "insulted" him.<ref>{{cite web|author="Agencies" |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/29/turkey-drops-cases-of-insult-against-president-in-coup-aftermath |title=Turkey president Erdoğan to drop cases of insult in coup aftermath | World news |publisher=''The Guardian'' |date=29 July 2016 |accessdate=16 April 2017}}</ref> Erdoğan detractors have noted that under Erdoğan, more journalists have been incarcerated in Turkey than in any other country, including North Korea.<ref name="journalists_jailed">[https://cpj.org/imprisoned/2016.php List of Journalists Imprisoned, by Country] Committee to Protect Journalists. December 1, 2016. Downloaded April 20, 2017.</ref> Detractors have also pointed out the fact that the April referendum essentially nullified the traditional legal "check" of parliamentary fiscal review, that parliament had previously held over his executive branch of government.<ref name="2017_referendum">[https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2017/04/04/erdogan-referendum-threatens-democracy-turkey Erdoğan referendum threatens democracy in Turkey] American Magazine. By Ryan Richardson. April 04, 2017. Downloaded 4-19-2017.</ref> Detractors have claimed that Erdoğan's unceasing efforts at broadening his executive powers while also minimizing his executive accountability may amount to the "fall of Turkish democracy,"<ref name="democracy_falls">[http://www.publicseminar.org/2017/03/the-fall-of-turkish-democracy/#.WPeLKetHarV The Fall of Turkish Democracy] Publicseminar.org. By Ertug Tombus. March 3, 2017. Downloaded April 19, 2017.</ref> and the "birth of a dictator."<ref>[https://global.handelsblatt.com/politics/birth-of-a-dictator-590174 Birth of a Dictator] European Business Daily. By Mathias Brüggmann et al. August 12, 2016. Downloaded Apr. 20, 2017.</ref> |
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==Personal life and education== |
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{{Main article|Early life and career of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan}} |
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[[File:Gül-Erdoğan cumhurbaşkanlığı devir teslim.jpg|thumb|Erdoğan and [[Abdullah Gül]] with their respective spouses]] |
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Erdoğan was born in the [[Kasımpaşa (quarter)|Kasımpaşa]] neighborhood of [[Istanbul]] to which his family had moved from [[Rize Province]]. Erdoğan allegedly said in 2003, "I'm a [[Georgian people|Georgian]], my family is a [[Georgia (country)|Georgian]] family which migrated from [[Batumi]] to [[Rize Province|Rize]]."<ref>{{cite news| title=Erdogan plays to base by slighting Armenians | newspaper=[[Al Monitor]] | url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/08/candar-erdogan-ethnic-slur-armenians-insult-anti-semitism.html}}</ref><ref>(Turkish text: ''Ben de Gürcü'yüm, ailemiz Batum'dan Rize'ye göç etmiş bir Gürcü ailesidir.'') Bülent Sarıoğlu,{{cite web|url=http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2005/12/13/siyaset/axsiy02.html |title="Kimlik değişimi!" |accessdate=5 May 2007 |deadurl=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20051215122006/http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2005/12/13/siyaset/axsiy02.html |archivedate=15 December 2005 |df=dmy }} ''[[Milliyet]]'', 13 December 2005.</ref> However, in a 2014 televised interview on the [[NTV (Turkey)|NTV]] news network, he said, "You wouldn't believe the things they have said about me. They have said I am Georgian ... even with much uglier things, they have called me Armenian, but I am Turkish."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Altintas|first1=Baris|title=PM uses offensive, racist language targeting Armenians|url=https://www.todayszaman.com/son-dakika_erdogan-even-worse-i-apologize-i-was-called-an-armenian_354746.html|publisher=''Zaman''|date=6 August 2014|accessdate=19 July 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305022943/http://www.todayszaman.com/anasayfa_pm-uses-offensive-racist-language-targeting-armenians_354746.html|archivedate=5 March 2016|dead-url=yes}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Taylor|first1=Adam|title=Is 'Armenian' an insult? Turkey's prime minister seems to think so.|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/08/06/is-armenian-an-insult-turkeys-prime-minister-seems-to-think-so/|publisher=''The Washington Post''|date=6 August 2014|accessdate=27 November 2014}}</ref> |
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==Early life and education== |
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Erdoğan spent his early childhood in [[Rize]], where his father was a member of the [[Turkish Coast Guard]].<ref name="charismatic">{{cite news|title=Turkey's charismatic pro-Islamic leader|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2270642.stm |newspaper=[[BBC News]]|date=4 November 2002|accessdate=23 July 2006}}</ref> His summer holidays were mostly spent in [[Güneysu]], [[Rize]], where his family originates from. Throughout his life he often returned to this spiritual home, and in 2015 he opened a vast mosque on a mountaintop near this village.<ref>[http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/kible-dagi-caminin-insaati-bitti-acilisi-erdogan-yapacak-29732329 Kıble Dağı Cami'nin inşaatı bitti, açılışı Erdoğan yapacak] Hürriyet, 5 August 2015</ref> The family returned to Istanbul when Erdoğan was 13 years old.<ref name="charismatic"/> |
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{{Main|Early life and career of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan}} |
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Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was born on 26 February 1954 in a poor [[Conservatism in Turkey|conservative Muslim]] family.<ref>{{cite web |title=R.Tayyip Erdoğan'ın Hayatı |url=https://www.memurlar.net/album/6052/r-tayyip-erdogan-in-hayati.html |website=memurlar.ne |access-date=24 April 2023 |language=tr}}</ref><ref name="auto" /> <!-- According to historian [[M. Hakan Yavuz]], Erdoğan was born in [[Güneysu]], [[Rize Province|Rize]], and later his family moved to [[Kasımpaşa, Beyoğlu|Kasımpaşa]], a poor neighborhood of [[Istanbul]].<ref>M. Hakan Yavuz, "Secularism and Muslim Democracy in Turkey", Cambridge University Press, 19 Φεβ 2009 p. 123. Available on the web.</ref> --- this is apparently incorrect. --> Erdoğan's family is originally from [[Adjara]], a region in [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]].<ref>{{cite web |title='Benim için Gürcü dediler' diye yakınan Erdoğan 2004'te 'Ben de Gürcü'yüm' demiş |url=https://t24.com.tr/haber/benim-icin-gurcu-dediler-diye-yakinan-erdogan-2004te-ben-de-gurcuyum-demis,266734 |website=T24 |access-date=7 November 2022 |language=Turkish |archive-date=23 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221023133445/https://t24.com.tr/haber/benim-icin-gurcu-dediler-diye-yakinan-erdogan-2004te-ben-de-gurcuyum-demis,266734 |url-status=live }}</ref> Although Erdoğan was reported to have said in 2003 that he was of [[Georgians in Turkey|Georgian]] origin and that his origins were in [[Batumi]],<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |title=Erdogan plays to base by slighting Armenians |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/08/candar-erdogan-ethnic-slur-armenians-insult-anti-semitism.html |archive-date= 19 February 2015|access-date=1 January 2022 |website=[[Al Monitor]]|date=7 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219161909/http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/08/candar-erdogan-ethnic-slur-armenians-insult-anti-semitism.html }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sarıoğlu |first=Bülent |year=2005 |title=Kimlik değişimi! |url=http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2005/12/13/siyaset/axsiy02.html |access-date=1 January 2022 |website=Milliyet|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051215122006/http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2005/12/13/siyaset/axsiy02.html |archive-date=15 December 2005 }}</ref> he later denied this.<ref name="auto"/> His parents were Ahmet Erdoğan (1905–1988) and Tenzile Erdoğan ([[née]] Mutlu; 1924–2011).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://m.ensonhaber.com/recep-tayyip-erdoganin-hayati-2014-07-01.html|title=Recep Tayyip Erdoğan'ın hayatı|date=1 July 2014|language=tr|publisher=Ensonhaber|access-date=22 September 2017|archive-date=12 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612163738/http://m.ensonhaber.com/recep-tayyip-erdoganin-hayati-2014-07-01.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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As a teenager, he sold lemonade and sesame buns ([[simit]]) on the streets of the city's rougher districts to earn extra money.<ref name="charismatic"/> Brought up in an observant Muslim family, Erdoğan graduated from Kasımpaşa Piyale primary school in 1965, and [[İmam Hatip school]], a religious vocational high school, in 1973. He received his high school diploma from Eyüp High School. He subsequently studied [[Business Administration]] at the Aksaray School of Economics and Commercial Sciences, now known as [[Marmara University]]'s Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences<ref name="bbcerdogan">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6900616.stm|title=Profile: Recep Tayyip Erdogan|work=BBC News|accessdate=29 August 2008|date=18 July 2007}}</ref>—although several Turkish sources dispute that he graduated.<ref name="oda TV"/><ref name="sozcu.com.tr"/><ref name="Zaman"/> |
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<!-- Erdoğan spent his early childhood in [[Rize]], where his father was a captain<ref name="İşte Ahmet Kaptan'ın bilinmeyen hikayesi">{{cite web|language=tr|url=http://odatv.com/iste-ahmet-kaptanin-bilinmeyen-hikayesi-0412161200_m.html|title=İşte Ahmet Kaptan'ın bilinmeyen hikayesi|publisher=Odatv|date=4 December 2016|access-date=22 September 2017|archive-date=11 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220111102551/http://odatv.com/iste-ahmet-kaptanin-bilinmeyen-hikayesi-0412161200_m.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> in the [[Turkish Coast Guard]].<ref name="charismatic">{{cite news|title=Turkey's charismatic pro-Islamic leader|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2270642.stm|work=[[BBC News]]|date=4 November 2002|access-date=23 July 2006|archive-date=30 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191030100708/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2270642.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> -- also apparently incorrect; his father had a position in Istanbul -->While Erdoğan attended school in Istanbul, his summer holidays were mostly spent in [[Güneysu]], Rize, where his family originates from. Throughout his life he often returned to this spiritual home, and in 2015 he opened a vast mosque on a mountaintop near this village.<ref>[http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/kible-dagi-caminin-insaati-bitti-acilisi-erdogan-yapacak-29732329 Kıble Dağı Cami'nin inşaatı bitti, açılışı Erdoğan yapacak] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203081939/http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/kible-dagi-caminin-insaati-bitti-acilisi-erdogan-yapacak-29732329 |date=3 February 2016 }} ''Hürriyet Daily News'', 5 August 2015</ref> The family returned to Istanbul when Erdoğan was 13 years old.<ref name="charismatic">{{cite news|title=Turkey's charismatic pro-Islamic leader|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2270642.stm|work=[[BBC News]]|date=4 November 2002|access-date=23 July 2006|archive-date=30 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191030100708/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2270642.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In his youth, Erdoğan played semi-professional [[association football|football]] at a local club.<ref name="bbcerdogan"/><ref name="akperdogan">{{cite web|url=http://www.akparti.org.tr/english/yonetim/genel-baskan|title=Life story|work=AK Parti Official Web Site|accessdate=29 August 2008}}</ref><ref name="britannicaerdogan">{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/913988/Recep-Tayyip-Erdogan|title=Recep Tayyip Erdoğan|encyclopedia=[[Britannica Online Encyclopedia]]|accessdate=29 August 2008}}</ref> [[Fenerbahçe]] wanted him to transfer to the club but his father prevented it.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://siyaset.milliyet.com.tr/fenerbahce-erdogan-i-transfer-etmek-istemis/siyaset/siyasetdetay/01.04.2013/1687933/default.htm|title=Fenerbahçe Erdoğan'ı transfer etmek istemiş|work=Milliyet|date=1 April 2013|accessdate=9 July 2013|language=Turkish|trans-title= Fenerbahçe wanted to transfer Erdoğan}}</ref> The stadium of the local football club in the district where he grew up, [[Kasımpaşa S.K.]] is named after him. |
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As a teenager, Erdoğan's father provided him with a weekly allowance of 2.5 Turkish lira, less than a dollar. With it, Erdoğan bought postcards and resold them on the street. He sold bottles of water to drivers stuck in traffic. Erdoğan also worked as a street vendor selling [[simit]] (sesame bread rings), wearing a white gown and selling the simit from a red three-wheel cart with the rolls stacked behind glass.<ref name="charismatic" /> In his youth, Erdoğan played semi-professional [[association football|football]] in Camialtıspor FC, a local club.<ref>Yalçın, Soner; pp. 43</ref><ref name="bbcerdogan" /><ref name="akperdogan">{{cite web|url=http://www.akparti.org.tr/english/yonetim/genel-baskan|title=Life story|publisher=AK Parti Official Web Site|access-date=29 August 2008|archive-date=29 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929131509/http://www.akparti.org.tr/english/yonetim/genel-baskan|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="britannicaerdogan">{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/913988/Recep-Tayyip-Erdogan|title=Recep Tayyip Erdoğan|encyclopedia=[[Britannica Online Encyclopedia]]|access-date=29 August 2008|archive-date=15 April 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100415182732/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/913988/Recep-Tayyip-Erdogan|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Fenerbahçe]] wanted him to transfer to the club{{clarify |date=June 2023 |reason=What does this mean?}} but his father prevented it.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://siyaset.milliyet.com.tr/fenerbahce-erdogan-i-transfer-etmek-istemis/siyaset/siyasetdetay/01.04.2013/1687933/default.htm|title=Fenerbahçe Erdoğan'ı transfer etmek istemiş|work=Milliyet|date=1 April 2013|access-date=9 July 2013|language=tr|trans-title=Fenerbahçe wanted to transfer Erdoğan|archive-date=25 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525001143/http://siyaset.milliyet.com.tr/fenerbahce-erdogan-i-transfer-etmek-istemis/siyaset/siyasetdetay/01.04.2013/1687933/default.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Stadium|stadium]] of the local football club in the district where he grew up, [[Kasımpaşa S.K.]] is named after him.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Klaiber|first=Timo |title=Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Stadyumu|url=https://www.europlan-online.de/recep-tayyip-erdo%2526%2523287an-stadyumu/stadion-5616.html|access-date=30 October 2020|website=Europlan-Online|archive-date=1 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101155138/https://www.europlan-online.de/recep-tayyip-erdo%2526%2523287an-stadyumu/stadion-5616.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Turkey's 'Imam Beckenbauer,' Recep Tayyip Erdogan, applies for Euro 2024 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/turkeys-imam-beckenbauer-recep-tayyip-erdogan-applies-for-euro-2024/a-43558633|access-date=30 October 2020|publisher=Deutsche Welle|language=en-GB|archive-date=4 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104024730/https://www.dw.com/en/turkeys-imam-beckenbauer-recep-tayyip-erdogan-applies-for-euro-2024/a-43558633|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Erdoğan married Emine Gülbaran (born 1955, [[Siirt]]) on 4 July 1978.<ref name="milliyeterdoganbio">{{cite news|url=http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2007/08/29/son/sonsiy47.asp|title=Bakanlar Kurulu'nun özgeçmişi|publisher=''Milliyet''|date=29 August 2007|accessdate=22 April 2011|language=Turkish|trans-title=Ministers of the Board's CV}}</ref> They have two sons; [[Ahmet Burak Erdoğan|Ahmet Burak]] and [[Bilal Erdoğan|Necmettin Bilal]], and two daughters, Esra and Sümeyye.<ref name="milliyeterdoganbio"/> His father, Ahmet Erdoğan, died in 1988 and his 88-year-old mother, Tenzile Erdoğan, died in 2011.<ref>{{cite news|title=Erdogan's Mother Tenzile Erdogan Dies of Acute Cholecystitis|url=http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/124664/erdogan-39-s-mother-tenzile-erdogan-dies-of-acute-cholecystitis.html|accessdate=21 March 2014|newspaper=''Turkish Weekly''|date=7 October 2011}}</ref> He is a member of the [[Community of İskenderpaşa]], a Turkish sufistic community of [[Naqshbandi]] [[tariqah]].<ref>[http://www.eurasiareview.com/05092015-the-naqshbandi-khalidi-order-and-political-islam-in-turkey-analysis/ Eurasia Review: "The Naqshbandi-Khalidi Order And Political Islam In Turkey – Analysis" By Hudson Institue] 5 September 2015</ref><ref>[http://file.insightturkey.com/Files/Pdf/15_2_2013_heper.pdf Insight Turkey: "Islam, Conservatism, and Democracy in Turkey: Comparing Turgut Özal and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan" by METİN HEPER] 15 February 2013</ref> |
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Erdoğan is a member of the [[Community of İskenderpaşa]], a Turkish Sufistic community of [[Naqshbandi]] [[tariqah]].<ref>[http://www.eurasiareview.com/05092015-the-naqshbandi-khalidi-order-and-political-islam-in-turkey-analysis/ Eurasia Review: "The Naqshbandi-Khalidi Order And Political Islam In Turkey – Analysis" By Hudson Institute] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181125115800/http://www.eurasiareview.com/05092015-the-naqshbandi-khalidi-order-and-political-islam-in-turkey-analysis/ |date=25 November 2018 }} 5 September 2015</ref><ref>[http://file.insightturkey.com/Files/Pdf/15_2_2013_heper.pdf Insight Turkey: "Islam, Conservatism, and Democracy in Turkey: Comparing Turgut Özal and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan" by METİN HEPER] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304095616/http://file.insightturkey.com/Files/Pdf/15_2_2013_heper.pdf |date=4 March 2016 }} 15 February 2013</ref> |
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===Education=== |
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Erdoğan graduated from Kasımpaşa Piyale Primary School in 1965, and the Istanbul [[İmam Hatip school|İmam Hatip High School]], a religious vocational high school, in 1973.<ref name=":025">{{Cite web |title=Who's who in Politics in Turkey |url=https://tr.boell.org/sites/default/files/ays-tarihvakfi-18x24-boll-r7-eng.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115005654/https://tr.boell.org/sites/default/files/ays-tarihvakfi-18x24-boll-r7-eng.pdf |archive-date=15 November 2019 |access-date=27 November 2022 |website=[[Heinrich Böll]] Stiftung |pages=215}}</ref> The same educational path was followed by other co-founders of the [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|AK Party]].<ref>{{cite journal | author = [[Martin van Bruinessen]] | url = https://journals.openedition.org/ejts/5964#tocto1n1 | title = The Governance of Islam in Two Secular Polities: Turkey's Diyanet and Indonesia's Ministry of Religious Affairs | journal = European Journal of Turkish Studies | issn = 1773-0546 | oclc = 7999641981 | doi = 10.4000/ejts.5964 | year = 2018 | number = 27 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20190502231759/https://journals.openedition.org/ejts/5964 | archive-date = 2 May 2019 | url-status = live| doi-access = free }} on [[Revues.org]] website (at n. 55 of the paper).</ref> One quarter of the curriculum of İmam Hatip schools involves study of the [[Quran]], the life of the Islamic prophet [[Muhammad]], and the [[Arabic language]]. Erdoğan studied the Quran at the İmam Hatip, where his classmates began calling him ''hoca'' ("teacher" or "religious official"). |
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Erdoğan attended a meeting of the nationalist student group National Turkish Student Union (''Milli Türk Talebe Birliği''), who sought to raise a conservative cohort of young people to counter the rising movement of leftists in Turkey. Within the group, Erdoğan was distinguished by his oratorical skills, developing a penchant for public speaking and excelling in front of an audience. He won first place in a poetry-reading competition organized by the Community of Turkish Technical Painters, and began preparing for speeches through reading and research. Erdoğan would later comment on these competitions as "enhancing our courage to speak in front of the masses".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Phillips |first1=David |title=An uncertain ally : Turkey under Erdoğan's dictatorship |date=20 April 2017 |publisher=Transaction Publishers |location=New Jersey |isbn=978-1-4128-6545-6}}</ref> |
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Erdoğan wanted to pursue advanced studies at the [[Faculty of Political Science, Ankara University|Ankara University Faculty of Political Science]], commonly known as Mülkiye, but only students with regular high school diplomas were eligible to apply, thereby excluding Imam Hatip graduates. Mülkiye was known for its political science department, which trained many statesmen and politicians in Turkey. Erdoğan was then admitted to Eyüp High School, a regular state school. That he eventually received a high school diploma from this school is a subject of debate.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cumhurbaşkanımız Sayın Recep Tayyip Erdoğan'ın da Mezun Olduğu, 107 Yıllık Tarihi Eyüp Anadolu Lisesi, Yeni Yüzüyle Eğitim Hayatına Devam Ediyor |url=http://www.eyupsultan.gov.tr/eyup-anadolu-lisesi- |access-date=2023-11-12 |website=www.eyupsultan.gov.tr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title="Erdoğan Eyüp Lisesi'ne hiç gitmedi!" |url=https://www.toplumsal.com.tr/erdogan-eyup-lisesine-hic-gitmedi |access-date=2023-11-12 |website=Toplumsal Haber |language=tr}}</ref> |
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According to his official biography, Erdoğan subsequently studied [[business administration]] at the Aksaray School of Economics and Commercial Sciences ({{langx|tr|Aksaray İktisat ve Ticaret Yüksekokulu}}), now known as [[Marmara University]]'s Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences.<ref name="bbcerdogan">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6900616.stm|title=Profile: Recep Tayyip Erdogan|work=BBC News|access-date=29 August 2008|date=18 July 2007|archive-date=14 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210314194021/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6900616.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> Both the authenticity and status of his degree have been the subject of [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan university diploma controversy|disputes and controversy]] over whether the diploma is legitimate and ought to be considered sufficient to make him eligible as a candidate for the presidency.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Erzeren |first=Ömer |date=8 June 2022 |title=Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Hat er sein Diplom gefälscht? |url=https://www.spiegel.de/lebenundlernen/uni/recep-tayyip-erdogan-hat-er-sein-diplom-gefaelscht-a-1098259.html |access-date=27 November 2022 |publisher=[[Der Spiegel]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220608194537/https://www.spiegel.de/lebenundlernen/uni/recep-tayyip-erdogan-hat-er-sein-diplom-gefaelscht-a-1098259.html |archive-date=8 June 2022 }}</ref> |
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==Early political career== |
==Early political career== |
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{{See also|Electoral history of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan}} |
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While studying business administration and playing semi-professional football, Erdoğan engaged in politics by joining the National Turkish Student Union, an [[Anti-communism|anti-communist]] action group. In 1974, he wrote, directed and played the lead role in the play ''Maskomya'', which presented [[Freemasonry]], [[Communism]] and [[Judaism]] as evil.<ref>{{cite web|title=Antisemitism in the Turkish Media (Part III): Targeting Turkey's Jewish Citizens|url=http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/1388.htm|publisher=''[[Middle East Media Research Institute]]''|accessdate=5 September 2011|date=6 June 2005}}</ref> In 1976, he became the head of the [[Beyoğlu]] youth branch of the Islamist [[National Salvation Party]] (MSP),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=the-making-of-tayyip-erdogan-2010-10-31|title=The making of Turkey's prime minister|work=Hürriyet Daily News|author=Mustafa Akyoldate=31 October 2010|accessdate=31 October 2010}}</ref> and was later promoted to chair of the Istanbul youth branch of the party. |
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[[File:Crop of Erdogan in Canakkale.jpg|thumb|[[Prime minister of Turkey|Prime Minister]] Erdoğan on 18 March 2008, during the [[Gallipoli campaign#Legacy|Çanakkale Victory and Martyrs' Remembrance Day]] ceremony]] |
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In 1976, Erdoğan engaged in politics by joining the National Turkish Student Union, an [[Anti-communism|anti-communist]] action group. In the same year, he became head of the [[Beyoğlu]] youth branch of the Islamist [[National Salvation Party]] (MSP),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=the-making-of-tayyip-erdogan-2010-10-31|title=The making of Turkey's prime minister|work=Hürriyet Daily News|author=Mustafa Akyol |date=31 October 2010|access-date=31 October 2010|archive-date=2 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101102151408/http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=the-making-of-tayyip-erdogan-2010-10-31|url-status=dead}}</ref> and was later promoted to chair of the Istanbul youth branch.<ref name=":025"/> He held this position until the [[1980 Turkish coup d'etat|1980 military coup]] which dissolved all major political parties. He went on to be a consultant and senior executive in the private sector in the aftermath of the coup. |
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After the [[1980 Turkish coup d'etat|1980 military coup]], Erdoğan followed most of [[Necmettin Erbakan]]'s followers into the [[Islamic revival|Islamist]] [[Welfare Party]]. He became the party's Beyoğlu district chair in 1984, and in 1985 he became the chair of the Istanbul city branch. He was elected to parliament in 1991, but barred from taking his seat.{{citation needed|date=November 2014}} |
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Three years later, in 1983, Erdoğan followed most of [[Necmettin Erbakan]]'s followers into the newly founded [[Welfare Party]] (RP). The new party, like its predecessors subscribed to Erbakan's strain of [[Islamism]], the [[Millî Görüş|National view]]. He became the party's [[Beyoğlu]] district chair in 1984, and head of its Istanbul branch in 1985. Erdoğan entered the parliamentary by-elections of 1986 as a candidate in Istanbul's 6th electoral district, but failed to get elected. Three years later, Erdoğan ran for the district mayoralty of Beyoğlu, finishing in second place with 22.8% of the vote.<ref>{{cite web |title=Recep Tayyip Erdoğan |url=https://www.biyografya.com/biyografi/15508 |website=www.biyografya.com |access-date=31 March 2022 |language=en |archive-date=31 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331205112/https://www.biyografya.com/biyografi/15508 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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===Mayor of Istanbul (1994–98)=== |
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In the [[Turkish local elections, 1994|local elections of 27 March 1994]], Erdoğan was elected [[Mayor of Istanbul]], with a plurality (25.19%) of the popular vote. Many feared that he would impose Islamic law; however, he was pragmatic in office, tackling chronic problems in Istanbul including [[water shortage]], pollution and [[traffic|traffic chaos]]. The water shortage problem was solved with the laying of hundreds of kilometers of new pipelines. The garbage problem was solved with the establishment of state-of-the-art recycling facilities. While Erdoğan was in office, air pollution was reduced through a plan developed to switch to natural gas. He changed the [[Transit bus|public buses]] to environmentally friendly ones. The city's traffic and transportation jams were reduced with more than fifty bridges, viaducts, and highways built. He took precautions to prevent corruption, using measures to ensure that municipal funds were used prudently. He paid back a major portion of Istanbul [[Metropolitan Municipality]]'s two billion dollar debt and invested four billion dollars in the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldleaders.columbia.edu/participants/recep-tayyip-erdo%C4%9F|title=Recep Tayyip Erdoğan participated in the World Leaders Forum event, Turkey's Role in Shaping the Future, in November 2008|publisher=[[Columbia University]]|date=12 November 2008|accessdate=12 November 2008}}</ref> |
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In the [[1991 Turkish general election|1991 general election]], the Welfare Party more than doubled its share of the vote in Istanbul compared to four years prior, reaching 16.7%. At first, Erdoğan, who led his party's district list, was thought to have been elected to parliament. However, as a product of the [[open-list proportional representation]] system adopted during the previous term, after all votes expressing a candidate preference were tabulated, it was instead Mustafa Baş who earned the seat allocated to the Welfare Party. A difference of about 4,000 preferential votes separated the two, with Baş's ~13,000 to Erdoğan's ~9,000.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2011/jun/05/observer-profile-recep-erdogan-turkey|title=Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Is 'Papa' still a father figure to Turks? |last=Beaumont|first=Peter|date=4 June 2011|work=The Guardian|access-date=3 August 2019|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=3 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190803081910/https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2011/jun/05/observer-profile-recep-erdogan-turkey|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Erdoğan initiated the first roundtable of mayors during the [[Habitat II|Istanbul conference]], which led to a global, organized movement of mayors. A seven-member international jury from the United Nations unanimously awarded Erdoğan the [[United Nations Human Settlements Programme|UN-HABITAT]] award.<ref name="unhabitat3" />{{dead link|date=December 2014}} |
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===Mayor of Istanbul (1994–1998)=== |
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==Imprisonment== |
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In the [[1994 Turkish local elections|local elections of 1994]], Erdoğan ran as a candidate for [[Mayor of Istanbul]]. He was a young, dark horse candidate in a crowded field. Over the course of the campaign, he was mocked by the mainstream media and treated as a country bumpkin by his opponents.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Akdogan |first1=Yalcin |title=Political leadership and Erdoğan |date=27 February 2018 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing; Unabridged edition |isbn=978-1-5275-0627-5 |page=9}}</ref> In an upset, he won with 25.19% of the popular vote, making it the first time a mayor of Istanbul got elected from his political party. His win coincided with a wave of Welfare Party victories nationwide, as they won 28 provincial mayoralties - most out of any party - and numerous metropolitan seats, including the capital, Ankara. He said at the time: "Democracy is like a train: when we reach our destination, we get off".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trezza |first=Matt |date=2016-07-20 |title=Three Freedoms Erdogan Scorns but Saved His Regime |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/three-freedoms-erdogan-sc_b_11029016 |access-date= |website=Huffington Post |language=}} |
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In 1998, the [[Islamic fundamentalism|fundamentalist]] [[Welfare Party]] was declared unconstitutional on the grounds of threatening the [[Secularism in Turkey|secularism of Turkey]] and was shut down by the [[Constitutional Court of Turkey|Turkish constitutional court]]. Erdoğan became a prominent speaker at demonstrations held by his party colleagues.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite book|editor1-last=Rubin|editor1-first=Barry M.|editor2-last=Heper|editor2-first=Meten|title=Political Parties in Turkey|date=3 April 2002|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B71dAgAAQBAJ&pg=PP5&lpg=PP5&dq=Barry+M.+Rubin.+Political+Parties+in+Turkey&source=bl&ots=h6FA76QDIH&sig=hbknxmqdd648uMKovLAQLtGysxA&hl=en&sa=X&ei=HzSAVJrSNYqd8QWO7YCwBA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Barry%20M.%20Rubin.%20Political%20Parties%20in%20Turkey&f=false|publisher=Routledge|last=Yesilada|first=Birol A.|chapter=The Virtue Party|page=68|isbn=978-0714682471|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref> |
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</ref> |
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In December 1997 in [[Siirt]], Erdoğan recited a poem from a work written by [[Ziya Gökalp]], a pan-Turkish activist of the early 20th century.<ref name="Turkey's Most Eluded Prime Minister">{{cite news|title=Turkey's Powerful Prime Minister: Who Can Challenge Erdogan?|author=Walter Mayr|url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,495683,00.html|work=Der Spiegel|date=16 July 2007|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref> His recitation included verses translated as "The mosques are our barracks, the domes our helmets, the minarets our bayonets and the faithful our soldiers...."<ref name="charismatic" /> which are not in the original version of the poem. Erdoğan said the poem had been approved by the education ministry to be published in textbooks.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/11/magazine/the-erdogan-experiment.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm|work=The New York Times|first=Deborah|last=Sontag|title=The Erdogan Experiment|date=11 May 2003|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref> Under [[Article 312 (Turkish Penal Code)|article 312/2 of the Turkish penal code]] his recitation was regarded as an incitement to violence and religious or racial hatred.<ref name="court">{{cite news |title=Erdoğan'a ceza şoku |author= |url=http://arsiv.zaman.com.tr/1998/04/22/guncel/all.html |newspaper=''Zaman''|language=Turkish |date=22 April 1998 |accessdate=3 February 2007|trans-title=Erdoğan's punishment shock}}</ref> He was given a ten-month prison sentence of which he served four months, from 24 March 1999 to 27 July 1999.<ref>{{cite journal|title=A Tale of Two Mayors: Courts and Politics in Iran and Turkey |first=Hootan|last=Shambayati|url=http://journals.cambridge.org/article_S0020743804362057|date=May 2004|journal=International Journal of Middle East Studies|publisher=Cambridge University Press|volume=36|issue=2|pages=253–275|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref> Due to his conviction, Erdoğan was forced to give up his mayoral position. The conviction also stipulated a political ban, which prevented him from participating in parliamentary elections. |
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Erdoğan governed pragmatically, focusing on bread-and-butter issues. He aimed to tackle the chronic problems plaguing the metropolis, such as [[water shortage]], pollution – [[:tr:Ümraniye çöp patlaması|waste collection issues]] in particular – and severely congested traffic. He undertook an infrastructure overhaul: expanding and modernizing the water grid with hundreds of kilometers of new water pipes being laid, and constructing more than fifty bridges, viaducts, and stretches of highway to mitigate traffic. State-of-the-art recycling facilities were built and air pollution was reduced through a plan to switch to natural gas. He changed the [[Transit bus|public buses]] to environmentally friendly ones. He took precautions to prevent corruption, using measures to ensure that municipal funds were used prudently. He paid back a major portion of Istanbul [[Metropolitan Municipality]]'s two-billion-dollar debt and invested four billion dollars in the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldleaders.columbia.edu/participants/recep-tayyip-erdo%C4%9F|title=Recep Tayyip Erdoğan participated in the World Leaders Forum event, Turkey's Role in Shaping the Future, in November 2008|publisher=[[Columbia University]]|date=12 November 2008|access-date=12 November 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100609035001/http://www.worldleaders.columbia.edu/participants/recep-tayyip-erdo%C4%9F|archive-date=9 June 2010}}</ref> He also opened up City Hall to the people, gave out his e-mail address and established municipal hot lines.<ref name="nytimes2003" /> |
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==Prime Minister (2003–14)== |
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{{Split section |Premiership of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan|discuss=Talk:Recep Tayyip Erdoğan#Split proposed |date=April 2017}} |
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Erdoğan initiated the first roundtable of mayors during the [[Habitat II|Istanbul conference]], which led to a global, organized movement of mayors. A seven-member international jury from the United Nations unanimously awarded Erdoğan the [[United Nations Human Settlements Programme|UN-Habitat]] award.<ref name="unhabitat3" /> |
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[[File:Erdoğan, 2012 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Erdoğan making a [[press release]] at the Prime Minister's Office in [[Ankara]]]] |
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In 2001, Erdoğan established the Justice and Development Party (AKP).<ref>{{citation needed|date=December 2014}}</ref> The AKP won a landslide victory in the [[Turkish general election, 2002|2002 election]], taking nearly two-thirds of the seats. Erdoğan could not become Prime Minister as he was still banned from politics by the judiciary for his speech in Siirt. Gül became the Prime Minister instead. In December 2002, the Supreme Election Board canceled the general election results from Siirt due to voting irregularities and [[Siirt Province by-election, 2003|scheduled a new election for 9 February 2003]]. By this time, party leader Erdoğan was able to run for parliament due to a legal change made possible by the opposition Republican People's Party. The AKP duly listed Erdoğan as a candidate for the rescheduled election, which he won, becoming Prime Minister after Gül handed over the post.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/03/11/turkey.elections/|title=Turkish PM quits for Erdogan|date=11 March 2003|publisher=''CNN''|accessdate=28 July 2012}}</ref> |
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=== |
=== Imprisonment === |
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In December 1997 in [[Siirt]], Erdoğan recited a modified version of the "[[:tr:Asker Duası|Soldier's prayer]]" poem written by [[Ziya Gökalp]], a [[Pan-Turkism|pan-Turkish]] activist of the early 20th century.<ref name="Turkey's Most Eluded Prime Minister">{{cite news|title=Turkey's Powerful Prime Minister: Who Can Challenge Erdogan?|author=Walter Mayr|url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,495683,00.html|work=Der Spiegel|date=16 July 2007|access-date=3 December 2014|archive-date=4 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304232350/http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,495683,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref> This version included an additional stanza in the beginning, its first two verses reading "The mosques are our barracks, the domes our helmets / The minarets our bayonets and the faithful our soldiers...."<ref name="charismatic" /> Under [[Article 312 (Turkish Penal Code)|article 312/2 of the Turkish penal code]] his recitation was regarded by the judge as an incitement to violence and religious or racial hatred.<ref name="court">{{cite news |title=Erdoğan'a ceza şoku |url=http://arsiv.zaman.com.tr/1998/04/22/guncel/all.html |newspaper=Zaman |language=tr |date=22 April 1998 |access-date=3 February 2007 |trans-title=Erdoğan's punishment shock |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090531074150/http://arsiv.zaman.com.tr/1998/04/22/guncel/all.html |archive-date=31 May 2009}}</ref><ref name="erdogan-imprisoned">{{cite journal |last=Shambayati |first=Hootan |date=May 2004 |title=A Tale of Two Mayors: Courts and Politics in Iran and Turkey |journal=International Journal of Middle East Studies |publisher=Cambridge University Press |volume=36 |issue=2 |pages=253–275 |doi=10.1017/S0020743804362057 |s2cid=153768860 |hdl-access=free |hdl=11693/24287 | issn = 0020-7438}}</ref><ref name="Turkey's Most Eluded Prime Minister" /> In his defense, Erdoğan said that the poem was published in state-approved books.<ref name="nytimes2003">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/11/magazine/the-erdogan-experiment.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm|work=The New York Times|first=Deborah|last=Sontag|title=The Erdogan Experiment|date=11 May 2003|access-date=3 December 2014|archive-date=29 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129223403/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/11/magazine/the-erdogan-experiment.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm|url-status=live}}</ref> How this version of the poem ended up in a book published by the [[Turkish Standards Institution]] remained a topic of discussion.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bardakçı |first1=Murat |title=Şiiri böyle montajlamışlar |url=https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/siiri-boyle-montajlamislar-99109 |access-date=15 October 2022 |work=Hürriyet |date=22 September 2002 |language=tr |archive-date=19 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140619235317/http://hurarsiv.hurriyet.com.tr/goster/haber.aspx?id=99109&yazarid=28 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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{{See also|Solution process}} |
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In 2009, Prime Minister Erdoğan's government announced a plan to help end the quarter-century-long [[Turkey–Kurdistan Workers' Party conflict]] that had cost more than 40,000 lives. The government's plan, supported by the [[European Union]], allowed the [[Kurdish language]] to be used in all broadcast media and political campaigns, and restored Kurdish names to cities and towns that had been [[Geographical name changes in Turkey|given Turkish ones]].<ref name="Arsu">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/14/world/europe/14kurds.html|title=Turkey Plans to Ease Restrictions on Kurds and Help End Decades of Conflict|work=New York Times|date=13 November 2009|accessdate=17 November 2009|first=Sebnem|last=Arsu}}</ref> Erdoğan said, "We took a courageous step to resolve chronic issues that constitute an obstacle along Turkey's development, progression and empowerment".<ref name="Arsu"/> Erdoğan passed a partial amnesty to reduce penalties faced by many members of the Kurdish guerrilla movement [[Kurdistan Workers' Party|PKK]] who had surrendered to the government.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108054.html?pageno=4|title=Attempts to Improve the Government|publisher=infoplease.com|accessdate=28 July 2012}}</ref> On 23 November 2011, during a televised meeting of his party in Ankara, he apologised on behalf of the state for the [[Dersim massacre]], where many [[Alevi]]s and [[Zaza people|Zazas]] were killed.<ref>{{cite news|title=Turkey apologises for 1930s killing of thousands of Kurds|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/turkey/8910369/Turkey-apologises-for-1930s-killing-of-thousands-of-Kurds.html|accessdate=24 November 2011|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=24 November 2011|location=London}}</ref> |
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Erdoğan was given a ten-month prison sentence.<ref name="erdogan-imprisoned" /> He was forced to give up his mayoral position due to his conviction. The conviction also stipulated a political ban, which prevented him from participating in elections.<ref>{{cite news|title=Profile: Recep Tayyip Erdogan|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/spotlight/turkeyelection/2011/05/2011526121054590355.html|access-date=3 May 2017|publisher=Al Jazeera|date=27 May 2011|archive-date=5 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170605231532/http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/spotlight/turkeyelection/2011/05/2011526121054590355.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He had appealed for the sentence to be converted to a monetary fine, but it was reduced to four months instead (24 March 1999 to 27 July 1999).<ref>{{cite news|title=Erdogan goes to prison|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/erdogan-goes-to-prison.aspx?pageID=438&n=erdogan-goes-to-prison-1999-03-27|access-date=3 May 2017|work=Hürriyet Daily News|date=27 March 1999|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170420104656/http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/erdogan-goes-to-prison.aspx?pageID=438&n=erdogan-goes-to-prison-1999-03-27|archive-date=20 April 2017}}</ref> |
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===Armenian Genocide=== |
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Prime Minister Erdoğan expressed multiple times that Turkey would acknowledge the [[Armenian Genocide|mass killings of up to 1.5 million Armenians during World War I]] as genocide only after a thorough investigation by a joint Turkish-Armenian commission consisting of historians, [[archaeologists]], [[political scientists]] and other experts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cfr.org/publication/14395/conversation_with_recep_tayyip_erdogan_rush_transcript_federal_news_service.htm|title=A Conversation with Recep Tayyip Erdogan|date=27 September 2007|publisher=Council on Foreign Relations|accessdate=29 July 2012}}</ref><ref name="Erdoganspeech">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqcjaPsJHXI|title=Turkish Prime Minister talks about Armenian genocide|date=9 February 2008|publisher=YouTube}}</ref>{{better source|date=August 2013}} In 2005, Erdoğan and the [[Republican People's Party (Turkey)|main opposition]] party leader [[Deniz Baykal]] wrote a letter to [[Armenian President]] [[Robert Kocharian]], proposing the creation of a joint Turkish-Armenian commission.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.turkishembassy.com/ii/O/ErdogantoKocaryan.htm|title=Letter sent by H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdogan|author=Recep Tayyip Erdoğan|date=10 April 2005|publisher=Turkish Embassy|accessdate=29 July 2013}}</ref> Armenian Foreign Minister [[Vartan Oskanian]] rejected the offer because he asserted that the proposal itself was "insincere and not serious." He added: "This issue cannot be considered at historical level with Turks, who themselves politicized the problem."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/8050/|title=Yerevan Rejects Turkish PM Erdogan's Dialogue Letter|date=14 April 2005|work=The Journal of Turkish Weekly|accessdate=29 July 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Peaceful Co-Existence of Armenia and Turkey Possible|url=http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/19638/|agency=PanArmenian|date=16 October 2006}}</ref> |
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He was transferred to Pınarhisar prison in [[Kırklareli Province|Kırklareli]]. The day Erdoğan went to prison, he released an album called ''[[This Song Doesn't End Here]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Caglayan |first1=Selin |title=Who is Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey |url=https://www.insideover.com/schede/politics/who-is-recep-tayyip-erdogan.html |access-date=14 October 2022 |work=InsideOver |date=7 October 2019 |archive-date=14 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221014033524/https://www.insideover.com/schede/politics/who-is-recep-tayyip-erdogan.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The album features a tracklist of seven poems and became the best-selling album of Turkey in 1999, selling over one million copies.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tiraj paniği |url=https://www.milliyet.com.tr/pembenar/tiraj-panigi-5244241 |access-date=14 October 2022 |work=Milliyet |date=16 July 1999 |language=tr |archive-date=21 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200721152208/https://www.milliyet.com.tr/pembenar/tiraj-panigi-5244241 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2013, Erdoğan visited the Pınarhisar prison again for the first time in fourteen years. After the visit, he said "For me, Pınarhisar is a symbol of rebirth, where we prepared the establishment of the Justice and Development Party".<ref>{{cite news |title=Erdoğan returns to Pinarhisar 14 years later as Prime Minister |url=https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/2013/12/07/erdogan-returns-to-where-he-once-served-time-14-years-later-as-prime-minister |access-date=15 October 2022 |work=Daily Sabah |date=7 December 2013 |archive-date=15 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221015014613/https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/2013/12/07/erdogan-returns-to-where-he-once-served-time-14-years-later-as-prime-minister |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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In December 2008, Erdoğan criticised the [[I Apologize campaign]] by Turkish intellectuals to recognize the Armenian Genocide, saying, "I neither accept nor support this campaign. We did not commit a crime, therefore we do not need to apologise ... It will not have any benefit other than stirring up trouble, disturbing our peace and undoing the steps which have been taken."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/dec/18/armenian-genocide-apology-turkish-rebuttal|title=Turkish PM dismisses apology for alleged Armenian genocide|newspaper=''The Guardian''|date=18 November 2008|accessdate=1 July 2011|last=Tait|first=Robert}}</ref> In November 2009, he said, "it's not possible for a Muslim to commit genocide."<ref>{{cite news|title=Sudanese President Bashir's visit to Turkey in limbo|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/default.aspx?pageid=438&n=a-muslim-can-never-commit-genocide-erdogan-defends-bashir-2009-11-08|accessdate=25 August 2013|newspaper=''[[Hürriyet Daily News]]''|date=11 August 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Freedman|first=Seth|title=Erdogan's blind faith in Muslims|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/nov/11/erdogan-muslims-turkish-sudan-gaza|accessdate=25 August 2013|newspaper=''[[The Guardian]]''|date=11 November 2009}}</ref> |
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[[File:Monument to Humanity by Mehmet Aksoy in Kars,Turkey.jpg|thumbnail|250px|In 2011, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ordered the Monument to Humanity, a statue dedicated to fostering Armenian and Turkish relations, to be destroyed.]] |
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In 2011, Erdoğan ordered the tearing-down of the [[Statue of Humanity]], a Turkish-Armenian friendship monument in [[Kars]], which was commissioned in 2006 and represented a metaphor of the rapprochement of the two countries after many years of dispute over the events of 1915. Erdoğan justified the removal by stating that the monument was offensively close to the tomb of an 11th-century Islamic scholar, and that its shadow ruined the view of that site, while Kars municipality officials said it was illegally erected in a protected area. However, the former mayor of Kars who approved the original construction of the monument said the municipality was destroying not just a "monument to humanity" but "humanity itself". The demolition was not unopposed; among its detractors were several Turkish artists. Two of them, the painter Bedri Baykam and his associate, Pyramid Art Gallery general coordinator Tugba Kurtulmus, were stabbed after a meeting with other artists at the Istanbul Akatlar cultural center.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/default.aspx?pageid=438&n=turkish-painter-stabbed-at-meeting-for-8216humanity-movement8217-2011-04-18|title=Turkish painter stabbed in Istanbul after 'humanity monument' meeting|date=18 April 2011|accessdate=3 December 2014|work=Hürriyet Daily News}}</ref> |
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=== Justice and Development Party === |
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On 23 April 2014, Erdoğan's office issued a statement in nine languages (including two dialects of Armenian), offering condolences for the mass killings of Armenians and stating that the events of 1915 had inhumane consequences. The statement described the mass killings as the two nations' shared pain and said: "Having experienced events which had inhumane consequences – such as relocation – during the First World War, (it) should not prevent Turks and Armenians from establishing compassion and mutually humane attitudes among one another".<ref>{{cite news|title=Turkey offers condolences to Armenia over WWI killings|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27131543|date=23 April 2014|accessdate=3 June 2014|publisher=''BBC''}}</ref> |
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[[File:Yasar Yakis, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Romano Prodi and Günter Verheugen in 2002.jpg|thumb|Party leader Erdoğan's meeting with [[Romano Prodi]] ([[President of the European Commission]]) and [[Günter Verheugen]] ([[European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement]]) in [[Brussels]], [[Belgium]], 2002]] |
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Erdoğan was member of political parties that kept getting banned by the army or judges. Within his [[Virtue Party]], there was a dispute about the appropriate discourse of the party between traditional politicians and pro-reform politicians. The latter envisioned a party that could operate within the limits of the system, and thus not getting banned as its predecessors like [[National Order Party]], [[National Salvation Party]] and [[Welfare Party]]. They wanted to give the group the character of an ordinary [[conservatism|conservative party]] with its members being Muslim Democrats following the example of the Europe's [[Christian democracy|Christian Democrats]].<ref name="nytimes2003" /> |
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===Human rights=== |
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During Erdoğan's time as Prime Minister, the far-reaching powers of the [[Anti-terrorism legislation#Turkey|1991 Anti-Terror Law]] were reduced and the [[Democratic initiative|Democratic initiative process]] was initiated, with the goal to improve democratic standards in general and the rights of ethnic and religious minorities in particular. However, after Turkey's bid to join the [[European Union]] stalled, European officials noted a return to more authoritarian ways,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/imported/inching-away-from-democracy-/73249.aspx|title=Inching away from democracy?|date=19 January 2012|accessdate=26 January 2012|publisher=''European Voice''|last=Vogel|first=Toby}}</ref> notably on freedom of speech,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bianet.org/english/freedom-of-expression/126641-students-stay-5-more-months-in-prison-for-posting-banner|title=Students Stay 5 more Months in Prison for Posting Banner|work=Bianet|date=16 December 2010|accessdate=26 January 2012|last=Tapan|first=Berivan}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bianet.org/english/freedom-of-expression/135565-hopa-demonstrations-stones-considered-as-weapons|title=Hopa Demonstrations: Stones Considered as Weapons|work=Bianet|date=19 January 2012|accessdate=26 January 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bianet.org/english/freedom-of-expression/126642-two-year-prison-threat-for-egg-throwing|title=Two-Year Prison Threat for Egg Throwing|work=Bianet|date=16 December 2010|accessdate=26 January 2012|last=Belge|first=Berçin}}</ref> [[Censorship in Turkey|freedom of the press]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/05/world/europe/turkeys-glow-dims-as-government-limits-free-speech.html?_r=1|title=Charges Against Journalists Dim the Democratic Glow in Turkey|work=The New York Times|date=4 January 2012|accessdate=26 January 2012|first1=Dan|last1=Bilefsky|first2=Sebnem|last2=Arsu}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bianet.org/english/freedom-of-expression/135635-journalists-are-in-prison-because-of-their-writings|title=Journalists are in Prison Because of their Writings|work=Bianet|date=23 January 2012|accessdate=26 January 2012|last=Söylemez|first=Ayça}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bianet.org/english/freedom-of-expression/135464-first-hearing-of-journalists-after-13-months-of-pre-trial-detention|title=First Hearing of Journalists after 13 Months of Pre-Trial Detention|work=Bianet|date=16 January 2012|accessdate=26 January 2012|last=Söylemez|first=Ayça}}</ref> and [[Human rights of Kurdish people in Turkey|Kurdish minority rights]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2011/12/turkish-crackdown-on-kurdish-journalists/|title=Turkish crackdown on Kurdish Journalists|work=Xindex|date=22 January 2011|accessdate=26 January 2012|last=Genc|first=Kaya}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bianet.org/english/minorities/122151-kurdish-artist-faces-15-years-in-jail|title=Kurdish Artist Faces 15 Years in Jail|work=Bianet|date=21 May 2010|accessdate=26 January 2012|first=Erol|last=Önderoğlu}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bianet.org/english/minorities/135496-31-people-arrested|title=31 People Arrested|work=Bianet|date=17 January 2012|accessdate=26 January 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bianet.org/english/minorities/135456-crackdowns-on-kesk-and-bdp|title=Crackdowns on KESK and BDP|work=Bianet|date=12 January 2012|accessdate=26 January 2012}}</ref> Demands by activists for the recognition of [[LGBT rights in Turkey|LGBT rights]] were publicly rejected by government members,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2008/01/28/siyaset/asiy.html|title=Eşcinseller de eşitlik istiyor, verecek miyiz?|language=Turkish|trans-title=Homosexuals can keep demanding rights as they never going to get any|work=Milliyet|date=29 January 2008|accessdate=26 January 2012|last1=Çolak|first1=Saliha|last2=Karakus|first2=Abdullah}}</ref> and members of the Turkish LGBT community were insulted by cabinet members.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/default.aspx?pageid=438&n=8216homosexuality-is-a-disease8217-says-minister-2010-03-07|title='Homosexulaty is a disease' says Turkish minister|work=Hürriyet|date=7 March 2010|accessdate=26 January 2012}}</ref> |
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[[Image:President George W. Bush meets with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey Monday, Nov. 5, 2007, in the Oval Office..jpg|thumb|right|President [[George W. Bush]] meets with Erdoğan in the [[Oval Office]] on 5 November 2007]] |
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When the Virtue Party was also banned in 2001, a definitive split took place: the followers of [[Necmettin Erbakan]] founded the [[Felicity Party]] (SP) and the reformers founded the [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|Justice and Development Party]] (AKP) under the leadership of [[Abdullah Gül]] and Erdoğan. The pro-reform politicians realized that a strictly Islamic party would never be accepted as a governing party by the state apparatus and they believed that an Islamic party did not appeal to more than about 20 percent of the Turkish electorate. The AK party emphatically placed itself as a broad democratic conservative party with new politicians from the political center (like [[Ali Babacan]] and [[Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu]]), while respecting Islamic norms and values, but without an explicit religious program. This turned out to be successful as the new party won 34% of the vote in the [[2002 Turkish general election|general elections of 2002]]. Erdoğan became prime minister in March 2003 after the Gül government ended his political ban.<ref>{{cite news |title=Erdogan's Towering Role in the AKP |url=https://www.turkeyanalyst.org/publications/turkey-analyst-articles/item/115-erdogans-towering-role-in-the-akp.html |access-date=11 January 2020 |work=turkeyanalyst.org |date=12 March 2008 |language=en |archive-date=11 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200111212832/https://www.turkeyanalyst.org/publications/turkey-analyst-articles/item/115-erdogans-towering-role-in-the-akp.html |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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[[Reporters Without Borders]] observed a continuous decrease in Freedom of the Press during Erdoğan's later terms, with a rank of around 100 on the [[Press Freedom Index]] during his first term and a rank of 154 out of a total of 179 countries in 2013.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2013,1054.html |title=Press Freedom Index 2013 |accessdate=15 June 2013 |publisher=[[Reporters without Borders]] |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130215183842/http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2013%2C1054.html |archivedate=15 February 2013 |df=dmy }}</ref> [[Freedom House]] saw a slight recovery in later years and awarded Turkey a Press Freedom Score of 55/100 in 2012 after a low point of 48/100 in 2006.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-press/2012/turkey|title=Freedom of the Press 2012|publisher=[[Freedom House]]|accessdate=15 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bianet.org/english/freedom-of-expression/128639-freedom-house-critic-of-press-freedom-in-turkey|title=Freedom House Critic of Press Freedom in Turkey|work=Bianet|date=17 March 2011|accessdate=26 January 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bianet.org/english/world/135713-turkey-loses-ground-again-in-world-press-freedom-index|title=Turkey Loses Ground again in World Press Freedom Index|work=Bianet|date=26 January 2012|accessdate=26 January 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/130376/press-freedom-39-terrible-39-in-turkey-watch-group.html|title=Press Freedom 'Terrible' in Turkey: Watch Group|work=Journal of Turkish Weekly|date=23 January 2012|accessdate=26 January 2012}}</ref> |
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==Premiership== |
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In 2011, Erdoğan's government made legal reforms to return properties of Christian and Jewish minorities which were seized by the Turkish government in the 1930s.<ref>{{cite news|title=Turkish Government to Return Seized Property to Religious Minorities|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/29/world/europe/29turkey.html?_r=0|date=28 August 2011|publisher=''The New York Times''|last=Arsu|first=Sebnem|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref> The total value of the properties returned reached $2 billion (USD).<ref>{{cite news|first=Egemen|last=Bağış|title=Azınlıklara 2 milyar dolarlık mülk verdik|language=Turkish|trans-title=Minorities have $2 billion in property|url=http://www.hristiyangazete.com/2013/05/egemen-bagis-azinliklara-2-milyar-dolarlik-mulk-verdik/|publisher=Hristiyan Gazete|date=31 May 2013|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref> |
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{{Main|Premiership of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan}} |
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[[File:Mariano Rajoy visiting Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Turkey (5).jpg|thumb|Prime Minister Erdoğan during a press conference with Spanish Prime Minister [[Mariano Rajoy]], at the Office of the Prime Minister (Başbakanlık), in 2014]] |
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=== General elections === |
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Under Erdoğan, the Turkish government tightened the [[Alcohol laws of Turkey|laws on the sale and consumption of alcohol]], banning all advertising and increasing the tax on alcoholic beverages.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/24/us-turkey-alcohol-idUSBRE94N0IA20130524|title=Turkey bans alcohol advertising and curbs sales|publisher=Reuters|date=24 May 2013|accessdate=27 May 2013|last=Ozbilgin|first=Ozbe}}</ref> A law raising the [[legal drinking age]] from 18 to 24 was in place from 2011 until it was abolished in 2013.{{Citation needed|date = January 2016}} |
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{{Main|2002 Turkish general election|Turkish general election, 2007|Turkish general election, 2011}} |
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[[2002 Turkish general election|The elections of 2002]] were the first elections in which Erdoğan participated as a party leader. All parties previously elected to parliament failed to win enough votes to re-enter the parliament. The AKP won 34.3% of the national vote and formed the new government. Turkish stocks rose more than 7% on Monday morning. Politicians of the previous generation, such as [[Bülent Ecevit|Ecevit]], [[Devlet Bahçeli|Bahceli]], [[Mesut Yılmaz|Yılmaz]] and [[Tansu Çiller|Çiller]], resigned. The second largest party, the CHP, received 19.4% of the votes. The AKP won a landslide victory in the parliament, taking nearly two-thirds of the seats. Erdoğan could not become Prime Minister as he was still banned from politics by the judiciary for his speech in Siirt. Gül became the Prime Minister instead. In December 2002, the Supreme Election Board canceled the general election results from Siirt due to voting irregularities and [[2003 Siirt Province by-election|scheduled a new election for 9 February 2003]]. By this time, party leader Erdoğan was able to run for parliament due to a legal change made possible by the opposition Republican People's Party. The AKP duly listed Erdoğan as a candidate for the rescheduled election, which he won, becoming Prime Minister after Gül handed over the post.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/03/11/turkey.elections/|title=Turkish PM quits for Erdogan|date=11 March 2003|publisher=CNN|access-date=28 July 2012|archive-date=28 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131128191622/http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/03/11/turkey.elections/|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Erdoğan argues that the crackdown against Gulenists is a necessary measure, his supporters insist he is maintaining the rule of law, 6000 teachers were re-instated after it was shown they didn't have Gulenist links.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nation.com.pk/international/26-Nov-2016/turkey-reinstates-over-6-000-teachers |title=Turkey reinstates over 6,000 teachers |publisher=Nation.com.pk |date=26 November 2016 |accessdate=16 April 2017}}</ref> |
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On 14 April 2007, an estimated 300,000 people marched in [[Ankara]] to protest against the possible candidacy of Erdoğan in the 2007 presidential election, afraid that if elected as president, he would alter the secular nature of the Turkish state.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6554851.stm|title=Secular rally targets Turkish PM|work=BBC News|date=14 April 2007|access-date=6 December 2014|archive-date=18 December 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218045724/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6554851.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> Erdoğan announced on 24 April 2007 that the party had nominated [[Abdullah Gül]] as the AKP candidate in the presidential election.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/articles/139006/turkish-foreign-minister-to-stand-for-presidency|title=Turkish foreign minister to stand for presidency|publisher=Al Jazeera|date=25 April 2007|access-date=6 December 2014|archive-date=7 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141207102104/http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/articles/139006/turkish-foreign-minister-to-stand-for-presidency|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Kumbaracibasi2009">{{cite book |author=Arda Can Kumbaracibasi |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tZLL9cg--u0C&pg=PA2 |title=Turkish Politics and the Rise of the AKP: Dilemmas of Institutionalization and Leadership Strategy |date=24 July 2009 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-203-87629-9 |pages=1–2 |access-date=12 December 2015 |archive-date=7 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107221240/https://books.google.com/books?id=tZLL9cg--u0C&pg=PA2 |url-status=live }}</ref> The protests continued over the next several weeks, with over one million people reported to have turned out at a 29 April rally in Istanbul,<ref name=Reuters29>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL2910950920070429|title=One million Turks rally against government|work=[[Reuters]]|access-date=30 April 2007|date=29 April 2007|last=De Bendern|first=Paul|archive-date=2 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070502105459/http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL2910950920070429|url-status=live}}</ref> tens of thousands at separate protests on 4 May in [[Manisa]] and [[Çanakkale]],<ref name="Milliyet">{{cite web|url=http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2007/05/04/guncel/axgun01.html|title=Saylan: Manisa mitingi önemli|work=[[Milliyet]]|language=tr|trans-title=Saylan: Important rally in Manisa|last=Avci|first=Ümran|access-date=4 May 2007|date=4 May 2007|archive-date=8 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070508085756/http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2007/05/04/guncel/axgun01.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and one million in [[İzmir]] on 13 May.<ref name="swissinfo">{{cite web|url=http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/international/ticker/detail/Turks_protest_ahead_of_early_elections.html?siteSect=143&sid=7813908&cKey=1179061645000|title=Turks protest ahead of early elections|work=[[Swissinfo]]|date=13 May 2007|access-date=13 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930222218/http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/international/ticker/detail/Turks_protest_ahead_of_early_elections.html?siteSect=143&sid=7813908&cKey=1179061645000|archive-date=30 September 2007|last=De Bendern|first=Paul}}</ref> |
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===Economy=== |
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[[File:Turkey Unemployment.png|thumb|Unemployment rate of Turkey between 2000 and 2014]] |
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The stage of the elections of 2007 was set for a fight for legitimacy in the eyes of voters between his government and the CHP. Erdoğan used the event that took place during the ill-fated Presidential elections a few months earlier as a part of the general election campaign of his party. On 22 July 2007, the AKP won an important victory over the opposition, garnering 46.7% of the popular vote. 22 July elections marked only the second time in the Republic of Turkey's history whereby an incumbent governing party won an election by increasing its share of popular support.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mesajı anladık |author=Turan Yılmaz |url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/secim/6942407.asp |newspaper=Hürriyet Daily News |language=tr |trans-title=Message understood |date=23 July 2007 |place=Ankara |access-date=30 July 2012 |archive-date=25 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225010225/http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/secim/6942407.asp |url-status=live }}</ref> On 14 March 2008, Turkey's Chief Prosecutor asked the country's Constitutional Court to ban Erdoğan's governing party.<ref name="akptrial1">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7482793.stm|title=Turkish ruling party put on trial|work=BBC News|access-date=1 February 2009|date=1 July 2008|archive-date=3 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203154717/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7482793.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> The party escaped a ban on 30 July 2008, a year after winning 46.7% of the vote in national elections, although judges did cut the party's public funding by 50%.<ref name="akptrial2">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7533414.stm|title=Turkey's ruling party escapes ban|work=BBC News|access-date=1 February 2009|date=30 July 2008|archive-date=15 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090115173522/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7533414.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In 2002, Erdoğan inherited a [[Turkish economy]] that was beginning to recover from a recession as a result of reforms implemented by [[Kemal Derviş]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cjpme.org/DisplayDocument.aspx?DocumentID=2163&SaveMode=0|title=The Turkish Model of Government|date=March 2012|publisher=Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East|accessdate=28 July 2012}}</ref> Erdoğan supported Finance Minister [[Ali Babacan]] in enforcing macro-economic policies. Erdoğan tried to attract more foreign investors to Turkey and lifted many government regulations. The cash-flow into the Turkish economy between 2002 and 2012 caused a growth of 64% in real GDP and a 43% increase in GDP per capita; considerably higher numbers were commonly advertised but these did not account for the inflation of the US dollar between 2002 and 2012.<ref>{{cite web|last=Rodrik|first=Dani|url=http://rodrik.typepad.com/dani_rodriks_weblog/2013/06/how-well-did-the-turkish-economy-do-over-the-last-decade.html|title=How well did the Turkish economy do over the last decade|accessdate=11 July 2013|date=20 June 2013}}{{Self-published inline|date=December 2014}}</ref> The average annual growth in GDP per capita was 3.6%. The growth in real GDP between 2002 and 2012 was higher than the values from developed countries, but was close to average when developing countries are also taken into account. The ranking of the Turkish economy in terms of GDP moved slightly from 17 to 16 during this decade. A major consequence of the policies between 2002 and 2012 was the widening of the current account deficit from 600 million USD to 58 billion USD (2013 est.)<ref>Central Intelligence Agency. "The CIA World Factbook 2015", Skyhorse Publishing, p. 753.</ref> |
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In the June 2011 elections, Erdoğan's governing party won 327 seats (49.83% of the popular vote) making Erdoğan the only prime minister in Turkey's history to win three consecutive general elections, each time receiving more votes than the previous election. The second party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), received 135 seats (25.94%), the nationalist MHP received 53 seats (13.01%), and the Independents received 35 seats (6.58%).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/116073/turkey-39-s-ruling-ak-party-wins-elections-with-49-83-percent-vote.html|title=Turkey's Ruling AK Party Wins Elections with 49.83 Percent Vote|work=The journal of Turkish Weekly|access-date=6 December 2014|date=13 June 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141209195647/http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/116073/turkey-39-s-ruling-ak-party-wins-elections-with-49-83-percent-vote.html|archive-date=9 December 2014}}</ref> |
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[[File:Putin Erdogan Berlusconi.JPG|thumb|left|Erdoğan, [[Vladimir Putin]] and [[Silvio Berlusconi]] at the opening of the [[Blue Stream]] gas pipeline in November 2005]] |
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Since 1961, Turkey has signed 19 IMF loan accords. Erdoğan's government satisfied the budgetary and market requirements of the two during his administration and received every loan installment, the only time any Turkish government has done so.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a.Xr1ajJU15A | title=Erdogan's IMF Aversion, Budget Raise Business Qualms | work=Bloomberg|date=10 November 2008|accessdate=1 February 2009 | last1=Holland | first1=Ben | last2=Bryant | first2=Steve}}</ref> Erdoğan inherited a debt of $23.5 billion to the IMF, which was reduced to $0.9 billion in 2012. He decided not to sign a new deal. Turkey's debt to the IMF was thus declared to be completely paid and he announced that the IMF could borrow from Turkey.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=flirting-with-imf-comes-to-an-end-2010-03-10|title=Turkey's flirting with IMF comes to an end|work=Hürriyet Daily News|date=10 March 2010|accessdate=10 March 2010}}</ref> In 2010, five-year [[credit default swap]]s for Turkey's sovereign debt were trading at a record low of 1.17%, below those of nine EU member countries and Russia. |
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A US$100 billion [[2013 corruption scandal in Turkey|corruption scandal in 2013]] led to the arrests of Erdoğan's close allies, and incriminated Erdoğan.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Genç |first1=Göksel |last2=Esit |first2=Elif |date=27 December 2013 |title=Yeni yolsuzluk dosyasının ekonomik boyutu 100 milyar dolar |language=tr |trans-title=New economic corruption files valued at $100 billion |work=Zaman |url=http://www.zaman.com.tr/gundem_yeni-yolsuzluk-dosyasinin-ekonomik-boyutu-100-milyar-dolar_2189530.html |url-status=dead |access-date=3 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217043626/http://www.zaman.com.tr/gundem_yeni-yolsuzluk-dosyasinin-ekonomik-boyutu-100-milyar-dolar_2189530.html |archive-date=17 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=26 December 2013 |title=100 milyar dolarlık yolsuzluk |language=tr |trans-title=$100 billion dollar corruption |work=Sözcü |url=http://sozcu.com.tr/2013/gundem/100-milyar-dolarlik-yolsuzluk-430737/ |access-date=3 December 2014 |archive-date=12 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612185122/https://www.sozcu.com.tr/2013/gundem/100-milyar-dolarlik-yolsuzluk-430737/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=17 December 2013 |title=Yolsuzluk operasyonunun maliyeti 100 milyar Euro |language=tr |trans-title=Corruption operation costs 100 billion euros |work=Milliyet |url=http://www.milliyet.com.tr/yolsuzluk-operasyonunun-maliyeti-10/gundem/detay/1809059/default.htm |access-date=3 December 2014 |archive-date=11 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180811110936/http://www.milliyet.com.tr/yolsuzluk-operasyonunun-maliyeti-10/gundem/detay/1809059/default.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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In 2002, the Turkish Central Bank had $26.5 billion in reserves. This amount reached $92.2 billion in 2011. During Erdoğan's leadership, inflation fell from 32% to 9.0% in 2004. Since then, Turkish inflation has continued to fluctuate around 9% and is still one of the highest inflation rates in the world.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/ekonomi/13381334.asp|title=Enflasyon 2009'u 39 yılın 'dibinde' bitirdi|language=Turkish|trans-title=2009 inflation finished at 39-year low|work=Hürriyet|first=Nilgün|last=Karatas|date=5 January 2010|accessdate=5 January 2010}}</ref> |
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=== Referendums === |
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The Turkish public debt as a percentage of annual GDP declined from 74% in 2002 to 39% in 2009. In 2012, Turkey had a lower ratio of public debt to GDP than 21 of 27 members of the European Union and a lower budget deficit to GDP ratio than 23 of them.<ref>{{cite news |title=Erdogan Proving Right as Debt Ratings Go Unheeded: Turkey Credit |author=Benjamin Harvey |url=http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-06-27/erdogan-proving-right-as-debt-ratings-go-unheeded-turkey-credit#p2 |newspaper=Bloomberg |date=27 June 2012 |accessdate=30 July 2012}}</ref> |
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{{Main|2007 Turkish constitutional referendum|Turkish constitutional referendum, 2010}} |
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[[File:Deniz Baykal & Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.jpg|thumb|Erdoğan in a meeting with the [[List of the Main Opposition Leaders of Turkey|Main Opposition Leader]] [[Deniz Baykal]] of the Republican People's Party (CHP)]] |
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After the opposition parties deadlocked the 2007 presidential election by boycotting the parliament, the ruling AKP proposed a constitutional reform package. The reform package was first vetoed by [[Ahmet Necdet Sezer|President Ahmet Necdet Sezer]]. Then he applied to the Turkish constitutional court about the reform package, because the president is unable to veto amendments for the second time. The Turkish constitutional court did not find any problems in the packet and 68.95% of the voters supported the constitutional changes.<ref name="official results">{{cite web | title = Official Results – 21 October 2007 Constitutional Referendum | publisher = Supreme Election Board (YSK) | access-date = 12 September 2010 | url = http://www.ysk.gov.tr/ysk/docs/2007Referandum/Sonuc/sonucgrafik.pdf | language = tr | archive-date = 20 August 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100820224243/http://www.ysk.gov.tr/ysk/docs/2007Referandum/Sonuc/sonucgrafik.pdf | url-status = dead }}</ref> The reforms consisted of electing the president by popular vote instead of by parliament; reducing the presidential term from seven years to five; allowing the president to stand for re-election for a second term; holding general elections every four years instead of five; and reducing from 367 to 184 the quorum of lawmakers needed for parliamentary decisions. |
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Reforming the Constitution was one of the main pledges of the AKP during the 2007 election campaign. The main opposition party CHP was not interested in altering the Constitution on a big scale, making it impossible to form a [[Constitutional Commission]] (''Anayasa Uzlaşma Komisyonu'').<ref>{{cite news|url=http://arsiv.ntvmsnbc.com/news/475685.asp|title=AKP'nin Anayasa hedefi 15 madde|language=tr|trans-title=AKP targets article 15 of the Constitution|work=NTVMSNBC|date=17 February 2009|access-date=17 February 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20090218223617/http://arsiv.ntvmsnbc.com/news/475685.asp|archive-date=18 February 2009}}</ref> The amendments lacked the two-thirds majority needed to become law instantly, but secured 336 votes in the 550-seat parliament – enough to put the proposals to a referendum. The reform package included a number of issues such as the right of individuals to appeal to the highest court, the creation of the [[ombudsman]]'s office; the possibility to negotiate a nationwide labour contract; gender equality; the ability of civilian courts to convict members of the military; the right of civil servants to go on strike; a privacy law; and the structure of the [[Constitutional Court of Turkey|Constitutional Court]]. The referendum was agreed by a majority of 58%.<ref>{{cite web | author = Government of Turkey, Supreme Election Board (YSK) | title = Official Results – 12 September 2010 Constitutional Referendum | date = 12 September 2010 | url = http://www.ysk.gov.tr/ysk/docs/2010Referandum/KesinSonuc/SonucGrafik.pdf | access-date = 10 February 2012 | archive-date = 2 September 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110902005408/http://www.ysk.gov.tr/ysk/docs/2010Referandum/KesinSonuc/SonucGrafik.pdf | url-status = dead }}</ref> |
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The unemployment rate increased from 10.3% in 2002 to 11.0% in 2010.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.milliyet.com.tr/istihdam-1-6-milyon-kisi-artti/ekonomi/haberdetay/17.08.2010/1277380/default.htm|title=İstihdam 1.6 Milyon Kişi Arttı|language=Turkish|trans-title=Employment increased by 1.6 million|work=Milliyet|date=17 August 2010|accessdate=17 August 2010}}</ref> |
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=== Domestic policy === |
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==== Kurdish issue ==== |
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In 2003, Erdoğan's government pushed through the Labor Act, a comprehensive reform of Turkey's labor laws. The law greatly expanded the rights of employees, establishing a 45-hour workweek and limiting overtime work to 270 hours a year, provided legal protection against discrimination due to sex, religion, or political affiliation, prohibited discrimination between permanent and temporary workers, entitled employees terminated without "valid cause" to compensation, and mandated written contracts for employment arrangements lasting a year or more.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crossborderemployer.com/post/2012/11/28/Turkey-Continues-Its-Reform-Of-Labor-And-Employment-Laws-Despite-Waning-Enthusiasm-For-EU-Membership.aspx|title=Turkey Continues Its Reform of Labor And Employment Laws Despite Waning Enthusiasm For EU Membership|author=Roland De Monte|date=|work=crossborderemployer.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.invest.gov.tr/en-US/investmentguide/investorsguide/employeesandsocialsecurity/Pages/TermsOfEmployment.aspx|title=Terms of Employment – Invest in Turkey|author=|date=|work=invest.gov.tr}}</ref> |
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{{See also|Kurdish–Turkish peace process}} |
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In 2009, Prime Minister Erdoğan's government announced a plan to help end the quarter-century-long [[Turkey–Kurdistan Workers' Party conflict]] that had cost more than 40,000 lives. The government's plan, supported by the [[European Union]], intended to allow the [[Kurdish language]] to be used in all broadcast media and political campaigns, and restored Kurdish names to cities and towns that had been [[Geographical name changes in Turkey|given Turkish ones]].<ref name="Arsu">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/14/world/europe/14kurds.html|url-access=subscription|title=Turkey Plans to Ease Restrictions on Kurds and Help End Decades of Conflict|work=The New York Times|date=13 November 2009|access-date=17 November 2009|first=Sebnem|last=Arsu|archive-date=22 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522061607/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/14/world/europe/14kurds.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Erdoğan said, "We took a courageous step to resolve chronic issues that constitute an obstacle along Turkey's development, progression and empowerment."<ref name="Arsu" /> Erdoğan passed a partial amnesty to reduce penalties faced by many members of the Kurdish guerrilla movement [[Kurdistan Workers' Party|PKK]] who had surrendered to the government.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108054.html?pageno=4|title=Attempts to Improve the Government|publisher=infoplease.com|access-date=28 July 2012|archive-date=11 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511023019/http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108054.html?pageno=4|url-status=live}}</ref> On 23 November 2011, during a televised meeting of his party in Ankara, he apologized on behalf of the state for the [[Dersim massacre]], where many [[Alevi]]s and [[Zaza people|Zazas]] were killed.<ref>{{cite news|title=Turkey apologises for 1930s killing of thousands of Kurds|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/turkey/8910369/Turkey-apologises-for-1930s-killing-of-thousands-of-Kurds.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/turkey/8910369/Turkey-apologises-for-1930s-killing-of-thousands-of-Kurds.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=24 November 2011|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=24 November 2011|location=London}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In 2013 the government of Erdoğan began a [[2013–2015 PKK–Turkey peace process|peace process]] between the [[Kurdistan Workers' Party]] (PKK) and the Turkish Government,<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Ozkahraman|first=Cemal|date=1 March 2017|title=Failure of Peace Talks between Turkey and the PKK: Victim of Traditional Turkish Policy or of Geopolitical Shifts in the Middle East?|journal=Contemporary Review of the Middle East|language=en|volume=4|issue=1|pages=50–66|doi=10.1177/2347798916681332|s2cid=157316669|issn=2347-7989}}</ref> mediated by parliamentarians of the [[Peoples' Democratic Party (Turkey)|Peoples' Democratic party]] (HDP).<ref>{{Cite book|last=Basaran|first=Ezgi|title=Frontline Turkey: The Conflict at the Heart of the Middle East|date=22 September 2017|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=978-1-83860-858-3|pages=129|language=en}}</ref> |
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In 2015, following AKP electoral defeat, the rise of a [[Peoples' Democratic Party (Turkey)|social democrat, pro-Kurdish rights opposition party]], and the minor [[Ceylanpınar incident#Background|Ceylanpınar incident]], he decided that the peace process was over and supported the revocation of the parliamentary immunity of the HDP parliamentarians.<ref>{{Cite news|date=28 July 2015|title=Turkey's Erdogan: peace process with Kurdish militants impossible|language=en|publisher=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-turkey-kurds-idUSKCN0Q20UV20150728|access-date=14 May 2020|archive-date=10 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810083747/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-turkey-kurds-idUSKCN0Q20UV20150728|url-status=live}}</ref> Violent confrontation resumed in 2015–2017, mainly in the South East of Turkey, resulting in higher death tolls and [[Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present)#External operations|several external operations]] on the part of the Turkish military. Representatives and elected HDP have been systematically arrested, removed, and replaced in their offices, this tendency being confirmed after the [[2016 Turkish coup attempt]] and [[Turkish purges|the following purges]]. Six thousand additional deaths occurred in Turkey alone for 2015–2022. Yet, as of 2022 the [[Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present)#Since 2013: from ceasefire to new confrontations|intensity of the PKK-Turkey conflict]] did decrease in recent years.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2022 |title=Turkey's PKK Conflict: A Visual Explainer |url=https://www.crisisgroup.org/content/turkeys-pkk-conflict-visual-explainer |access-date=16 November 2022 |website=www.crisisgroup.org |language=en |archive-date=15 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221115122154/https://www.crisisgroup.org/content/turkeys-pkk-conflict-visual-explainer |url-status=live }}</ref> In the previous decade, Erdogan and the AKP government used anti-PKK, martial rhetoric and external operations to raise Turkish nationalist votes before elections.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bilginsoy |first=Zeynep |title=EXPLAINER: Why Istanbul blast has political implications |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/explainer-istanbul-blast-political-implications-93281106 |access-date=15 November 2022 |publisher=ABC News |language=en |archive-date=26 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221126051450/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/explainer-istanbul-blast-political-implications-93281106 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=16 April 2019 |title=Acquittal of nine Ceylanpinar murder suspects upheld |url=https://ipa.news/2019/04/16/acquittal-of-nine-ceylanpinar-murder-suspects-upheld/ |access-date=15 November 2022 |publisher=IPA NEWS |language=en-US |archive-date=15 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221115130255/https://ipa.news/2019/04/16/acquittal-of-nine-ceylanpinar-murder-suspects-upheld/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Can Erdoğan Survive Without the Kurdish Question? |url=https://www.mei.edu/publications/can-erdogan-survive-without-kurdish-question |access-date=15 November 2022 |website=Middle East Institute |language=en |archive-date=5 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230105081457/https://www.mei.edu/publications/can-erdogan-survive-without-kurdish-question |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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===Education=== |
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Erdoğan increased the budget of the [[Ministry of National Education (Turkey)|Ministry of Education]] from 7.5 billion lira in 2002 to 34 billion lira in 2011, the highest share of the national budget given to one ministry.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bir numaralı bütçe Eğitim'e|author=Haberi Yazdir|url=http://www.yenisafak.com.tr/politika/bir-numarali-butce-egitime-151265|newspaper=Yeni Şafak|language=Turkish|trans-title=The number one budget to education|date=31 August 2008|accessdate=5 December 2010}}</ref> Before his prime ministership the military received the highest share of the national budget. [[Compulsory education]] was increased from eight years to twelve.<ref>{{cite news|title=Compulsory education to be increased to 12 years in Turkey|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action;jsessionid=AE94F068CFA327ECCF1188D64D19F795?newsId=267701|newspaper=''Today's Zaman''|date=5 January 2012|accessdate=31 July 2012}}</ref> In 2003, the Turkish government, together with [[UNICEF]], started a campaign called "Come on girls, let's go to school!" ({{lang-tr|Haydi Kızlar Okula!}}). The goal of this campaign was to close the gender-gap in primary school enrollment through the provision of a quality basic education for all girls, especially in southeast Turkey.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unicef.org/turkey/pdf/ge6a.pdf|title=Haydi Kızlar Okula! The Girls' Education Campaign in Turkey|publisher=UNICEF|accessdate=28 July 2012}}</ref> |
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==== Armenian genocide ==== |
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In 2005, the parliament granted amnesty to students expelled from universities before 2003. The amnesty applied to students dismissed on academic or disciplinary grounds.<ref>{{cite news|title=Amnesty For University Students|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D04E3DF173DF937A15751C0A9639C8B63|newspaper=The New York Times|date=24 February 2005|accessdate=30 July 2012}}</ref> In 2004, textbooks became free of charge and since 2008 [[Provinces of Turkey|every province in Turkey]] has its own university.<ref>{{cite news|title=Üniversitesiz il kalmadı|url=http://siyaset.milliyet.com.tr/universitesiz-il-kalmadi/siyaset/siyasetdetay/23.05.2008/758364/default.htm|newspaper=Milliyet|date=23 May 2008|accessdate=2 July 2011|language=Turkish|trans-title=University in last province}}</ref> During Erdoğan's Premiership, the number of [[List of universities in Turkey|universities in Turkey]] nearly doubled, from 98 in 2002 to 186 in October 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.haberler.com/sahin-universite-sayisi-186-ya-ulasti-3987342-haberi/|title=Şahin: Üniversite Sayısı 186ya Ulaştı haberi|publisher=Haberler.com|date=3 October 2012|accessdate=10 December 2012|language=Turkish|trans-title=Şahin: Number of universities reaches 186}}</ref> |
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Erdoğan has said multiple times that Turkey would acknowledge the [[Armenian genocide|mass killings of Armenians during World War I]] as [[genocide]] only after a thorough investigation by a joint Turkish-Armenian commission consisting of historians, [[archaeologists]], [[political scientists]] and other experts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cfr.org/publication/14395/conversation_with_recep_tayyip_erdogan_rush_transcript_federal_news_service.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120530032729/http://www.cfr.org/publication/14395/conversation_with_recep_tayyip_erdogan_rush_transcript_federal_news_service.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=30 May 2012|title=A Conversation with Recep Tayyip Erdogan|date=27 September 2007|publisher=Council on Foreign Relations|access-date=29 July 2012}}</ref><ref name="Erdoganspeech">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqcjaPsJHXI |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/IqcjaPsJHXI |archive-date=21 December 2021 |url-status=live|title=Turkish Prime Minister talks about Armenian genocide|date=9 February 2008|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=9 December 2019 |title=Turkey to boost efforts to fight defamation campaign |work=[[Daily Sabah]] |url=https://www.dailysabah.com/diplomacy/2019/12/08/turkey-to-boost-efforts-to-fight-defamation-campaign-altun-says |access-date=10 January 2020 |archive-date=11 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200111212828/https://www.dailysabah.com/diplomacy/2019/12/08/turkey-to-boost-efforts-to-fight-defamation-campaign-altun-says |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2005, Erdoğan and the [[Republican People's Party|main opposition]] party leader [[Deniz Baykal]] wrote a letter to [[President of Armenia]] [[Robert Kocharyan]], proposing the creation of a joint Turkish-Armenian commission.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.turkishembassy.com/ii/O/ErdogantoKocaryan.htm|title=Letter sent by H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdogan|author=Recep Tayyip Erdoğan|date=10 April 2005|publisher=Turkish Embassy|access-date=29 July 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005001307/http://www.turkishembassy.com/ii/O/ErdogantoKocaryan.htm|archive-date=5 October 2013}}</ref> Armenian Foreign Minister [[Vartan Oskanian]] rejected the offer because he asserted that the proposal itself was "insincere and not serious". He added: "This issue cannot be considered at historical level with Turks, who themselves politicized the problem."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/8050/|title=Yerevan Rejects Turkish PM Erdogan's Dialogue Letter|date=14 April 2005|work=[[The Journal of Turkish Weekly]]|access-date=29 July 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004232232/http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/8050/|archive-date=4 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Peaceful Co-Existence of Armenia and Turkey Possible|url=http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/19638/|website=PanArmenian|date=16 October 2006|access-date=8 February 2016|archive-date=3 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603231040/http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/19638/|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In December 2008, Erdoğan criticized the [[I Apologize campaign]] by Turkish intellectuals to recognize the Armenian genocide, saying, "I neither accept nor support this campaign. We did not commit a crime, therefore we do not need to apologise ... It will not have any benefit other than stirring up trouble, disturbing our peace and undoing the steps which have been taken."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/dec/18/armenian-genocide-apology-turkish-rebuttal|title=Turkish PM dismisses apology for alleged Armenian genocide|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=18 November 2008|access-date=1 July 2011|last=Tait|first=Robert|archive-date=20 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420210208/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/dec/18/armenian-genocide-apology-turkish-rebuttal|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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The Prime Minister kept his campaign promises by starting the [[f@tih project]] in which all state schools, from preschool to high school level, received a total of 620,000 smart boards, while tablet computers were distributed to 17 million students and approximately one million teachers and administrators.<ref>{{cite news|title=PM Erdoğan realizes a world's first in education|url=http://www.usasabah.com/EnglishNews/2012/02/08/pm-erdogan-realizes-a-worlds-first-in-education|newspaper=Sabah|date=8 February 2012|accessdate=31 July 2012}}</ref> |
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[[File:Monument to Humanity by Mehmet Aksoy in Kars, Turkey.jpg|thumbnail|250px|In 2011, Erdoğan called the {{convert|33|meter|ft|adj=mid|-tall}} Monument to Humanity, a statue dedicated to fostering Armenian and Turkish relations, "freakishly ugly" ([[Turkish language|Turkish]]: ''ucube'') and ordered it to be demolished. Erdoğan was subsequently fined by a Turkish judge for insulting the work and the creator was compensated due to the "violation of the freedom of expression".]] |
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===Infrastructure=== |
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In 2011, Erdoğan ordered the tearing-down of the {{convert|33|meter|ft|adj=mid|-tall}} ''[[Monument to Humanity]]'', a Turkish–Armenian friendship monument in [[Kars]], which was commissioned in 2006 and represented a metaphor of the rapprochement of the two countries after many years of dispute over the events of 1915. Erdoğan justified the removal by stating that the monument was offensively close to the tomb of an 11th-century Islamic scholar, and that its shadow ruined the view of that site, while Kars municipality officials said it was illegally erected in a protected area. However, the former mayor of Kars who approved the original construction of the monument said the municipality was destroying not just a "monument to humanity" but "humanity itself". The demolition was not unopposed; among its detractors were several Turkish artists. Two of them, the painter Bedri Baykam and his associate, Pyramid Art Gallery general coordinator Tugba Kurtulmus, were stabbed after a meeting with other artists at the Istanbul Akatlar cultural center.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/default.aspx?pageid=438&n=turkish-painter-stabbed-at-meeting-for-8216humanity-movement8217-2011-04-18|title=Turkish painter stabbed in Istanbul after 'humanity monument' meeting|date=18 April 2011|access-date=3 December 2014|work=Hürriyet Daily News|archive-date=9 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141209115719/http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/default.aspx?pageid=438&n=turkish-painter-stabbed-at-meeting-for-8216humanity-movement8217-2011-04-18|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Under Erdoğan's government, the number of [[List of airports in Turkey|airports in Turkey]] increased from 26 to 50.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gundem.bugun.com.tr/yuzde-50nin-degil--haberi/655153|title=Başbakan Erdoğan'dan gece yarısı mesajı|work=Bugun|date=7 July 2013|accessdate=9 July 2013|language=Turkish|trans-title=Prime Minister Erdogan's midnight message}}</ref> Between the founding of the Republic of Turkey in 1923 and 2002, there had been 6000 km of [[dual carriageway]] roads created. Between 2002 and 2011, another 13500 km of expressway were built. Due to these measures, the number of motor accidents fell by 50 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zaman.com.tr/sehir_duble-yollar-uzadi-kaza-ve-olumler-yuzde-50-azaldi_1080097.html|title=Duble yollar uzadı; kaza ve ölümler yüzde 50 azaldı|work=Zaman|date=17 January 2011|accessdate=9 July 2013|language=Turkish|trans-title=Dual roads extended: accidents and deaths decreased by 50 percent|first=Yasin|last=Kiliç}}</ref> For the first time in Turkish history, [[High-speed rail in Turkey|high speed railway lines]] were constructed, and the country's [[Ankara-Istanbul high-speed railway|high-speed train service]] began in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?load=detay&link=169502|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203001817/http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?load=detay&link=169502|dead-url=yes|archive-date=3 December 2013|title=High-speed train begins its first travel btw Ankara-Eskişehir|work=Today's Zaman|date=13 March 2009|accessdate=9 July 2013}}</ref> In 8 years, 1076 km of railway were built and 5449 km of railway renewed. The construction of [[Marmaray]], an undersea rail tunnel under the [[Bosphorus strait]], started in 2004. When completed, it will be the world's deepest undersea [[Immersed tube|immersed tube tunnel]].{{citation needed|date=December 2014}} Construction of the 1.9 km long [[Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge]] began in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aa.com.tr/en/news/36638--turkey-unveils-route-for-istanbul-s-third-bridge|title=Turkey Unveils Route for Istanbul's Third Bridge|publisher=[[Anatolian Agency]]|date=29 April 2010|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref> The chosen name for the bridge led to protests by [[Alevi]]s in Turkey because of the role Sultan [[Selim I]], nicknamed "the Grim" due to his cruelty, played in the [[Ottoman persecution of Alevis]].<ref>{{cite web|language=German|first=Christiane|last=Schlötzer|url=http://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/bauprojekte-in-der-tuerkei-erdogans-osmanische-traeume-1.1686571|title=Osmanische Träume: Bauprojekte in der Türkei|work=Süddeutsche.de|date=3 June 2013|accessdate=3 December 2014|trans-title=Ottoman Dreams: Construction projects in Turkey}}</ref> |
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On 23 April 2014, Erdoğan's office issued a statement in nine languages (including two dialects of Armenian), offering condolences for the mass killings of Armenians and stating that the events of 1915 had inhumane consequences. The statement described the mass killings as the two nations' shared pain and said: "Having experienced events which had inhumane consequences – such as relocation – during the First World War, (it) should not prevent Turks and Armenians from establishing compassion and mutually humane attitudes among <!-- The cited source also has "towards" in this location, which seems ungrammatical --> one another."<ref>{{cite news|title=Turkey offers condolences to Armenia over WWI killings|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27131543|date=23 April 2014|access-date=3 June 2014|website=[[BBC]]|archive-date=4 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140604064056/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27131543|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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===Justice=== |
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In March 2006, the [[Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors]] (HSYK) held a press conference to publicly protest the obstruction of the appointment of judges to the high courts for over 10 months. The HSYK said Erdoğan wanted to fill the vacant posts with his own appointees. Erdoğan was accused of creating a rift with Turkey's highest court of appeal, the ''[[Yargıtay]]'', and high administrative court, the ''[[Danıştay]]''. Erdoğan stated that the constitution gave the power to assign these posts to his elected party.<ref name="erdogancourtelection">{{cite news|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/national_rift-deepens-between-govt-top-court-with-pms-heavy-criticism_344553.html|title=Rift deepens between government, top court with PM's heavy criticism|date=13 April 2014|accessdate=3 December 2014|work=''Today's Zaman''}}</ref> |
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[[Pope Francis]] in April 2015, at a special [[Mass in the Catholic Church|mass]] in [[St. Peter's Basilica]] marking the centenary of the events, described atrocities against Armenian civilians in 1915–1922 as "the first genocide of the 20th century". In protest, Erdoğan recalled the Turkish ambassador from the Vatican, and summoned the Vatican's ambassador, to express "disappointment" at what he called a discriminatory message. He later stated "we don't carry a stain or a shadow like genocide". US President [[Barack Obama]] called for a "full, frank and just acknowledgement of the facts", but again stopped short of labelling it "genocide", despite his campaign promise to do so.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Ian Black Rosie Scammell in |last1=Rome |access-date=13 March 2019 |title=Pope boosts Armenia's efforts to have Ottoman killings recognised as genocide |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/12/pope-boosts-armenias-efforts-to-have-ottoman-killings-recognised-as-genocide |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=12 April 2015 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=10 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180710164506/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/12/pope-boosts-armenias-efforts-to-have-ottoman-killings-recognised-as-genocide |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/15/turkey-cannot-accept-armenia-genocide-label-erdogan|title=Turkey cannot accept Armenian genocide label, says Erdoğan|agency=[[Agence France-Presse]]|date=15 April 2015|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=13 March 2019|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=26 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190426145157/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/15/turkey-cannot-accept-armenia-genocide-label-erdogan|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|agency=[[Associated Press]]|access-date=13 March 2019|title=Barack Obama will not label 1915 massacre of Armenians a genocide|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/apr/22/barack-obama-will-not-label-1915-massacre-of-armenians-a-genocide|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=22 April 2015|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=1 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190101215953/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/apr/22/barack-obama-will-not-label-1915-massacre-of-armenians-a-genocide|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In May 2007, the head of Turkey's High Court asked prosecutors to consider whether Erdoğan should be charged over critical comments regarding the election of [[Abdullah Gül]] as President.<ref name="erdogancourtelection"/> Erdoğan said the ruling was "a disgrace to the justice system", and criticized the [[Constitutional Court]] which had invalidated a presidential vote because a boycott by other parties meant there was no [[quorum]]. Prosecutors investigated his earlier comments, including saying it had fired a "bullet at democracy". [[Tülay Tuğcu]], head of the Constitutional Court, condemned Erdoğan for "threats, insults and hostility" towards the justice system.<ref name=autogenerated2>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6705241.stm|title=Turkish court condemns PM Erdoğan|publisher=''BBC News''|date=30 May 2007|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref> |
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==== Human rights ==== |
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The Turkish parliament agreed to reduce the [[age of candidacy]] to the parliament from 30 to 25 and abolished the death penalty in all instances, including war time.{{citation needed|date=November 2014}} |
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During Erdoğan's time as Prime Minister, the far-reaching powers of the [[Anti-terrorism legislation#Turkey|1991 Anti-Terror Law]] were reduced. In 2004, the [[Capital punishment in Turkey|death penalty]] was abolished for all circumstances.<ref>{{cite news |title=Turkey agrees death penalty ban |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3384667.stm |website=[[BBC News]] |access-date=31 March 2022 |date=9 January 2004 |archive-date=19 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190919015016/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3384667.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Democratic initiative|Democratic initiative process]] was initiated, with the goal to improve democratic standards in general and the rights of ethnic and religious minorities in particular. In 2012, the [[Human Rights and Equality Institution of Turkey]] and the [[Ombudsman Institution]] were established. The [[Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture|UN Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture]] was ratified. Children are no longer prosecuted under terrorism legislation.<ref>{{cite news |title=Democratic initiative's first law passes in Parliament |url=http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-216880-democratic-initiatives-first-law-passes-in-parliament.html |access-date=22 September 2022 |work=Today's Zaman |date=23 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100726020413/http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-216880-democratic-initiatives-first-law-passes-in-parliament.html |archive-date=26 July 2010 |language=en}}</ref> The Jewish community were allowed to celebrate [[Hanukkah]] publicly for the first time in modern Turkish history in 2015.<ref>{{cite news |title=In first, Turkish Jews light public menorah |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-first-turkish-jews-light-public-menorah/ |accessdate=21 May 2020 |work=[[Times of Israel]] |date=14 December 2015 |archive-date=6 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210206023016/https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-first-turkish-jews-light-public-menorah/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Turkish government approved a law in 2008 to return properties confiscated in the past by the state to non-Muslim foundations.<ref>{{cite news |title=Turkey approves asset return to Jewish minority foundations |url=https://www.jpost.com/Jewish-World/Jewish-News/Turkey-approves-asset-return-to-Jewish-minority-foundations |accessdate=21 May 2020 |work=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |date=20 February 2008 |archive-date=28 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928224509/https://www.jpost.com/Jewish-World/Jewish-News/Turkey-approves-asset-return-to-Jewish-minority-foundations |url-status=live }}</ref> It also paved the way for the free allocation of worship places such as synagogues and churches to non-Muslim foundations.<ref>{{cite news |title=Turkey |url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2018-report-on-international-religious-freedom/turkey/ |quote=In July the assembly of the GDF passed a decision that allowed allocation of places of worship under GDF ownership to different religious minorities free of charge. With the decision, previously expropriated churches and synagogues could be reopened for use by religious minorities. |accessdate=21 May 2020 |work=United States Department of State |archive-date=25 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425223904/https://www.state.gov/reports/2018-report-on-international-religious-freedom/turkey/ |url-status=live }}</ref> However, European officials noted a return to more authoritarian ways after the stalling of Turkey's bid to join the [[European Union]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/imported/inching-away-from-democracy-/73249.aspx|title=Inching away from democracy?|date=19 January 2012|access-date=26 January 2012|publisher=European Voice|last=Vogel|first=Toby|archive-date=24 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224114730/http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/imported/inching-away-from-democracy-/73249.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> notably on [[freedom of speech]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bianet.org/english/freedom-of-expression/126641-students-stay-5-more-months-in-prison-for-posting-banner|title=Students Stay 5 more Months in Prison for Posting Banner|work=[[Bianet]]|date=16 December 2010|access-date=26 January 2012|last=Tapan|first=Berivan|archive-date=5 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111205124932/http://bianet.org/english/freedom-of-expression/126641-students-stay-5-more-months-in-prison-for-posting-banner|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bianet.org/english/freedom-of-expression/135565-hopa-demonstrations-stones-considered-as-weapons|title=Hopa Demonstrations: Stones Considered as Weapons|work=[[Bianet]]|date=19 January 2012|access-date=26 January 2012|archive-date=3 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120203142200/http://bianet.org/english/freedom-of-expression/135565-hopa-demonstrations-stones-considered-as-weapons|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bianet.org/english/freedom-of-expression/126642-two-year-prison-threat-for-egg-throwing|title=Two-Year Prison Threat for Egg Throwing|work=[[Bianet]]|date=16 December 2010|access-date=26 January 2012|last=Belge|first=Berçin|archive-date=19 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101219053649/http://www.bianet.org/english/freedom-of-expression/126642-two-year-prison-threat-for-egg-throwing|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Censorship in Turkey|freedom of the press]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/05/world/europe/turkeys-glow-dims-as-government-limits-free-speech.html|title=Charges Against Journalists Dim the Democratic Glow in Turkey|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=4 January 2012|access-date=26 January 2012|first1=Dan|last1=Bilefsky|first2=Sebnem|last2=Arsu|archive-date=30 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190430173405/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/05/world/europe/turkeys-glow-dims-as-government-limits-free-speech.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bianet.org/english/freedom-of-expression/135635-journalists-are-in-prison-because-of-their-writings|title=Journalists are in Prison Because of their Writings|work=[[Bianet]]|date=23 January 2012|access-date=26 January 2012|last=Söylemez|first=Ayça|archive-date=25 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125082336/http://www.bianet.org/english/freedom-of-expression/135635-journalists-are-in-prison-because-of-their-writings|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bianet.org/english/freedom-of-expression/135464-first-hearing-of-journalists-after-13-months-of-pre-trial-detention|title=First Hearing of Journalists after 13 Months of Pre-Trial Detention|work=Bianet|date=16 January 2012|access-date=26 January 2012|last=Söylemez|first=Ayça|archive-date=1 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120201133755/http://bianet.org/english/freedom-of-expression/135464-first-hearing-of-journalists-after-13-months-of-pre-trial-detention|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Human rights of Kurdish people in Turkey|Kurdish minority rights]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kingsley |first=Patrick |author-link=Patrick Kingsley (journalist) |date=29 June 2017 |title=Amid Turkey's Purge, a Renewed Attack on Kurdish Culture |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/29/world/middleeast/amid-turkeys-purge-a-renewed-attack-on-kurdish-culture.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220530214744/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/29/world/middleeast/amid-turkeys-purge-a-renewed-attack-on-kurdish-culture.html%23commentsContainer |archive-date=30 May 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |access-date=1 June 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Genc |first=Kaya |date=22 January 2011 |title=Turkish crackdown on Kurdish Journalists |work=[[Index on Censorship]] |url=http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2011/12/turkish-crackdown-on-kurdish-journalists/ |access-date=26 January 2012 |archive-date=29 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120129232318/http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2011/12/turkish-crackdown-on-kurdish-journalists/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Önderoğlu |first=Erol |date=21 May 2010 |title=Kurdish Artist Faces 15 Years in Jail |work=[[Bianet]] |url=http://www.bianet.org/english/minorities/122151-kurdish-artist-faces-15-years-in-jail |access-date=26 January 2012 |archive-date=12 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120812043525/http://bianet.org/english/minorities/122151-kurdish-artist-faces-15-years-in-jail |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=17 January 2012 |title=31 People Arrested |work=[[Bianet]] |url=http://www.bianet.org/english/minorities/135496-31-people-arrested |access-date=26 January 2012 |archive-date=24 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120124172019/http://www.bianet.org/english/minorities/135496-31-people-arrested |url-status=live }}</ref> Demands by activists for the recognition of [[LGBT rights in Turkey|LGBT rights]] were publicly rejected by government members.<ref name="Essentials">{{Cite web |last=Essentials |first=Law |title=TURKEY'S WITHDRAWAL FROM ISTANBUL CONVENTION |url=https://lawessential.com/miscellaneous/f/turkey%E2%80%99s-withdrawal-from-istanbul-convention |access-date=18 October 2022 |website=Law Essentials |language=en-IN |archive-date=18 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221018172611/https://lawessential.com/miscellaneous/f/turkey%E2%80%99s-withdrawal-from-istanbul-convention |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2008/01/28/siyaset/asiy.html|title=Eşcinseller de eşitlik istiyor, verecek miyiz?|language=tr|trans-title=Homosexuals can keep demanding rights as they never going to get any|work=Milliyet|date=29 January 2008|access-date=26 January 2012|last1=Çolak|first1=Saliha|last2=Karakus|first2=Abdullah|archive-date=17 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150917071827/http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2008/01/28/siyaset/asiy.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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[[Reporters Without Borders]] reported a continuous decrease in Freedom of the Press during Erdoğan's later terms, with a rank of around 100 on its [[Press Freedom Index]] during his first term and a rank of 153 out of a total of 179 countries in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Turkey : Subjugated media |url=https://rsf.org/en/taxonomy/term/145|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220116200027/https://rsf.org/en/taxonomy/term/145|archive-date=16 January 2022|access-date=27 January 2022|publisher=Reports Without Borders|language=en}}</ref> [[Freedom House]] reported a slight recovery in later years and awarded Turkey a Press Freedom Score of 55/100 in 2012 after a low point of 48/100 in 2006.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-press/2012/turkey|title=Freedom of the Press 2012|publisher=[[Freedom House]]|access-date=15 June 2013|archive-date=26 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130626131539/http://www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-press/2012/turkey|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bianet.org/english/freedom-of-expression/128639-freedom-house-critic-of-press-freedom-in-turkey|title=Freedom House Critic of Press Freedom in Turkey|work=Bianet|date=17 March 2011|access-date=26 January 2012|archive-date=13 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130613214746/http://www.bianet.org/english/freedom-of-expression/128639-freedom-house-critic-of-press-freedom-in-turkey|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bianet.org/english/world/135713-turkey-loses-ground-again-in-world-press-freedom-index|title=Turkey Loses Ground again in World Press Freedom Index|work=Bianet|date=26 January 2012|access-date=26 January 2012|archive-date=28 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120128221012/http://www.bianet.org/english/world/135713-turkey-loses-ground-again-in-world-press-freedom-index|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/130376/press-freedom-39-terrible-39-in-turkey-watch-group.html|title=Press Freedom 'Terrible' in Turkey: Watch Group|work=Journal of Turkish Weekly|date=23 January 2012|access-date=26 January 2012|archive-date=28 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120228235005/http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/130376/press-freedom-39-terrible-39-in-turkey-watch-group.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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===Women and demographics=== |
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Erdoğan supported the continuation of Turkey's high population growth rate and, in 2008, commented that to ensure the [[Turkish population]] remained [[Population ageing|young]] every family would need to have at least three children.<ref name="three_children">{{cite news|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/8401981.asp|title=Erdoğan: En az üç çocuk doğurun|language=Turkish|work=Hürriyet|date=7 March 2008|accessdate=3 December 2014|trans-title=Erdogan: Birth at least three children|last1=Çetik|first1=Arzu|last2=Gültekín|first2=Turan|first3=Yavuz|last3=Kusdemir}}</ref><ref name="three_children2">{{cite news|url=http://arsiv.ntvmsnbc.com/news/438418.asp|title=Başbakan'dan kadınlara '3 çocuk' mesajı|publisher=''NTVMSNBC''|date=10 March 2008|accessdate=3 December 2014|language=Turkish|trans-title=Prime Minister '3 children' message to women}}</ref> He repeated this statement on numerous occasions.<ref name="three_children_again">{{cite news|url=http://www.haberturk.com/yasam/haber/535469-basbakan-yine-uc-cocuk-istedi|title=Başbakan yine üç çocuk istedi|publisher=''HaberTurk''|date=23 July 2010|accessdate=3 December 2014|trans-title=Prime Minister again asks for three children|language=Turkish|first1=Bülent|last1=Civenoğlu|first2=Uğur|last2=Uslubas}}</ref> In 2010, Turkey's population was estimated at 73,700,000, with a growth rate of 1.21% per annum (2009 figure).<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.turkstat.gov.tr/PreHaberBultenleri.do?id=8428|publisher=Turkish Statistical Institute|title=Address based population registration system results of 2010|date=28 January 2011|accessdate=1 July 2011}}</ref> |
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In 2011, Erdoğan's government made legal reforms to return properties of Christian and Jewish minorities which were seized by the Turkish government in the 1930s.<ref>{{cite news|title=Turkish Government to Return Seized Property to Religious Minorities|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/29/world/europe/29turkey.html|date=28 August 2011|newspaper=The New York Times|last=Arsu|first=Sebnem|access-date=3 December 2014|archive-date=17 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160717184228/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/29/world/europe/29turkey.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The total value of the properties returned reached $2 billion (USD).<ref>{{cite news|first=Egemen|last=Bağış|title=Azınlıklara 2 milyar dolarlık mülk verdik|language=tr|trans-title=Minorities have $2 billion in property|url=http://www.hristiyangazete.com/2013/05/egemen-bagis-azinliklara-2-milyar-dolarlik-mulk-verdik/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150510220056/http://www.hristiyangazete.com/2013/05/egemen-bagis-azinliklara-2-milyar-dolarlik-mulk-verdik/|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 May 2015|publisher=Hristiyan Gazete|date=31 May 2013|access-date=3 December 2014}}</ref> |
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On 26 May 2012, answering the question of a reporter after a UN conference on population and development in Turkey, Erdoğan said that abortion is murder, saying, "You either kill a baby in the mother's womb or you kill it after birth. In many cases [not all], there's no difference."<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite news|url=http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/fury-turkeys-women-pm-likens-abortion-murder|title=Fury of Turkey's women as PM likens abortion to murder|publisher=Radio Netherlands worldwide|agency=Agence France-Presse|date=28 May 2012|accessdate=10 December 2012}}</ref> |
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Under Erdoğan, the Turkish government tightened the [[Alcohol laws of Turkey|laws on the sale and consumption of alcohol]], banning all advertising and increasing the tax on alcoholic beverages.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-alcohol-idUSBRE94N0IA20130524|title=Turkey bans alcohol advertising and curbs sales|work=Reuters|date=24 May 2013|access-date=27 May 2013|last=Ozbilgin|first=Ozbe|archive-date=20 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020181038/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-alcohol-idUSBRE94N0IA20130524|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Erdoğan has stated that he opposes Turkey's high and growing rate of [[caesarean section]] births because he believes that they reduce the fertility of Turkish women, and he is in favor of limiting the number of such births in Turkish hospitals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bianet.org/english/people/138684-why-do-we-need-caesarean-section-and-abortion|title=Why Do We Need Caesarean Section and Abortion?|author=Nilay Vardar|date=28 May 2012|publisher=Bianet|accessdate=29 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Number of C-section births on rise in Turkey, causing concerns|author=İpek Üzüm|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=282315|newspaper=''Today's Zaman''|date=3 June 2012|accessdate=29 July 2012}}</ref> |
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==== Economy ==== |
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In [[Democratic initiative#Roundtable meetings|a 2010 meeting]] with women NGO representatives, asked why he kept addressing them exclusively as mothers, Erdoğan said: "I do not believe in the equality of men and women. I believe in equal opportunities. Men and women are different and complementary."<ref>{{cite web |author=[[Deniz Kandiyoti]] |title=A tangled web: the politics of gender in Turkey |work=[[openDemocracy]] |url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/deniz-kandiyoti/tangled-web-politics-of-gender-in-turkey |date=5 January 2011 |accessdate=19 July 2016}}</ref> In 2014, he addressed the Istanbul ''Women and Justice Summit'' of the [[Women and Democracy Association]] ({{lang-tr|Kadın ve Demokrasi Derneği}}, or KADEM): "Our religion [Islam] has defined a position for women [in society]: motherhood. You cannot explain this to feminists because they don't accept the concept of motherhood." Calling for "equivalency" between the genders, he stated: "You cannot bring women and men into equal positions; that is against nature because their nature is different," while reaffirming that full equality regardless of gender before the law should be maintained.<ref>{{citation |title=Turkish president Erdogan: Women are not equal to men, should accept motherhood as societal role |newspaper=[[Jerusalem Post]] |url=http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Edogan-Women-are-not-equal-to-men-should-accept-motherhood-as-societal-role-382701 |date=24 November 2014 |accessdate=19 July 2016}}</ref> |
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[[File:Public debt as percent of GDP - Europe major economies.PNG|thumb|Public debt of the six major European countries between 2002 and 2009 as a percentage of GDP]] |
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[[File:GDP per capita PPP Emerging economies.png|thumb|GDP per capita PPP of Turkey compared to other emerging economies]] |
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In 2002, Erdoğan inherited a [[Turkish economy]] that was beginning to recover from a recession as a result of reforms implemented by [[Kemal Derviş]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cjpme.org/DisplayDocument.aspx?DocumentID=2163&SaveMode=0|title=The Turkish Model of Government|date=March 2012|publisher=Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East|access-date=28 July 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324095757/http://www.cjpme.org/DisplayDocument.aspx?DocumentID=2163&SaveMode=0|archive-date=24 March 2012}}</ref> Erdoğan supported Finance Minister [[Ali Babacan]] in enforcing macro-economic policies. Erdoğan tried to attract more foreign investors to Turkey and lifted many government regulations. The cash-flow into the Turkish economy between 2002 and 2012 caused a growth of 64% in real GDP and a 43% increase in GDP per capita; considerably higher numbers were commonly advertised but these did not account for the inflation of the US dollar between 2002 and 2012.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rodrik |first1=Dani |title=How well did the Turkish economy do over the last decade? |url=https://rodrik.typepad.com/dani_rodriks_weblog/2013/06/how-well-did-the-turkish-economy-do-over-the-last-decade.html |website=Dani Rodrik's weblog Unconventional thoughts on economic development and globalization |access-date=2 July 2020 |archive-date=9 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181009215419/http://rodrik.typepad.com/dani_rodriks_weblog/2013/06/how-well-did-the-turkish-economy-do-over-the-last-decade.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The average annual growth in GDP per capita was 3.6%. The growth in real GDP between 2002 and 2012 was higher than the values from developed countries, but was close to average when developing countries are also taken into account. The ranking of the Turkish economy in terms of GDP moved slightly from 17 to 16 during this decade. A major consequence of the policies between 2002 and 2012 was the widening of the current account deficit from US$600 million to US$58 billion (2013 est.)<ref>Central Intelligence Agency. "The CIA World Factbook 2015", Skyhorse Publishing, p. 753.</ref> |
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===Health care=== |
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After assuming power in 2003, Erdoğan's government embarked on a sweeping reform program of the Turkish healthcare system, called the Health Transformation Program (HTP), to greatly increase the quality of healthcare and protect all citizens from financial risks. Its introduction coincided with the period of sustained economic growth, allowing the Turkish government to put greater investments into the healthcare system. As part of the reforms, the "Green Card" program, which provides health benefits to the poor, was expanded in 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1410433?rss=searchAndBrowse&|title=MMS: Error|author=|date=|work=nejm.org}}</ref> The reform program aimed at increasing the ratio of private to state-run healthcare, which, along with long ques in state-run hospitals, resulted in the rise of private medical care in Turkey, forcing state-run hospitals to compete by increasing quality. |
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In April 2006, Erdoğan unveiled a social security reform package demanded by the [[International Monetary Fund]] under a loan deal. The move, which Erdoğan called one of the most radical reforms ever, was passed with fierce opposition. Turkey's three social security bodies were united under one roof, bringing equal health services and retirement benefits for members of all three bodies. The previous system had been criticized for reserving the best healthcare for civil servants and relegating others to wait in long queues. Under the second bill, everyone under the age of 18 years was entitled to free health services, irrespective of whether they pay premiums to any social security organization. The bill also envisages a gradual increase in the retirement age: starting from 2036, the retirement age will increase to 65 by 2048 for both women and men.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/business_social-security-law-finally-passes-in-parliament_139477.html|accessdate=3 December 2014|title=Social security law finally passes in Parliament|work=''Today's Zaman''|date=19 April 2008}}</ref> |
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Since 1961, Turkey has signed 19 IMF loan accords. Erdoğan's government satisfied the budgetary and market requirements of the two during his administration and received every loan installment, the only time any Turkish government has done so.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a.Xr1ajJU15A | title=Erdogan's IMF Aversion, Budget Raise Business Qualms | publisher=Bloomberg L.P. | date=10 November 2008 | access-date=1 February 2009 | last1=Holland | first1=Ben | last2=Bryant | first2=Steve | archive-date=5 November 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105104555/http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a.Xr1ajJU15A | url-status=live }}</ref> Erdoğan inherited a debt of $23.5 billion to the IMF, which was reduced to $0.9 billion in 2012. He decided not to sign a new deal. Turkey's debt to the IMF was thus declared to be completely paid and he announced that the IMF could borrow from Turkey.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=flirting-with-imf-comes-to-an-end-2010-03-10|title=Turkey's flirting with IMF comes to an end|work=Hürriyet Daily News|date=10 March 2010|access-date=10 March 2010|archive-date=14 March 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100314104616/http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=flirting-with-imf-comes-to-an-end-2010-03-10|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2010, five-year [[credit default swap]]s for Turkey's sovereign debt were trading at a record low of 1.17%, below those of nine EU member countries and Russia. In 2002, the [[Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey|Turkish Central Bank]] had $26.5 billion in reserves. This amount reached $92.2 billion in 2011. During Erdoğan's leadership, inflation fell from 32% to 9.0% in 2004. Since then, Turkish inflation has continued to fluctuate around 9% and is still one of the highest inflation rates in the world.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/ekonomi/13381334.asp|title=Enflasyon 2009'u 39 yılın 'dibinde' bitirdi|language=tr|trans-title=2009 inflation finished at 39-year low|work=Hürriyet Daily News|first=Nilgün|last=Karatas|date=5 January 2010|access-date=5 January 2010|archive-date=18 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018172550/http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/ekonomi/13381334.asp|url-status=live}}</ref> The Turkish public debt as a percentage of annual GDP declined from 74% in 2002 to 39% in 2009. In 2012, Turkey had a lower ratio of public debt to GDP than 21 of 27 members of the European Union and a lower budget deficit to GDP ratio than 23 of them.<ref>{{cite news |title=Erdogan Proving Right as Debt Ratings Go Unheeded: Turkey Credit |author=Benjamin Harvey |url=http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-06-27/erdogan-proving-right-as-debt-ratings-go-unheeded-turkey-credit#p2 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118151235/http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-06-27/erdogan-proving-right-as-debt-ratings-go-unheeded-turkey-credit%23p2 |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 January 2013 |newspaper=Bloomberg |date=27 June 2012 |access-date=30 July 2012}}</ref> |
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In January 2008, the Turkish Parliament adopted a law to prohibit smoking in most public places. Erdoğan is outspokenly anti-smoking.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnnturk.com/2010/turkiye/02/04/erdogan.sigara.terorden.tehlikeli/562365.0/|accessdate=24 October 2011|trans-title=Erdoğan: Smoking is more dangerous than terror|publisher=CNN Türk|date=4 February 2010|language=Turkish|title=Erdoğan: "Sigara terörden tehlikeli"}}</ref> |
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In 2003, Erdoğan's government pushed through the Labor Act, a comprehensive reform of Turkey's labor laws. The law greatly expanded the rights of employees, establishing a 45-hour workweek and limiting overtime work to 270 hours a year, provided legal protection against discrimination due to sex, religion, or political affiliation, prohibited discrimination between permanent and temporary workers, entitled employees terminated without "valid cause" to compensation, and mandated written contracts for employment arrangements lasting a year or more.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fisherphillips.com/news-insights/cross-border-employer-blog/turkey-continues-its-reform-of-labor-and-employment-laws-despite-waning-enthusiasm-for-eu-membership.html|title=Turkey Continues Its Reform of Labor And Employment Laws Despite Waning Enthusiasm For EU Membership|date=28 November 2012|first=Roland|last=De Monte <!-- Is the authorship correct? No author is listed at this link, which is an updated link previously pointing to an obsolete link http://www.crossborderemployer.com/post/2012/11/28/Turkey-Continues-Its-Reform-Of-Labor-And-Employment-Laws-Despite-Waning-Enthusiasm-For-EU-Membership.aspx. -->|work=Fisher Philips|access-date=3 June 2023|archive-date=3 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603175917/https://www.fisherphillips.com/news-insights/cross-border-employer-blog/turkey-continues-its-reform-of-labor-and-employment-laws-despite-waning-enthusiasm-for-eu-membership.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.invest.gov.tr/en-US/investmentguide/investorsguide/employeesandsocialsecurity/Pages/TermsOfEmployment.aspx|title=Terms of Employment – Invest in Turkey|work=invest.gov.tr|access-date=4 January 2016|archive-date=8 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208103134/http://www.invest.gov.tr/EN-US/INVESTMENTGUIDE/INVESTORSGUIDE/EMPLOYEESANDSOCIALSECURITY/Pages/TermsOfEmployment.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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===Gezi Park protests=== |
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{{main article|Gezi Park protests}} |
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[[File:2013 Taksim Gezi Park protests in Cologne-0523.jpg|thumb|An anti-Erdoğan poster during 2013 [[Gezi Park protests]] in [[Cologne]], Germany]] |
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==== Education ==== |
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[[Gezi Park protests|2013 Gezi Park protests]] against the perceived [[authoritarianism]] of Erdoğan and his policies, starting from a small sit-in in [[Istanbul]] in defense of a [[Taksim Gezi Park|city park]].<ref name="Reflections">{{cite book|title=Reflections on Taksim – Gezi Park Protests in Turkey|url=http://www.keele.ac.uk/journal-globalfaultlines/publications/geziReflections.pdf|publisher=Journal of Global Faultlines|last1=Gökay|first1=Bülent|last2=Xypolia|first2=Ilia |year=2013|accessdate=18 September 2013}}</ref> After the [[General Directorate of Security|police]]'s intense reaction with [[tear gas]], the protests grew each day. Faced by the largest mass protest in a decade, Erdoğan made this controversial remark in a televised speech: "The police were there yesterday, they are there today, and they will be there tomorrow." After weeks of clashes in the streets of [[Istanbul]], his government at first apologized to the protestors<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/05/world/europe/turkey-riots.html?_r=0|title=Turkish Official Apologizes for Force Used at Start of Riots|newspaper=''The New York Times''|accessdate=4 June 2013|first=Sebnem|last=Arsu|date=4 June 2013}}</ref> and called for a [[plebiscite]], but then ordered a crackdown on the protesters.<ref name="Reflections"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/16/world/europe/protesters-in-turkey.html?_r=0|title=Police Storm Park in Istanbul, Setting Off a Night of Chaos|newspaper=The New York Times|accessdate=18 June 2013|date=15 June 2013|last1=Arango|first1=Tim|last2=Arsu|first2=Sebnem|first3=Ceylan|last3=Yeginsu}}</ref> |
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Erdoğan increased the budget of the [[Ministry of National Education (Turkey)|Ministry of Education]] from 7.5 billion lira in 2002 to 34 billion lira in 2011, the highest share of the national budget given to one ministry.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bir numaralı bütçe Eğitim'e|author=Haberi Yazdir|url=http://www.yenisafak.com.tr/politika/bir-numarali-butce-egitime-151265|newspaper=Yeni Şafak|language=tr|trans-title=The number one budget to education|date=31 August 2008|access-date=5 December 2010|archive-date=7 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141207175505/http://www.yenisafak.com.tr/politika/bir-numarali-butce-egitime-151265|url-status=live}}</ref> Before his prime ministership the military received the highest share of the national budget. [[Compulsory education]] was increased from eight years to twelve.<ref>{{cite news|title=Compulsory education to be increased to 12 years in Turkey|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action;jsessionid=AE94F068CFA327ECCF1188D64D19F795?newsId=267701|newspaper=Today's Zaman|date=5 January 2012|access-date=31 July 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224084835/http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action%3Bjsessionid%3DAE94F068CFA327ECCF1188D64D19F795?newsId=267701|archive-date=24 December 2013}}</ref> In 2003, the Turkish government, together with [[UNICEF]], initiated a campaign called "Come on girls, [let's go] to school!" ({{langx|tr|Haydi Kızlar Okula!}}). The goal of this campaign was to close the [[Sex differences in education|gender gap]] in primary school enrollment through the provision of a quality basic education for all girls, especially in southeast Turkey.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unicef.org/turkey/pdf/ge6a.pdf|title=Haydi Kızlar Okula! The Girls' Education Campaign in Turkey|publisher=UNICEF|access-date=28 July 2012|archive-date=4 April 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090404090712/http://www.unicef.org/turkey/pdf/ge6a.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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In 2005, the parliament granted amnesty to students expelled from universities before 2003. The amnesty applied to students dismissed on academic or disciplinary grounds.<ref>{{cite news|title=Amnesty For University Students|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D04E3DF173DF937A15751C0A9639C8B63|newspaper=The New York Times|date=24 February 2005|access-date=30 July 2012|archive-date=8 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208173537/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D04E3DF173DF937A15751C0A9639C8B63|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2004, textbooks became free of charge and since 2008 [[Provinces of Turkey|every province in Turkey]] has its own university.<ref>{{cite news|title=Üniversitesiz il kalmadı|url=http://siyaset.milliyet.com.tr/universitesiz-il-kalmadi/siyaset/siyasetdetay/23.05.2008/758364/default.htm|newspaper=Milliyet|date=23 May 2008|access-date=2 July 2011|language=tr|trans-title=University in last province|archive-date=24 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224113840/http://siyaset.milliyet.com.tr/universitesiz-il-kalmadi/siyaset/siyasetdetay/23.05.2008/758364/default.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> During Erdoğan's Premiership, the number of [[List of universities in Turkey|universities in Turkey]] nearly doubled, from 98 in 2002 to 186 in October 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.haberler.com/sahin-universite-sayisi-186-ya-ulasti-3987342-haberi/|title=Şahin: Üniversite Sayısı 186'ya Ulaştı haberi|publisher=Haberler.com|date=3 October 2012|access-date=10 December 2012|language=tr|trans-title=Şahin: Number of universities reaches 186|archive-date=5 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305034357/http://www.haberler.com/sahin-universite-sayisi-186-ya-ulasti-3987342-haberi/|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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===2013 corruption arrests=== |
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{{main article|2013 corruption scandal in Turkey}} |
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In December 2013, Turkish police detained more than 50 people<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2013/1217/Once-staunch-ally-turns-on-Erdogan-in-Turkish-corruption-probe|title=Once-staunch ally turns on Erdoğan in Turkish corruption probe|author=Alexander Christie-Miller|date=17 December 2013|work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]|accessdate=22 December 2013}}</ref> and arrested 16 others, including the general manager of [[Halkbank]] and the sons of three government ministers, on charges of corruption.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/22/world/middleeast/16-more-arrested-as-corruption-inquiry-in-turkey-widens.html|title=Turkish Premier Blames Foreign Envoys for Turmoil|author=Tim Arango|date=21 December 2013|work=New York Times|accessdate=22 December 2013}}</ref> Although Erdoğan blamed foreign ambassadors and pro-Erdoğan newspapers accused the United States or Israel of a plot, outside analysts attribute the arrests to a power struggle between the Prime Minister and [[Fethullah Gülen]]. Gülen, who lives in the U.S., leads a religious movement that had supported the AKP's rise to power. In late 2013, Erdoğan's government proposed shutting down Turkish private schools, many of which are funded by Gülen. Gülen's supporters are believed to have wide influence in the police and judiciary in Turkey.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/16/us-turkey-erdogan-gulen-idUSBRE9BF0AB20131216|title=Enigmatic Turkish cleric poses challenge to Erdogan's might|author=Humeyra Pamuk|date=16 December 2013|agency=[[Reuters]]|accessdate=22 December 2013}}</ref> |
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The Prime Minister kept his campaign promises by starting the [[Fatih project]] in which all state schools, from preschool to high school level, received a total of 620,000 smart boards, while tablet computers were distributed to 17 million students and approximately one million teachers and administrators.<ref>{{cite news|title=PM Erdoğan realizes a world's first in education|url=http://www.usasabah.com/EnglishNews/2012/02/08/pm-erdogan-realizes-a-worlds-first-in-education|newspaper=Sabah|date=8 February 2012|access-date=31 July 2012|archive-date=19 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219141620/http://www.usasabah.com/EnglishNews/2012/02/08/pm-erdogan-realizes-a-worlds-first-in-education|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In late December, ''Hürriyet'' and ''Yeni Şafak'' papers published comments by Erdoğan stating that he believes he is the ultimate target of a corruption and bribery probe of his allies. The Turkish Prime Minister told journalists that anyone attempting to enmesh him in the scandal would be "left empty handed." Erdoğan reshuffled his Cabinet on 25 December, replacing 10 ministers hours after three ministers, whose sons were detained in relation to the probe, resigned.<ref>{{cite news|agency=Associated Press |title=Turkish PM Says He Is Target of Graft Probe |url=http://intimated.com/turkish-pm-says-he-is-target-of-graft-probe/ |publisher=Intimated |accessdate=26 December 2013 |date=26 December 2013 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227111258/http://intimated.com/turkish-pm-says-he-is-target-of-graft-probe/ |archivedate=27 December 2013 }}</ref> |
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In June 2017 a draft proposal by the ministry of education was approved by Erdoğan, in which the curriculum for schools excluded the teaching of the theory of [[Darwinism|evolution of Charles Darwin]] by 2019. From then on the teaching will be postponed and start at undergraduate level.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/23/turkey-will-stop-teaching-evolution-schools-education-ministry/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/23/turkey-will-stop-teaching-evolution-schools-education-ministry/ |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Turkey will stop teaching evolution in schools, education ministry says |last=Sanchez |first=Raf |date=23 June 2017 |newspaper=The Telegraph |access-date=24 June 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> |
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===Telephone recordings and social media=== |
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{{see also|Censorship in Turkey}} |
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A file containing five audio recordings of conversations between Erdoğan and his son from a 26-hour period beginning 17 December 2013, in which he appeared to be instructing his son to conceal very large amounts of money, was posted to YouTube and widely discussed on [[social media]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/02/supporters-deny-taped-conversation-erdogan-son.html|title=The Erdogan tapes|last=Çandar|first=Cengiz|publisher=al-Monitor|date=24 February 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f08_1393301418|title=Corruption ! Turkish PM erDOGan and his son's leaked phone conversation|publisher=LiveLeak|date=24 February 2014}} (This is the recording in Turkish, with English transcript, cited by al-Monitor)</ref> On 26 February 2014, Erdoğan acknowledged that his telephone had been tapped, but denied that the conversation was real, instead calling it an "immoral [[Sound collage|montage]]" that had been "dubbed" by combining other conversations. An analysis by [[Joshua Marpet]] of the United States, published by ''[[The McClatchy Company|McClatchy]]'', concluded that the recordings were "probably real", and if not, the fabrication was done with a sophistication he had not previously seen.<ref name=Gutman>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacbee.com/2014/02/26/6192244/erdogan-recordings-appear-real.html|title=Erdogan recordings appear real, analyst says, as Turkey scandal grows|author=Roy Gutman|publisher=Sacramento Bee|date=6 February 2014|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref> |
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==== Infrastructure ==== |
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On the night of 26 February 2014, Turkey's Parliament, dominated by Erdoğan's [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|Justice and Development Party]], passed a bill that allowed the government the power to block Internet sites, subject to court review within three days, and granting it access to Internet traffic data. Another bill previously approved by a parliamentary committee would grant the [[MİT]] intelligence service access to data held by the government, as well as private institutions and courts. The following day President [[Abdullah Gül]] approved placing an investigative agency that appoints judges and prosecutors under the control of Erdoğan's justice minister.<ref name = Gutman /> |
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[[File:1915 Çanakkale Bridge 20220327.jpg|thumb|250px|The [[1915 Çanakkale Bridge]], the [[List of longest suspension bridge spans|longest suspension bridge in the world]], was officially opened by Erdoğan in 2022.<ref name="B1M-website">{{cite web|url=https://www.theb1m.com/video/turkey-has-built-the-worlds-longest-suspension-bridge|title=Turkey Has Built the World's Longest Suspension Bridge|publisher=The B1M|author=Tim Gibson|date=11 May 2022|access-date=7 May 2023|archive-date=11 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220511162611/https://www.theb1m.com/video/turkey-has-built-the-worlds-longest-suspension-bridge|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="B1M-video">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzrdNIsGVc0|title=Why Turkey Built the World's Longest Suspension Bridge|publisher=The B1M|access-date=22 May 2022|archive-date=11 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220511121506/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzrdNIsGVc0|url-status=live}}</ref>]] |
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Under Erdoğan's government, the number of [[List of airports in Turkey|airports in Turkey]] increased from 26 to 50 in the period of 10 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gundem.bugun.com.tr/yuzde-50nin-degil--haberi/655153|title=Başbakan Erdoğan'dan gece yarısı mesajı|work=Bugun|date=7 July 2013|access-date=9 July 2013|language=tr|trans-title=Prime Minister Erdogan's midnight message|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130719043902/http://gundem.bugun.com.tr/yuzde-50nin-degil--haberi/655153|archive-date=19 July 2013}}</ref> Between the founding of the Republic of Turkey in 1923 and 2002, there had been 6,000 km of [[dual carriageway]] roads created. Between 2002 and 2011, another 13,500 km of expressway were built. Due to these measures, the number of motor accidents fell by 50 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zaman.com.tr/sehir_duble-yollar-uzadi-kaza-ve-olumler-yuzde-50-azaldi_1080097.html|title=Duble yollar uzadı; kaza ve ölümler yüzde 50 azaldı|work=Zaman|date=17 January 2011|access-date=9 July 2013|language=tr|trans-title=Dual roads extended: accidents and deaths decreased by 50 percent|first=Yasin|last=Kiliç|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203014540/http://www.zaman.com.tr/sehir_duble-yollar-uzadi-kaza-ve-olumler-yuzde-50-azaldi_1080097.html|archive-date=3 December 2013}}</ref> For the first time in Turkish history, [[High-speed rail in Turkey|high speed railway lines]] were constructed, and the country's [[Ankara-Istanbul high-speed railway|high-speed train service]] began in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?load=detay&link=169502|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203001817/http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?load=detay&link=169502|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 December 2013|title=High-speed train begins its first travel btw Ankara-Eskişehir|work=Today's Zaman|date=13 March 2009|access-date=9 July 2013}}</ref> In 8 years, 1,076 km of railway were built and 5,449 km of railway renewed. The construction of [[Marmaray]], an undersea rail tunnel under the [[Bosphorus strait]], started in 2004. It was inaugurated on the 90th anniversary of the Turkish Republic 29 October 2013.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-24721779|title=Turkey tunnel links Europe and Asia|date=29 October 2013|work=BBC News|access-date=8 March 2020|language=en-GB|archive-date=4 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804143926/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-24721779|url-status=live}}</ref> The inauguration of the [[Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge]], the third bridge over the [[Bosphorus]], was on 26 August 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/turkey-opens-new-bridge-over-the-bosporus/a-19507396-0|title=Turkey opens new bridge over the Bosporus |publisher=Deutsche Welle|language=en-GB|access-date=8 March 2020|archive-date=4 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204031623/https://www.dw.com/en/turkey-opens-new-bridge-over-the-bosporus/a-19507396-0|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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On 20 March, Erdoğan made a speech promising to "rip out the roots" of the Twitter service. Hours later the telecommunications regulator [[Information and Communication Technologies Authority|BTK]] blocked [[DNS]] service to the site, citing four court orders the Turkish government had made requiring them to remove content to preserve privacy that had not been heeded. Sources covering the story attributed this to the use of Twitter to share links to the Erdoğan recordings on YouTube.<ref name="Turkey Blocks Twitter"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/21/turkey-blocks-twitter-prime-minister|title=Turkey blocks use of Twitter after prime minister attacks social media site|publisher=The Guardian|date=20 March 2014|author=Kevin Rawlinson}}</ref> Erdoğan also threatened to ban Facebook. However, the block of Twitter proved ineffective, with traffic increasing a record 138%, and #TwitterisblockedinTurkey becoming the top trending term worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/21/turkey-twitter-users-flout-ban-erdogan?CMP=twt_gu|title=Turkey Twitter users flout Erdogan ban on micro-blogging site|publisher=The Guardian|author=Constanze Letsch|date=21 March 2014|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref> To circumvent the block, Google suggested Turks use [[Google Public DNS]] at 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4, numbers which were soon graffitied in dozens of locations around Istanbul.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/21/how-to-get-around-turkeys-twitter-ban|title=How to get around Turkey's Twitter ban|publisher=''The Guardian''|date=21 March 2014|author=Elena Cresci|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://observers.france24.com/content/20140321-graffiti-turkey-DNS-twitter-ban|title=Using graffiti, Turks share tips for getting around Twitter ban|date=21 March 2014|publisher=The Observers|author=Serhatcan Yurdam|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref> President [[Abdullah Gül]] criticized the Twitter ban, defying it himself.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/23/turkey-twitter-ban|title=Turkey steps up bid to block Twitter after users flout ban|publisher=''The Guardian''|author=Kevin Rawlinson|date=23 March 2014|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/03/22/turkey-strengthens-twitter-ban-institutes-ip-level-block/|title=Turkey strengthens Twitter ban, institutes IP level block|author=Andrea Peterson|date=22 March 2014|accessdate=3 December 2014|publisher=''The Washington Post''}}</ref> Two months later, on 3 June, Turkey's telecommunications watchdog ordered the ban to be lifted, after a ruling by the Constitutional Court.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://online.wsj.com/articles/turkey-lifts-ban-on-youtube-access-1401804782|title=Turkey Lifts Ban on YouTube Access|author=Emre Peker|date=3 June 2014|publisher=''The Wall Street Journal''|accessdate=27 November 2014}}</ref> |
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==== Justice ==== |
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[[File:Court of Cassation in Ankara2.jpg|thumb|250px|The new [[Court of Cassation (Turkey)|Court of Cassation (''Yargıtay'')]] building in [[Ankara]] was opened in 2021.]] |
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{{Main article|Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presidential campaign, 2014}} |
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On 1 July 2014, Erdoğan was named the [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|AKP]]'s presidential candidate in the [[Turkish presidential election, 2014|Turkish presidential election]]. His candidacy was announced by the Deputy President of the AKP, [[Mehmet Ali Şahin]]. |
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In March 2006, the [[Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors]] (HSYK) held a press conference to publicly protest the obstruction of the appointment of judges to the high courts for over 10 months. The HSYK said Erdoğan wanted to fill the vacant posts with his own appointees. Erdoğan was accused of creating a rift with Turkey's highest court of appeal, the ''[[Yargıtay]]'', and high administrative court, the ''[[Danıştay]]''. Erdoğan stated that the constitution gave the power to assign these posts to his elected party.<ref name="erdogancourtelection">{{cite news|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/national_rift-deepens-between-govt-top-court-with-pms-heavy-criticism_344553.html|title=Rift deepens between government, top court with PM's heavy criticism|date=13 April 2014|access-date=3 December 2014|newspaper=Today's Zaman|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141208052922/http://www.todayszaman.com/national_rift-deepens-between-govt-top-court-with-pms-heavy-criticism_344553.html|archive-date=8 December 2014}}</ref> |
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Erdoğan made a speech after the announcement and used the 'Erdoğan logo' for the first time. The logo was criticised because it was very similar to the logo that U.S. President [[Barack Obama]] used in the [[2008 United States presidential election|2008 presidential election]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Erdoğan'ın seçim logosu sosyal medyayı karıştırdı |trans_title=Erdoğan's logo stirs social media |author=Zeynep Gürcanlı |url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/26720140.asp |newspaper=[[Hürriyet]] |date=1 July 2014 |accessdate=26 March 2015}}</ref> |
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In May 2007, the head of Turkey's High Court asked prosecutors to consider whether Erdoğan should be charged over critical comments regarding the election of [[Abdullah Gül]] as president.<ref name="erdogancourtelection" /> Erdoğan said the ruling was "a disgrace to the justice system", and criticized the [[Constitutional Court]] which had invalidated a presidential vote because a boycott by other parties meant there was no [[quorum]]. Prosecutors investigated his earlier comments, including saying it had fired a "bullet at democracy". [[Tülay Tuğcu]], head of the Constitutional Court, condemned Erdoğan for "threats, insults and hostility" towards the justice system.<ref name=autogenerated2>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6705241.stm|title=Turkish court condemns PM Erdoğan|work=[[BBC News]]|date=30 May 2007|access-date=3 December 2014|archive-date=26 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226170455/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6705241.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Erdoğan was elected as the President of Turkey in the first round of the election with 51.79% of the vote, obviating the need for a run-off by winning over 50%. The joint candidate of the [[Republican People's Party (Turkey)|CHP]], [[Nationalist Movement Party|MHP]] and 13 other opposition parties, former [[Organisation of Islamic Co-operation]] general secretary [[Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu]] won 38.44% of the vote. The pro-Kurdish [[Peoples' Democratic Party (Turkey)|HDP]] candidate [[Selahattin Demirtaş]] won 9.76%.<ref>{{cite web |title=Yurt içi, yurt dışı ve gümrük sandıkları dahil cumhurbaşkanı seçim sonucu |trans_title=Presidential election results including domestic, foreign and customs ballot boxes |url=http://www.ysk.gov.tr/ysk/content/conn/YSKUCM/path/Contribution%20Folders/HaberDosya/2014CB-Kesin-416_d_Genel.pdf |publisher=[[Supreme Electoral Council of Turkey]] |date=15 August 2014 |accessdate=26 March 2015}}</ref> |
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==== Civil–military relations ==== |
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On 21 August, a 3-hour AKP Central Executive Committee meeting chaired by Erdoğan selected Foreign Minister [[Ahmet Davutoğlu]] as candidate for the party leadership. |
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{{Main|Civil–military relations during the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan government}} |
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[[File:Visita del Presidente de Turquía a la Cancillería del Perú (24663516722).jpg|thumb|Erdoğan during an official visit to [[Peru]], with a member of the [[Turkish army]] behind him]] |
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===1st AKP Extraordinary Convention=== |
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The Turkish military has had a record of intervening in politics, having removed elected governments [[:Category:Military coups in Turkey|four times in the past]]. During the Erdoğan government, civil–military relationship moved towards normalization in which the influence of the military in politics was significantly reduced.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Edroos |first1=Faisal |title=Why Turkey's military is not what it used to be |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/turkey-military-180527105359421.html |access-date=10 January 2020 |website=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] |date=5 June 2018 |archive-date=10 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200110015310/https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/turkey-military-180527105359421.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The ruling Justice and Development Party has often faced off against the military, gaining political power by challenging a pillar of the country's laicistic establishment. |
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{{main article|2014 Justice and Development Party Extraordinary Congress}} |
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Erdoğan's last public appearance before assuming the presidency was his parting speech during the AKP's first ever extraordinary congress on 27 August 2014, where his successor as party leader was to be elected. In a 110-minute speech, he criticised rival political parties for their opposition to his bid for the presidency and the [[solution process]] with the PKK, vowing to continue the fight against Fethullah Gülen's 'parallel structure'. Erdoğan further stated that his departure would not result in a loss of political vision or electoral support for the party. |
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The most significant issue that caused deep fissures between the army and the government was the midnight [[e-memorandum]] posted on the military's website objecting to the selection of [[Minister of Foreign Affairs (Turkey)|Foreign Minister]] [[Abdullah Gül]] as the ruling party's [[2007 Turkish presidential election|candidate for the Presidency]] in 2007. The military argued that the election of Gül, whose wife wears an [[Islamic headscarf]], could undermine the laicistic order of the country. |
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Erdoğan was one of 1,420 delegates who cast votes to elect the new leader. Ahmet Davutoğlu was the only candidate, having been handpicked by Erdoğan as his successor in a party executive committee meeting on 21 August. Davutoğlu was unanimously elected with 100% of the vote and the support of 1,382 delegates. There were 6 invalid or blank votes.{{citation needed|date=November 2014}} |
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Contrary to expectations, the government responded harshly to former Chief of General Staff Gen. [[Yaşar Büyükanıt]]'s e-memorandum, stating the military had nothing to do with the selection of the presidential candidate.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200704/s1909091.htm |agency=Reuters |work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] |title=Turkish govt slams army threat |date=28 April 2007 |access-date=26 May 2011}}</ref> |
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==== Health care ==== |
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The congress was criticised for lacking any reference to [[Mustafa Kemal Atatürk]], as well as the lack of competition in the leadership election. |
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After assuming power in 2003, Erdoğan's government embarked on a sweeping reform program of the Turkish healthcare system, called the Health Transformation Program (HTP), to greatly increase the quality of healthcare and protect all citizens from financial risks. Its introduction coincided with the period of sustained economic growth, allowing the Turkish government to put greater investments into the healthcare system. As part of the reforms, the "Green Card" program, which provides health benefits to the poor, was expanded in 2004.<ref>{{cite journal|title= Transforming Turkey's Health System – Lessons for Universal Coverage|volume=373|issue=14|pages=1285–1289|journal=[[New England Journal of Medicine]]|publisher=[[Massachusetts Medical Society]]|location=Waltham, Massachusetts|doi=10.1056/NEJMp1410433|pmid=26422719|year=2015|last1=Atun|first1=Rifat|s2cid=11495611}}</ref> The reform program aimed at increasing the ratio of private to state-run healthcare, which, along with long queues in state-run hospitals, resulted in the rise of private medical care in Turkey, forcing state-run hospitals to compete by increasing quality. |
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In April 2006, Erdoğan unveiled a social security reform package demanded by the [[International Monetary Fund]] under a loan deal. The move, which Erdoğan called one of the most radical reforms ever, was passed with fierce opposition. Turkey's three social security bodies were united under one roof, bringing equal health services and retirement benefits for members of all three bodies. The previous system had been criticized for reserving the best healthcare for civil servants and relegating others to wait in long queues. Under the second bill, everyone under the age of 18 years was entitled to free health services, irrespective of whether they pay premiums to any social security organization. The bill also envisages a gradual increase in the retirement age: starting from 2036, the retirement age will increase to 65 by 2048 for both women and men.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/business_social-security-law-finally-passes-in-parliament_139477.html|access-date=3 December 2014|title=Social security law finally passes in Parliament|newspaper=Today's Zaman|date=19 April 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141208052032/http://www.todayszaman.com/business_social-security-law-finally-passes-in-parliament_139477.html|archive-date=8 December 2014}}</ref> |
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==Presidency (2014–present)== |
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{{Split section |Presidency of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan|discuss=Talk:Recep Tayyip Erdoğan#Split proposed |date=April 2017}} |
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Erdoğan took the oath of office on 28 August 2014 and became the 12th president of Turkey. He administered the new Prime Minister [[Ahmet Davutoğlu]]'s oath on 29 August. When asked about his lower-than-expected 51.79% share of the vote, he allegedly responded, "there were even those who did not like the [[Muhammad|Prophet]]. I, however, won 52%."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nediyor.com/2014/08/14/dusuk-oy-elestirilerine-peygamberli-yanit-iddiasi/|title=Düşük oy eleştirilerine "Peygamber"li yanıt iddiası|work=nediyor.com}}</ref> |
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In January 2008, the Turkish Parliament adopted a law to prohibit smoking in most public places. Erdoğan is outspokenly anti-smoking.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnnturk.com/2010/turkiye/02/04/erdogan.sigara.terorden.tehlikeli/562365.0/|access-date=24 October 2011|trans-title=Erdoğan: Smoking is more dangerous than terror|work=CNNTürk|date=4 February 2010|language=tr|title=Erdoğan: "Sigara terörden tehlikeli"|archive-date=20 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130520153846/http://www.cnnturk.com/2010/turkiye/02/04/erdogan.sigara.terorden.tehlikeli/562365.0/|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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===Presidential agenda=== |
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Assuming the role of President, Erdoğan was criticized for openly stating that he would not maintain the tradition of presidential neutrality.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnnturk.com/haber/turkiye/erdogan-secilirsem-tarafsiz-olmayacagim|title=Erdoğan: "Seçilirsem tarafsız olmayacağım"|language=Turkish|trans-title=Erdoğan: "I will not be impartial if selected"|date=7 August 2014|accessdate=3 December 2014|work=CNN Türk}}</ref> Erdoğan has also stated his intention to pursue a more active role as President, such as utilising the President's rarely used cabinet-calling powers.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.yahoo.com/erdogan-vows-strong-turkey-final-election-rally-174303362.html|title=Turkey's Erdogan prepares for strongman president role|last1=Ozerkan|first1=Fulya|last2=Williams|first2=Stuart|publisher=''Yahoo! News''|date=11 August 2014|accessdate=27 November 2014}}</ref> The political opposition has argued that Erdoğan will continue to pursue his own political agenda, controlling the government, while his new Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu would be docile and submissive.<ref name="foxnews.com"/> One reason for this allegation was the fact that Erdoğan himself chose Davutoğlu to succeed him as Prime Minister, meaning that Davutoğlu was unanimously elected leader unopposed.{{clarify|date=June 2015}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sondevir.com/?aType=haber&ArticleID=196104|title=Erdoğan: Davutoğlu kardeşimiz....|language=Turkish|trans-title=Erdoğan: Davutoğlu our brother....|date=21 August 2014|accessdate=3 December 2014|work=sondevir}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnnturk.com/haber/turkiye/ahmet-davutoglu-ak-parti-genel-baskani-secildi|title=Ahmet Davutoğlu, AK Parti Genel Başkanı seçildi|language=Turkish|trans-title=Ahmet Davutoğlu, AKP, elected President|date=27 August 2014|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref> Furthermore, the domination of loyal Erdoğan supporters in Davutoğlu's [[Cabinet Davutoğlu|cabinet]] has also fuelled speculation that Erdoğan intends to exercise substantial control over the running of the government.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://online.wsj.com/articles/new-turkish-cabinet-shows-continuity-with-erdogan-legacy-1409312847|title=New Turkish Cabinet Shows Continuity With Erdogan Legacy|author=Yeliz Candemir|date=29 August 2014|publisher=''The Wall Street Journal''|accessdate=27 November 2014}}</ref> |
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=== Foreign policy === |
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{{Main|Foreign policy of the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan government}} |
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[[File:Ak Saray Ankara 2014 002.JPG|thumb|left|New [[Presidential Complex|Presidential Palace]] in [[Ankara]]]] |
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[[File:Erdogan foreign trips as prime minister.png|thumb|[[List of prime ministerial trips made by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan|Countries visited by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]] as prime minister]] |
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Turkish foreign policy during Erdoğan's tenure as prime minister has been associated with the name of [[Ahmet Davutoğlu]]. Davutoğlu was the chief foreign policy advisor of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan before he was appointed foreign minister in 2009. The basis of Erdoğan's foreign policy is based on the principle of "don't make enemies, make friends"<ref>{{cite news |title=Erdoğan'dan dış politika dersi |url=http://www.milliyet.com.tr/siyaset/erdogandan-dis-politika-dersi-1194456 |access-date=10 January 2020 |work=Milliyet |date=3 February 2010 |archive-date=11 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200111212114/http://www.milliyet.com.tr/siyaset/erdogandan-dis-politika-dersi-1194456 |url-status=live }}</ref> and the pursuit of "zero problems" with neighboring countries.<ref>{{cite web |title=Turkish foreign policy: from status quo to soft power |url=https://www.esiweb.org/index.php?lang=en&id=281&story_ID=25&slide_ID=2 |website=esiweb.org |access-date=10 January 2020 |archive-date=12 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200112005243/https://www.esiweb.org/index.php?lang=en&id=281&story_ID=25&slide_ID=2 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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Erdoğan has also received criticism for the construction of a new palace called [[Ak Saray]] ''(pure white palace),'' which occupies approximately 50 acres of [[Atatürk Forest Farm and Zoo|Atatürk Forest Farm]] (AOÇ) in [[Ankara]].<ref>[http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/erdogans-ak-saray-likened-to-alamut-castle-ceausescus-palace.aspx?pageID=238&nID=73936&NewsCatID=338# Erdoğan's 'Ak Saray' likened to Alamut Castle, Ceausescu's Palace](www.hurriyetdailynews.com, retrieved on 9 April 2016)</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/11/01/world/europe/erdogan-uses-conflict-to-consolidate-power.html?referrer|title=Turkis Leader, Using Conflicts, Cements Power|author=Tim Arango|work=The New York Times|date=31 October 2014|accessdate=27 November 2014}}</ref> Since the AOÇ is protected land, several court orders were issued to halt the construction of the new palace, though building work went on nonetheless.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://therealdeal.com/blog/2014/11/01/turkish-president-drops-350m-on-new-palace/|title=Turkish President drops $350m on new palace|author=Christopher Cameron|work=The Real Deal: New York Real Estate News|date=1 November 2014|accessdate=27 November 2014}}</ref> The opposition described the move as a clear disregard for the rule of law.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/turkiye/136319/Erdogan_dan__Kac-Ak_Saray__icin_yorum.html|title=Erdoğan'dan 'Kaç-Ak Saray' için yorum|language=Turkish|trans-title=How Erdoğan's 'illegal palace' looks|date=1 November 2014|accessdate=3 December 2014|work=Cumhuriyet}}</ref> The project was subject to heavy criticism and allegations were made; of corruption during the construction process, wildlife destruction and the complete obliteration of the zoo in the AOÇ in order to make way for the new compound.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/national_critical-media-block-imposed-on-ak-saray-opening-amid-graft-concerns_362922.html|title=Critical media block imposed on 'Ak Saray' amid opening graft concerns|work=''Today's Zaman''|date=29 October 2014|accessdate=27 November 2014}}</ref> The fact that the palace is technically illegal has led to it being branded as the 'Kaç-Ak Saray', the word ''kaçak'' in Turkish meaning 'illegal'.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/video/video/136120/Kac-Ak_Saray_a_mehterli_tanitim.html|work=Cumhuriyet|date=31 October 2014|accessdate=3 December 2014|title=Kaç-Ak Saray'a mehterli tanıtım|language=Turkish|trans-title="Illegal" palace promotional material}}</ref> |
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Erdoğan is co-founder of [[United Nations]] [[Alliance of Civilizations]] (AOC). The initiative seeks to galvanize international action against [[extremism]] through the forging of international, intercultural and inter-religious dialogue and cooperation. |
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Ak Saray was originally designed as a new office for the Prime Minister. However, upon assuming the presidency, Erdoğan announced that the palace would become the new Presidential Palace, while the [[Çankaya Köşkü]] will be used by the Prime Minister instead. The move was seen as a historic change since the Çankaya Köşkü had been used as the iconic office of the presidency ever since its inception. The Ak Saray has almost 1,000 rooms and cost $350 million (€270 million), leading to huge criticism at a time when mining accidents and workers' rights had been dominating the agenda.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zaman.com.tr/gundem_ak-saray-alman-basininda_2254265.html|title='Ak-Saray' Alman basınında|language=Turkish|trans-title=Ak Saray in the German press|date=30 October 2014|accessdate=3 December 2014|work=Zaman}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/09/turkey-erdogan-white-palace-presidential-residence.html##ixzz3GQJqZp00|title=Erdogan's $350m presidential palace|work=Al-Monitor|author=Kadri Gursel|date=17 September 2014|accessdate=27 November 2014}}</ref> |
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==== European Union ==== |
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On 29 October 2014, Erdoğan was due to hold a [[Republic Day (Turkey)|Republic Day]] reception in the new palace to commemorate the 91st anniversary of the Republic of Turkey and to officially inaugurate the Presidential Palace. However, after most invited participants announced that they would boycott the event and a mining accident occurred in the district of [[Ermenek]] in [[Karaman]], the reception was cancelled.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/27477903.asp|title=29 Ekim resepsiyonu iptal|language=Turkish|trans-title=29 October reception cancelled|date=30 October 2014|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref> |
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{{See also|Turkey–European Union relations}} |
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[[File:Jan Peter Balkenende, Dutch Prime Minister and President in office of the Council, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkish Prime Minister, and Abdullah Gül, Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs.jpg|thumb|Erdoğan with President in office of the EU Council and Dutch Prime Minister [[Jan Peter Balkenende|Balkenende]] and Turkish FM [[Abdullah Gül|Gül]] in [[Brussels]], Belgium (2004).]] |
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When Erdoğan came to power, he continued Turkey's long ambition of joining the [[European Union]]. Turkey, under Erdoğan, made many strides in its laws that would qualify for EU membership.<ref>{{cite news |title=EU agrees to Turkey entry talks |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/12/16/eu.turkey/ |access-date=19 March 2022 |work=[[CNN]] |date=16 December 2004 |archive-date=19 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319063538/http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/12/16/eu.turkey/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On 3 October 2005 negotiations began for [[Accession of Turkey to the European Union|Turkey's accession to the European Union]].<ref name="BBC News">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7529707.stm|title=EU enlargement past, present and future|work=BBC News|date=6 November 2008|access-date=1 February 2009|archive-date=27 August 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100827120630/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7529707.stm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Piccoli |first1=Wolfango |date=2005 |title=Ankara's Push for Reforms and EU Membership: The Transformation of Turkey's Democracy |url=https://www.iemed.org/publication/ankaras-push-for-reforms-and-eu-membership-the-transformation-of-turkeys-democracy/ |access-date=19 March 2022 |website=www.iemed.org |publisher=University of Wales |archive-date=7 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307173825/https://www.iemed.org/publication/ankaras-push-for-reforms-and-eu-membership-the-transformation-of-turkeys-democracy/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Erdoğan was named "The European of the Year 2004" by the newspaper [[European Voice]] for the reforms in his country in order to accomplish the accession of Turkey to the European Union. He said in a comment that "Turkey's accession shows that Europe is a continent where civilisations reconcile and not clash."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://arsiv.ntvmsnbc.com/news/298717.asp?cp1=1|title=Erdoğan named European of the Year|work=[[NTV-MSNBC]]|date=1 December 2004|access-date=2 December 2004|archive-date=6 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106220511/http://arsiv.ntvmsnbc.com/news/298717.asp?cp1=1|url-status=live}}</ref> On 3 October 2005, the negotiations for Turkey's accession to the EU formally started during Erdoğan's tenure as Prime Minister.<ref name="BBC News" /> |
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The [[European Commission]] generally supports Erdoğan's reforms, but it remains critical of his policies. Negotiations about a possible [[European Union|EU]] membership came to a standstill in 2009 and 2010, when Turkish ports were closed to Cypriot ships. The Turkish government continues its refusal to recognize [[EU member state]] [[Cyprus]]. |
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===Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant=== |
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{{main article|Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War}} |
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[[File:President Barack Obama meeting with President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.jpg|thumbnail|right|Erdoğan meeting U.S. President [[Barack Obama]] during the [[2014 Wales summit]] in [[Newport, Wales|Newport]], Wales]] |
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[[File:President Rouhani meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in UN headquarters 03.jpg|thumb|left|Erdoğan meeting with Iranian President, [[Hassan Rouhani]] in New York during [[Sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly]]]] |
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Amid claims that the Turkish government funds IS fighters, several Kurdish demonstrations broke out near the Turkish-Syrian border in protest against the government's inactivity.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-29518448|title=Kurds protest againstTurkey as IS advances on Kobane|publisher=''BBC News''|date=7 October 2014|accessdate=27 November 2014}}</ref> These protests escalated during the fighting in the border town of [[Kobane]], with 42 protestors being killed following a brutal police crackdown.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-pm-blames-opposition-world-powers-as-protest-death-toll-rises.aspx?PageID=238&NID=72722&NewsCatID=338|title=Turks PM blames opposition,world powers as protest death toll rises|work=Hürriyet Daily News|date=8 October 2014|accessdate=27 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-29530640|title=Turkey Kurds: Kobane protests leave 19 dead|author=Mark Lowen|work=BBC News|date=8 October 2014|accessdate=27 November 2014}}</ref> Voicing concerns that aid to [[Kurdish people|Kurdish]] fighters would assist [[Kurdistan Workers' Party|PKK]] rebels in resuming terrorist attacks against Turkey, Erdoğan held bilateral talks with [[Barack Obama]] regarding IS during the 5–6 September [[2014 Wales summit|2014 NATO summit]] in [[Newport, Wales|Newport]], Wales.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tccb.gov.tr/news/397/90945/president-erdogan-at-the-nato-summit-in-wales.html|title=President Erdogan at the NATO Summit in Wales|date=4 September 2014|publisher=Presidency of the Republic of Turkey|accessdate=27 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.todayszaman.com/anasayfa_erdogan-obama-to-meet-at-nato-summit-amid-strained-ties_357610.html|title=Erdogan, Obama to meet at NATO summit amid strained ties|work=Today's Zaman|date=3 September 2014|accessdate=27 November 2014}}</ref> In early October, United States Vice President [[Joe Biden]] accused Turkey of funding IS, to which Erdoğan angrily responded, "Biden has to apologize for his statements" adding that if no apology is made, Biden would become "history to me." Biden subsequently apologised.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2014/10/05/politics/isis-biden-erdogan-apology/|title=Vice President Joe Biden apologises to Turkey, UAE|last1=Carter|first1=Chelsea J.|last2=Brumfield|first2=Ben|last3=Mazloumsaki|first3=Sara|publisher=''CNN''|date=6 October 2014|accessdate=27 November 2014}}</ref> In response to the U.S. request to use [[İncirlik Air Base]] to conduct air strikes against IS, Erdoğan demanded that [[Bashar al-Assad]] be removed from power first.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/oct/07/us-turkey-diplomacy-isis-kurds-kobani|title=US and Turkey's push-and-shove diplomacy has Kurds in the middle|author=Simon Tisdall|publisher=''The Guardian''|date=7 October 2014|accessdate=27 November 2014}}</ref> |
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==== Greece and Cyprus dispute ==== |
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Turkey lost its bid for a [[United Nations Security Council|Security Council]] seat in the United Nations during the [[United Nations Security Council election, 2014|2014 election]];<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-29654003|title=Turkey loses out on UN Security Council seat|work=BBC News|date=17 October 2014|accessdate=27 November 2014}}</ref> the unexpected result<ref name=Newsweek>{{cite web|last1=Avni|first1=Benny|title=Turkey Loses U.N. Security Council Seat in Huge Upset|url=http://www.newsweek.com/venezuela-malaysia-angola-new-zealand-win-un-council-seats-277962|website=Newsweek|accessdate=29 December 2015|date=16 October 2014}}</ref> is believed to have been a reaction to Erdoğan's hostile treatment of ethnic Kurds fighting ISIS on the Syrian border<ref name="Turkey Pulse">{{cite web|last1=Idiz|first1=Semih|title=UN vote confirms Turkey's waning influence|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/10/turkey-united-nations-security-council-vote.html|website=Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East|accessdate=29 December 2015|date=17 October 2014}}</ref><ref name=TPPI>{{cite web|last1=Smart|first1=James|title=Why Turkey lost its UN Security Council bid|url=http://www.thepressproject.net/article/68467/Why-Turkey-lost-its-UN-Security-Council-bid|website=The Press Project|accessdate=29 December 2015|date=28 October 2014}}</ref> and a rebuke of his willingness to support IS-aligned insurgents opposed to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.<ref name="Turkey Pulse"/><ref name=TPPI/> |
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{{See also|Greece–Turkey relations}} |
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[[File:Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and George Papandreou, Erzurum January 2011 08.jpg|thumb|left|Erdoğan with [[Prime Minister of Greece|Greek Prime Minister]] [[George Papandreou]]]] |
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Relations between Greece and Turkey were normalized during Erdoğan's tenure as prime minister. In May 2004, Erdoğan became the first Turkish Prime Minister to visit Greece since 1988, and the first to visit the [[Turks of Western Thrace|Turkish minority]] of [[Thrace]] since 1952. In 2007, Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister [[Kostas Karamanlis]] inaugurated the Greek-Turkish natural gas pipeline giving Caspian gas its first direct Western outlet.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/19/world/europe/19greece.html|title=Greece and Turkey Open Gas Pipeline|work=The New York Times|date=19 November 2007|access-date=1 February 2009|first=Anthee|last=Carassava|archive-date=9 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709100041/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/19/world/europe/19greece.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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As President, Erdoğan has been a strong advocate of an [[executive presidency]] that would boost his own powers and has maintained an active influence over political affairs despite the symbolic nature of his office. In 2016, he was accused of forcing the resignation of Prime Minister [[Ahmet Davutoğlu]] due to his scepticism over the proposed presidential system, resulting in his replacement by close ally [[Binali Yıldırım]]. He has also come under fire for constructing [[Ak Saray]], the world's largest palace on [[Atatürk Forest Farm and Zoo]] for his own use as President and has been repeatedly accused of breaching the constitutional terms of his office by not maintaining political neutrality. In 2015, amid consistent allegations that he maintained financial links with [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]] militants, revelations that the state was supplying arms to militant groups in [[Syria]] in the [[2014 National Intelligence Organisation scandal in Turkey|2014 National Intelligence Organisation lorry scandal]] led to accusations of [[high treason]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/links-between-turkey-isis-now-195700510.html|title=Senior Western official: Links between Turkey and ISIS are now 'undeniable'|author=|date=28 July 2015|work=Yahoo Finance}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sozcu.com.tr/2015/gundem/erdogana-vatana-ihanettten-suc-duyurusu-845274/?utm_source=sm_fb&utm_medium=free&utm_term=haber&utm_content=erdogana-vatana-ihanettten-suc-duyurusu-845274&utm_campaign=gundem|title=Erdoğan'a vatana ihanetten suç duyurusu|author=|date=|work=sozcu.com.tr}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/video/video/44951/Turkiye_yi_sarsan_kaset__iste_Basbakan_ve_Bilal_in_ses_kaydi_.html|title=Cumhuriyet Gazetesi – (Video) Türkiye'yi sarsan kaset: İşte Başbakan ve Bilal'in ses kaydı!|date=25 February 2014|work=cumhuriyet.com.tr}}</ref> |
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Turkey and Greece signed an agreement to create a Combined Joint Operational Unit within the framework of NATO to participate in Peace Support Operations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greekembassy.org/embassy/Content/en/Article.aspx?office=1&folder=24&article=22442|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422195959/http://www.greekembassy.org/embassy/Content/en/Article.aspx?office=1&folder=24&article=22442|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 April 2009|title=Turkish Foreign Minister's visit to Athens – Greek-Turkish agreement on confidence-building measures|work=greekembassy.org|access-date=4 December 2007}}</ref> |
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In July 2015, Turkey became involved in the war against ISIS. The Turkish military has simultaneously launched airstrikes against [[Kurdistan Workers' Party]] bases in Iraq.<ref>"[http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-turkey-bombing-kurds-20150729-story.html#page=1 Turkey steps up bombing – but on Kurds, not Islamic State]". [[Los Angeles Times]]. 29 July 2015.</ref> In July 2015, a raid by US special forces on a compound housing the Islamic State's "chief financial officer", [[Abu Sayyaf]], produced evidence that Turkish officials directly dealt with ranking IS members.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bertrand|first1=Natasha|title=Senior Western official: Links between Turkey and ISIS are now 'undeniable'|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/links-between-turkey-isis-now-195700510.html|date=28 July 2015}}</ref> |
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Erdoğan and his party strongly supported the [[2004 Cypriot Annan Plan referendum|EU-backed referendum]] to reunify Cyprus in 2004.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3656919.stm|title=Analysis: Turkey's Cyprus gamble|work=BBC News|date=25 April 2004|access-date=1 February 2009|first=Jonny|last=Dymond|archive-date=19 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119224814/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3656919.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> Negotiations about a possible EU membership came to a standstill in 2009 and 2010, when Turkish ports were closed to Cypriot ships as a consequence of the economic isolation of the internationally unrecognized [[Northern Cyprus|Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus]] and the failure of the EU to end the isolation, as it had promised in 2004.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Bogdani|first=Mirela|year=2010|title=Turkey and the Dilemma of EU Accession: When Religion Meets Politics|journal=I.B. Tauris|pages=32–33}}</ref> The Turkish government continues its refusal to recognize the Republic of Cyprus.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/eu-pays-the-price-for-admitting-cyprus-turkish-prime-minister-erdogan.aspx?pageID=238&nid=40580|title=EU pays the price for admitting Cyprus: Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan|work=[[Hürriyet]] Daily News|date=5 February 2013|access-date=3 December 2014|archive-date=10 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010134109/http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/eu-pays-the-price-for-admitting-cyprus-turkish-prime-minister-erdogan.aspx?pageID=238&nid=40580|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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==== Armenia ==== |
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On 18 August 2016, Erdoğan said that "[[terrorist organizations]] such as [[ISIL|Daesh]], [[Boko Haram]] and [[al-Qaeda]] were formed to harm [[Islam]] and ignite [[Islamophobia]] across the world." Furthermore, he said that "[[ISIL|Daesh]] is a terrorist organization that casts a shadow, a dark pall over Islam. We could never take sides with Daesh."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailysabah.com/war-on-terror/2016/08/18/terrorist-organizations-formed-to-harm-islam-erdogan-says |title=Terrorist organizations formed to harm Islam, Erdoğan says |publisher=Daily Sabah |date=18 August 2016 |accessdate=16 April 2017}}</ref> |
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{{See also|Armenia–Turkey relations}} |
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[[Armenia]] is Turkey's only neighbor which Erdoğan has not visited during his premiership. The Turkish-Armenian border has been closed since 1993 because of the [[Nagorno-Karabakh conflict]] with Turkey's close ally [[Azerbaijan]]. |
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Diplomatic efforts resulted in the [[Armenia–Turkey relations|signing of protocols]] between Turkish and Armenian Foreign Ministers in Switzerland to improve relations between the two countries. One of the points of the agreement was the creation of a joint commission on the issue. The [[Constitutional Court of Armenia|Armenian Constitutional Court]] decided that the commission contradicts the [[Constitution of Armenia|Armenian constitution]]. Turkey responded saying that Armenian court's ruling on the protocols is not acceptable, resulting in a suspension of the rectification process by the Turkish side.<ref>{{cite news |title=Turkey says Armenian top court's ruling on protocols not acceptable |url=https://www.yenisafak.com/eslesmemis/turkey-says-armenian-top-courts-ruling-on-protocols-not-acceptable-236595 |access-date=10 January 2020 |work=Yeni Şafak |date=20 January 2010 |language=tr-TR |archive-date=6 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506205733/https://www.yenisafak.com/eslesmemis/turkey-says-armenian-top-courts-ruling-on-protocols-not-acceptable-236595 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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===Concerns over neutrality=== |
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[[File:President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan - Victory Day Turkey 2014.JPG|thumbnail|left|Erdoğan taking part in a Victory Day ceremony on 30 August 2014]] |
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The [[President of Turkey]] is required to be neutral and independent from partisan politics and all presidents must pledge to adhere to these requirements whilst taking the oath of office. Breaking the presidential oath of office is a violation of the [[Constitution of Turkey]]. However, shortly after he assumed the presidency, the opposition accused Erdoğan of breaking the terms of office by being openly partisan in his dealings with the AKP government.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.milliyet.com.tr/Milliyet-Tv/video-izle/Erdogan--Tarafsiz-olmayacagim-DuuNf1raePqA.html|title=Erdoğan: Tarafsız olmayacağım|work=www.milliyet.com.tr}}</ref> In February 2015, Erdoğan was widely condemned by the opposition for calling for people to vote for the AKP in the upcoming [[Turkish general election, June 2015|June 2015 general election]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ulusalkanal.com.tr/gundem/erdogan-tarafsiz-mi-h48761.html|title=Erdoğan tarafsız mı?|author=Ulusal Kanal|date=3 February 2015|work=Ulusal Kanal}}</ref> |
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Erdoğan has said that Armenian President [[Serzh Sargsyan]] should apologize for calling on school children to re-occupy eastern Turkey. When asked by a student at a literature contest ceremony if Armenians will be able to get back their "western territories" along with Mt. Ararat, Sarksyan said, "This is the task of your generation".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://asbarez.com/erdogan-asks-sarkisian-to-apologize-for-western-armenia-remarks/ |title=Erdoğan urges Sarksyan to apologize for occupation remarks |publisher=asbarez.com |date=27 July 2011 |access-date=20 December 2021 |archive-date=21 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211221182441/https://asbarez.com/erdogan-asks-sarkisian-to-apologize-for-western-armenia-remarks/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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On 6 February 2015, while giving a speech at [[Bursa]], Erdoğan publicly called for 400 MPs at the next general election in order to push through constitutional changes, continue the [[Solution process]] with [[Kurdistan Workers' Party|Kurdish rebels]] and establish a [[presidential system]]. Although he did not mention a specific party, only the AKP formally endorses these three policies. In addition, Erdoğan made an indirect reference to the opposition and criticised them for allegedly being on the side of [[Fethullah Gülen]], which he said would not carry them into government. He also criticised the opposition's legal effort to prevent him from speaking publicly until the [[Turkish general election, June 2015|June 2015 general election]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.taraf.com.tr/politika/davutoglu-bile-bu-kadar-istemedi-400-milletvekili-lazim/|title='Tarafsız' Erdoğan: '400 milletvekili lazım' – Taraf Gazetesi|author=Oktay Özilhan|work=Taraf Gazetesi}}</ref> |
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==== Russia ==== |
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[[File:Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Mahmoud Abbas.jpg|thumb|180px|Erdoğan meeting Palestinian President Abbas in Erdogan's [[Presidential Complex|Presidential Palace]]]] |
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{{See also|Russia–Turkey relations}} |
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[[File:High-Level Russian-Turkish Cooperation Council.PNG|thumb|High-Level Russian-Turkish Cooperation Council with Prime Minister Erdoğan and President Putin]] |
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In December 2004, [[President of Russia|President]] [[Vladimir Putin|Putin]] visited Turkey, making it the first presidential visit in the history of Turkish-Russian relations besides that of the Chairman of the [[Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union|Supreme Soviet of the USSR]], [[Nikolai Podgorny]] in 1972. In November 2005, Putin attended the inauguration of a jointly constructed [[Blue Stream]] natural gas pipeline in Turkey. This sequence of top-level visits has brought several important bilateral issues to the forefront. The two countries consider it their strategic goal to achieve "multidimensional co-operation", especially in the fields of energy, transport and the military. Specifically, Russia aims to invest in Turkey's fuel and energy industries, and it also expects to participate in tenders for the modernization of Turkey's military.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.euractiv.com/en/foreign-affairs/turkey-russia-relations/article-134083|work=euractiv.com|title=Turkey-Russia relations|date=17 November 2005|access-date=2 February 2011|archive-date=15 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170715114000/http://www.euractiv.com/en/foreign-affairs/turkey-russia-relations/article-134083|url-status=dead}}</ref> The relations during this time are described by President [[Dmitry Medvedev|Medvedev]] as "Turkey is one of our most important partners with respect to regional and international issues. We can confidently say that Russian-Turkish relations have advanced to the level of a multidimensional strategic partnership".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/news-209892-102-turkey-russia-eye-strategic-partnership-in-medvedev-visit.html|work=Today's Zaman|title=Turkey, Russia eye strategic partnership in Medvedev visit|date=11 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105183436/http://www.todayszaman.com/news-209892-102-turkey-russia-eye-strategic-partnership-in-medvedev-visit.html|archive-date=5 November 2013}}</ref> |
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===Ottomanism=== |
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As President, Erdoğan has overseen a revival of [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] tradition, greeting Palestinian President [[Mahmoud Abbas]] with an Ottoman-style ceremony in the new presidential palace, with guards dressed in costumes representing founders of [[16 Great Turkish Empires]] in history.<ref name=Presidency>{{cite web|url=http://www.tccb.gov.tr/sayfa/cumhurbaskanligi/fors/|title=T.C. CUMHURBAŞKANLIĞI : Cumhurbaşkanlığı|author=cumhurbaskanligi@tccb.gov.tr|work=tccb.gov.tr}}</ref> While serving as the Prime Minister of Turkey, Erdoğan's AKP made references to the Ottoman era during election campaigns, such as calling their supporters 'grandsons of Ottomans' ''(Osmanlı torunu).''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.taraf.com.tr/politika/akpnin-sarkisinda-uzun-adam-gitti-osmanli-torunu-geldi/|title=AKP'nin şarkısında 'Uzun adam' gitti 'Osmanlı torunu' geldi ! – Taraf Gazetesi|author=Oktay Özilhan|work=Taraf Gazetesi}}</ref> This proved controversial, since it was perceived to be an open attack against the republican nature of modern Turkey founded by [[Mustafa Kemal Atatürk]]. In 2015, Erdoğan made a statement in which he endorsed the old Ottoman term ''külliye'' to refer to university campuses rather than the standard Turkish word ''kampüs''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ilk-kursun.com/haber/212703/erdogan-kampus-degil-kulliye/|title=Erdoğan: Kampus değil, külliye|author=|date=|work=ilk-kursun.com}}</ref> Many critics have thus accused Erdoğan of wanting to become an Ottoman [[sultan]] and abandon the secular and democratic credentials of the Republic.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/recep-tayyip-erdogan-the-new-sultan-now-has-a-new-palace--and-it-has-cost-turkish-taxpayers-400m-9841319.html|title=Recep Tayyip Erdogan: The 'new sultan' now has a new palace – and it has cost Turkish taxpayers £400m|work=The Independent}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/erdogan-is-turkeys-new-sultan-1407865770|title=Erdogan Is Turkey's New Sultan – WSJ|date=13 August 2014|work=WSJ}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21612237-recep-tayyip-erdogans-plans-presidency-next-sultan|title=The next sultan?|author=|date=16 August 2014|work=The Economist}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/turkey/11380281/Turkeys-president-is-not-acting-like-the-Queen-he-is-acting-like-a-sultan.html|title='Turkey's president is not acting like the Queen – he is acting like a sultan'|date=2 February 2015|work=Telegraph.co.uk}}</ref> When pressed on this issue in January 2015, Erdoğan denied these claims and said that he would aim to be more like [[Queen Elizabeth II]] of the United Kingdom rather than like an Ottoman sultan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/turkey/11380355/Turkish-president-Recep-Tayyip-Erdogan-I-want-to-be-like-Queen-of-UK.html|title=Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan: I want to be like Queen of UK|date=30 January 2015|work=Telegraph.co.uk}}</ref> |
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In May 2010, Turkey and Russia signed 17 agreements to enhance cooperation in energy and other fields, including pacts to build Turkey's first nuclear power plant and further plans for an oil pipeline from the [[Black Sea]] to the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. The leaders of both countries also signed an agreement on visa-free travel, enabling tourists to get into the other country for free and stay there for up to 30 days.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}} |
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=== Silencing the press === |
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President Erdoğan and his government press for court action against the remaining free press in Turkey. The latest newspaper that has been seized is ''[[Zaman (newspaper)|Zaman]]''.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/05/world/middleeast/recep-tayyip-erdogan-government-seizes-zaman-newspaper.html Turkey Seizes Newspaper, Zaman, as Press Crackdown Continues] (www.nytimes.com, 4 March 2016)</ref> After the seizure [[Morton Abramowitz]] and [[Eric Edelman]], former U.S. ambassadors to Turkey, condemned President Erdoğan's actions in an opinion piece published by the ''Washington Post'': "Clearly, democracy cannot flourish under Erdogan now."<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/turkeys-erdogan-must-reform-or-resign/2016/03/10/80cc9be2-dffe-11e5-9c36-e1902f6b6571_story.html Turkey's Erdogan must reform or resign] (www.washintonpost.com, 10 March 2016)</ref> "The overall pace of reforms in Turkey has not only slowed down but in some key areas, such as freedom of expression and the independence of the judiciary, there has been a regression, which is particularly worrying," rapporteur [[Kati Piri]] said in April 2016 after [[the European Parliament]] passed its annual progress report on Turkey.<ref name="Deutsche Welle">{{cite web|url=http://www.dw.com/en/european-parliament-slams-turkey-over-deterioration-of-rights-and-democracy/a-19189464|title=European Parliament slams Turkey over deterioration of rights and democracy|publisher=Deutsche Welle|date=14 April 2016|accessdate=6 June 2015}}</ref> |
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==== United States ==== |
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On 22 June 2016, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that he considered himself successful in "destroying" Turkish civil groups "working against the state",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/erdogan-says-civil-society-groups-working-against-turkish-state-largely-destroyed.aspx?pageID=238&nID=100789&NewsCatID=338|title=Erdoğan says 'civil society groups working against Turkish state' largely destroyed|publisher=Hürriyet Daily News|date=22 June 2016|accessdate=23 June 2016}}</ref> a conclusion that had been confirmed some days earlier by [[Sedat Laçiner]], Professor of International Relations and rector of the [[Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University]]: "Outlawing unarmed and peaceful opposition, sentencing people to unfair punishment under erroneous terror accusations, will feed genuine terrorism in Erdoğan's Turkey. Guns and violence will become the sole alternative for legally expressing free thought."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theturkishsun.com/opponent-or-terrorist-the-dramatically-changing-nature-of-turkish-democracy-20313/|title=Opponent or Terrorist? The dramatically changing nature of Turkish democracy|publisher=The Turkish Sun|date=16 June 2016|accessdate=23 June 2016}}</ref> |
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{{See also|Turkey–United States relations}} |
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[[File:Erdogan and Obama at the West Colonnade, Dec 7, 2009.jpg|thumb|left|Erdoğan and [[Barack Obama]] in [[White House]], 7 December 2009]] |
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When [[Barack Obama]] became [[President of United States]], he made [[List of international presidential trips made by Barack Obama|his first overseas bilateral meeting to Turkey]] in April 2009. |
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After the coup attempt, over 200 journalists were arrested and over 120 media outlets were closed. ''[[Cumhuriyet]]'' journalists were detained in November 2016 after a long-standing crackdown on the newspaper. Subsequently, [[Reporters Without Borders]] called Erdoğan an "enemy of press freedom" and said that he "hides his aggressive dictatorship under a veneer of democracy".<ref>{{cite web|title=Reporters Without Borders labels Erdogan as 'enemy of press freedom'|url=http://www.dw.com/en/reporters-without-borders-labels-erdogan-as-enemy-of-press-freedom/a-36228949|publisher=Deutsche Welle|accessdate=13 November 2016|date=2 November 2016}}</ref> |
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At a joint news conference in Turkey, Obama said: "I'm trying to make a statement about the importance of Turkey, not just to the United States but to the world. I think that where there's the most promise of building stronger [[Turkey – United States relations|U.S.-Turkish relations]] is in the recognition that Turkey and the United States can build a model partnership in which a predominantly [[Christianity|Christian]] nation, a predominantly [[Muslim]] nation – a [[Western world|Western]] nation and a nation that straddles two continents," he continued, "that we can create a modern international community that is respectful, that is secure, that is prosperous, that there are not tensions – inevitable tensions between cultures – which I think is extraordinarily important."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/06/obama.turkey/index.html|title=Obama in Turkey|publisher=[[CNN]]|date=6 April 2006|access-date=1 February 2009|archive-date=4 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180404183244/http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/06/obama.turkey/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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=== Intimidation of the Constitutional Court === |
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In a speech broadcast live on television, President Erdoğan said on Friday, 11 March 2016: "I hope the constitutional court would not again attempt such ways which will open its existence and legitimacy up for debate".<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-judiciary-erdogan-idUSKCN0WD1MD Turkey's Erdogan warns top court after ruling on detained journalists] (www.reuters.com, 11 March 2016)</ref> On 26 February, Erdoğan had said in a public speech that he did "neither respect nor accept" a constitutional court ruling that the detention of [[Can Dündar]] and [[Ekrem Gül]] from ''[[Cumhuriyet]]'' had violated their rights.<ref>{{cite news|title=Turkey's Erdogan says does not respect court ruling on journalists|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-media-erdogan-idUSKCN0W10E6|accessdate=23 June 2016|date=28 February 2016|publisher=Reuters}}</ref> |
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==== Iraq ==== |
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{{See also|Iraq–Turkey relations}} |
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In an interview to the news magazine ''[[Der Spiegel]]'', the German [[Federal Ministry of Defence (Germany)|minister of defence]] [[Ursula von der Leyen]] said on Friday, 11 March 2016, that the refugee crisis had made good cooperation between EU and Turkey an "existentially important" issue. "Therefore it is right to advance now negotiations on Turkey's EU accession".<ref>[http://www.trtworld.com/europe/germany-voices-support-for-accelerating-turkey-eu-talks-65967 Germany voices support for accelerating Turkey-EU talks] (www.trtworld.com, 12 March 2016)</ref> |
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Turkey under Erdoğan was named by the [[Presidency of George W. Bush|Bush Administration]] as a part of the "[[coalition of the willing]]" that was central to the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2862343.stm|title=US names 'coalition of the willing'|date=18 March 2003|work=BBC News|access-date=29 August 2015|archive-date=26 February 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080226195556/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2862343.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> On 1 March 2003, a motion allowing Turkish military to participate in the U.S-led coalition's invasion of Iraq, along with the permission for foreign troops to be stationed in Turkey for this purpose, was overruled by the Turkish Parliament.<ref>{{cite news |title=Turkey rejects U.S. troop proposal – Mar. 1, 2003 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/01/sprj.irq.main/ |access-date=10 January 2020 |publisher=CNN |date=2 March 2003 |archive-date=11 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200111213917/https://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/01/sprj.irq.main/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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After the fall of [[Saddam Hussein]], [[Iraq]] and Turkey signed 48 trade agreements on issues including security, energy, and water. The Turkish government attempted to mend relations with [[Iraqi Kurdistan]] by opening a Turkish university in [[Erbil]], and a Turkish consulate in [[Mosul]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-191730-100-news-analysis-towards-a-new-era-in-ties-with-northern-iraq.html |title=Towards a new era in ties with Northern Iraq |date=2 November 2009 |work=Today's Zaman |access-date=3 December 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091105191731/http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-191730-100-news-analysis-towards-a-new-era-in-ties-with-northern-iraq.html |archive-date= 5 November 2009 }}</ref> Erdoğan's government fostered economic and political relations with [[Irbil]], and Turkey began to consider the [[Kurdistan Regional Government]] in northern Iraq as an ally against Maliki's government.<ref name=Kurd-Shiite-Sunni-Split>{{cite web|last=Salem|first=Paul|title=INSIGHT: Iraq's Tensions Heightened by Syria Conflict|url=http://middleeastvoices.voanews.com/2012/11/insight-iraqs-tensions-heightened-by-syria-conflict-96791/|publisher=Middle East Voices|access-date=3 November 2012|date=29 November 2012|archive-date=19 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619200757/http://middleeastvoices.voanews.com/2012/11/insight-iraqs-tensions-heightened-by-syria-conflict-96791/|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In its resolution "The functioning of democratic institutions in Turkey" from 22 June 2016, the [[Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe]] warned that "recent developments in Turkey pertaining to freedom of the media and of expression, erosion of the rule of law and the human rights violations in relation to anti-terrorism security operations in south-east Turkey have ... raised serious questions about the functioning of its democratic institutions."<ref>{{cite web| url=http://venice.coe.int/files/turkish%20declaration%20June%202015.pdf| title=Venice Commission Declaration on Interference with Judicial Independence in Turkey. Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Resolution 2121 (2016)| date=22 June 2016| access-date=20 July 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/rights-violations-terror-ops-threaten-turkeys-democratic-institutions-pace.aspx?pageID=238&nID=100835&NewsCatID=339|title=Rights violations, terror ops threaten Turkey's democratic institutions: PACE|publisher=Hürriyet Daily News|date=23 June 2016|accessdate=23 June 2016}}</ref> |
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==== Israel ==== |
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{{See also|Israel–Turkey relations}} |
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{{main article|2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt}} |
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[[File:WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM ANNUAL MEETING 2009 - Recep Tayyip Erdogan.jpg|thumb|right|Erdoğan walks out of the session at the [[World Economic Forum]] in 2009, vows never to return.]] |
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[[File:After coup nightly demonstartion of president Erdogan supporters. Istanbul, Turkey, Eastern Europe and Western Asia. 22 July,2016.jpg|thumb|right|Turkish anti-coup rally in Istanbul, 22 July 2016]] |
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On 15 July 2016, a coup d'état was attempted by the military, with aims to remove Erdoğan from government, however by the next day Erdoğan's government managed to reassert effective control in the country.<ref name="WSJ-attempted-coup">{{cite news|last1=Levin |first1=Ned |last2=Candemir |first2=Yeliz |title=Turkey's Erdogan Reasserts Control After Attempted Coup |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/turkeys-erdogan-reasserts-control-after-attempted-coup-1468658670 |accessdate=16 July 2016 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160716102935/http://www.wsj.com/articles/turkeys-erdogan-reasserts-control-after-attempted-coup-1468658670 |archivedate=16 July 2016 |publisher=The Wall Street Journal |date=16 July 2016 |location=Istanbul |subscription=yes |deadurl=yes |df=dmy }}</ref> Reportedly, no government official was arrested or harmed, which among other factors raised the suspicion of a [[false flag]] event staged by the government itself.<ref>{{cite web|title=Critics Raise False Flag After Failed Military Coup In Turkey|url=http://www.vocativ.com/341593/critics-raise-false-flag-after-failed-military-coup-in-turkey/|publisher=Vocativ|accessdate=16 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Fontanella-Khan |first1=Amana |title=Fethullah Gülen: Turkey coup may have been 'staged' by Erdoğan regime |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/16/fethullah-gulen-turkey-coup-erdogan |accessdate=16 July 2016 |publisher=The Guardian |date=16 July 2016 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160716221649/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/16/fethullah-gulen-turkey-coup-erdogan |archivedate=16 July 2016 |location=Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania |deadurl=yes |df=dmy }}</ref> |
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Erdoğan visited Israel on 1 May 2005, a gesture unusual for a leader of a Muslim majority country.<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite web|last1=Myre|first1=Greg|title=Turkish Leader Visits Israel, Restoring Friendly Ties|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/02/world/middleeast/turkish-leader-visits-israel-restoring-friendly-ties.html|work=The New York Times|access-date=16 April 2017|date=2 May 2005|archive-date=22 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200822142635/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/02/world/middleeast/turkish-leader-visits-israel-restoring-friendly-ties.html|url-status=live}}</ref> During his trip, Erdoğan visited the [[Yad Vashem]], Israel's official memorial to the victims of the [[Holocaust]].<ref name="nytimes.com" /> The [[President of Israel]] [[Shimon Peres]] addressed the Turkish parliament during a visit in 2007, the first time an Israeli leader had addressed the legislature of a predominantly Muslim nation.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/world/peres-addresses-turkish-parliament/2007/11/14/1194766711166.html|title=Peres addresses Turkish Parliament|newspaper=[[Brisbane Times]]|date=14 November 2007|access-date=3 September 2011|archive-date=27 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127102423/http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/world/peres-addresses-turkish-parliament/2007/11/14/1194766711166.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Erdoğan, as well as other government officials, have blamed an exiled cleric, and once an ally of Erdoğan, [[Fethullah Gülen]], for staging the coup attempt.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/turkey-military-coup/who-u-s-based-cleric-fethullah-gulen-blamed-turkey-coup-n610681|title=This U.S.-Based Cleric Is Being Blamed for Coup Attempt|publisher=}}</ref> Suleyman Soylu, Minister for Labor in Erdoğan's government, accused the US of planning a coup to oust Erdoğan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/215046|title=US government behind Turkish coup attempt, Turkish minister says|publisher=}}</ref> |
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Their relationship worsened at the 2009 [[World Economic Forum]] conference over Israel's actions during the [[Gaza War (2008–09)|Gaza War]].<ref name=telegraph>{{cite news|title=WEF 2009 Turkish leader storms out of debate with Israeli PM|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/davos/4392331/WEF-2009-Turkish-leader-storms-out-of-debate-with-Israeli-PM.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/davos/4392331/WEF-2009-Turkish-leader-storms-out-of-debate-with-Israeli-PM.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|work=The Telegraph|access-date=23 February 2011|date=30 January 2009}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Erdoğan was interrupted by the moderator while he was responding to Peres. Erdoğan stated: "Mister Peres, you are older than I am. Maybe you are feeling guilty and that is why you are raising your voice. When it comes to killing you know it too well. I remember how you killed the children on beaches..." Upon the moderator's reminder that they needed to adjourn for dinner, Erdoğan left the panel, accusing the moderator of giving Peres more time than all the other panelists combined.<ref name="erdoganhurriyet">{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/world/10887282.asp?gid=244|title=Turkish PM storms out of Davos' Gaza session, slams moderator|work=Hürriyet Daily News|date=30 January 2009|access-date=1 February 2009|archive-date=18 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018172550/http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/world/10887282.asp?gid=244|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Erdoğan, as well as other high-ranking Turkish government officials have issued repeated demands to the US to extradite Güllen.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/11/politics/turkey-us-fethullah-gulen-ultimatum/index.html|title=Turkey's Erdogan demands US hand over cleric|first=Euan McKirdy and Hande Atay Alam|last=CNN|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/28/turkey-fethullah-gulen-extradition-coup-attempt|title=Turkey officials to demand extradition of Fethullah Gülen from US|first=Patrick Wintour Diplomatic|last=editor|date=28 July 2016|publisher=|via=The Guardian}}</ref> |
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Tensions increased further following the [[Gaza flotilla raid]] in May 2010. Erdoğan strongly condemned the raid, describing it as "state terrorism", and demanded an Israeli apology.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/turkish-pm-israel-is-the-main-threat-to-mideast-peace-1.901|title=Turkish PM: Israel is the main threat to Mideast peace|newspaper=Haaretz|access-date=8 September 2010|archive-date=23 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423084827/http://www.haaretz.com/news/turkish-pm-israel-is-the-main-threat-to-mideast-peace-1.901|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2013, Erdoğan called [[Zionism]] a "crime against humanity", comparing it to Islamophobia, antisemitism, and fascism.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kalman |first=Aaron |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/erdogan-calls-zionism-a-crime-against-humanity/ |title=Erdogan calls Zionism a 'crime against humanity' |work=The Times of Israel |date=28 February 2013 |access-date=3 June 2013 |archive-date=22 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522110122/http://www.timesofisrael.com/erdogan-calls-zionism-a-crime-against-humanity/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He later retracted the statement, saying he had been misinterpreted. He said "everyone should know" that his comments were directed at "Israeli policies", especially as regards to "Gaza and the settlements".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Mar-20/210853-erdogan-says-comments-on-zionism-misunderstood.ashx|title=Erdogan says comments on Zionism 'misunderstood'|work=The Lebanon Daily Star|date=20 March 2013|access-date=3 December 2014|agency=Agence Presse France|archive-date=6 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141206010642/http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Mar-20/210853-erdogan-says-comments-on-zionism-misunderstood.ashx|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/turkish-pm-says-zionism-comments-misinterpreted/|title=Turkish PM says Zionism comments misinterpreted|work=The Times of Israel|date=20 March 2013|access-date=3 December 2014|last=Fiske|first=Gavriel|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303225910/http://www.timesofisrael.com/turkish-pm-says-zionism-comments-misinterpreted/|url-status=live}}</ref> Erdoğan's statements were criticized by [[Secretary-General of the United Nations|UN Secretary-General]] [[Ban Ki-moon]], among others.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/02/world/europe/kerry-criticizes-turkish-prime-minister-over-zionism-remark.html?hp&_r=1&|title=Kerry Comes to Turkey With Rebuke of Its Leader Over Zionism Remark|first=Michael|last=Gordon|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=1 March 2013|access-date=3 December 2014|archive-date=16 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160716133044/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/02/world/europe/kerry-criticizes-turkish-prime-minister-over-zionism-remark.html?hp&_r=1&|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://diepresse.com/home/politik/aussenpolitik/1350833/Zionismus-ist-Verbrechen_Aussenamt-ruegt-Erdogan?from=suche.intern.portal|title=Zionismus ist Verbrechen: Außenamt rügt Erdogan|work=[[Die Presse]]|date=1 March 2013|access-date=3 December 2014|language=de|trans-title="Zionism is a crime": Foreign Ministry criticises Erdogan|archive-date=7 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107221210/https://www.diepresse.com/1350833/zionismus-ist-verbrechen-aussenamt-ruegt-erdogan|url-status=live}}</ref> In August 2013, the ''[[Hürriyet]]'' reported that Erdoğan had claimed to have evidence of Israel's responsibility for the [[2013 Egyptian coup d'état|removal of Morsi from office in Egypt]].<ref name=Israelbehind>{{cite news|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-has-evidence-that-israel-was-behind-egypt-coup-erdogan.aspx?pageID=517&nID=52876&NewsCatID=338|title=Israel behind coup to oust Morsi, Turkish PM Erdoğan says|work=[[Hürriyet Daily News]]|date=20 August 2013|access-date=4 December 2014|archive-date=4 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141104110633/http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-has-evidence-that-israel-was-behind-egypt-coup-erdogan.aspx?pageID=517&nID=52876&NewsCatID=338|url-status=live}}</ref> The Israeli and Egyptian governments dismissed the suggestion.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/154587/turkey-has-evidence-that-israel-was-behind-egypt-coup-erdogan.html |title=Turkey has evidence that Israel was behind Egypt coup: Erdoğan |work=[[The Journal of Turkish Weekly]] |date=20 August 2013 |access-date=4 December 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021023932/http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/154587/turkey-has-evidence-that-israel-was-behind-egypt-coup-erdogan.html |archive-date=21 October 2013 }}</ref> |
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Following the coup attempt, there has been a significant deterioration in Turkey-US relations. |
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European and other world leaders have expressed their concerns over the situation in Turkey, with many of them warning Erdoğan not to use the coup attempt as an excuse for crackdown against his opponents.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/17/turkey-coup-plot-president-erdogan-rounds-up-thousands-of-soldie/|title=Turkey coup attempt: World leaders warn President Erdogan not to use uprising as excuse for crackdown as more than 6,000 arrested|publisher=}}</ref> |
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In response to the [[2014 Israel–Gaza conflict]], Erdoğan accused Israel of conducting "[[state terrorism]]" and a [[Palestinian genocide accusation|"genocide attempt" against the Palestinians]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Erdogan accuses Israel of 'using terrorism' in its operations against Hamas in Gaza|url=http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/Erdogan-accuses-Israel-of-using-terrorism-in-its-operations-against-Hamas-in-Gaza-362759|access-date=18 July 2014|newspaper=[[The Jerusalem Post]]|date=14 July 2014|archive-date=18 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140718041105/http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/Erdogan-accuses-Israel-of-using-terrorism-in-its-operations-against-Hamas-in-Gaza-362759|url-status=live}}</ref> He also stated that "If Israel continues with this attitude, it will definitely be tried at international courts."<ref>{{cite news |title=Turkey's Erdogan says Israel should face trial over Gaza assault |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-gaza-turkey-idUSKBN0FT2BZ20140724 |date=24 July 2014 |work=Reuters |access-date=5 July 2021 |archive-date=17 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517182930/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-gaza-turkey-idUSKBN0FT2BZ20140724 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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The rise of Islamic state and the collapse of the Kurdish peace process lead to a sharp rise in terrorist incidents in Turkey until 2016 Erdoğan was accused by his critics of having a 'soft corner' for ISIS<ref>{{cite web|author=Simon Tisdall |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/29/turkey-pays-price-erdogan-blindness-to-isis-threat |title=Turkey paying a price for Erdoğan's wilful blindness to Isis threat | World news |publisher=The Guardian |date= |accessdate=15 July 2016}}</ref> However, after the attempted coup, Erdoğan ordered the Turkish military into Syria to combat ISIS and Kurdish militant groups.<ref>{{cite web|author=Kareem Shaheen |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/24/turkey-launches-major-operation-against-isis-in-key-border-town |title=Turkey sends tanks into Syria in operation aimed at Isis and Kurds | World news |publisher=The Guardian |date=24 August 2016 |accessdate=16 April 2017}}</ref> Erdoğan's critics have decried purges in the education system and judiciary as undermining the rule of law<ref>{{cite web|last=Macdonald |first=Alastair |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-security-eu-mogherini-idUSKCN0ZY0EZ |title='No excuse' for Turkey to abandon rule of law: EU's Mogherini |publisher=Reuters |date=18 July 2016 |accessdate=16 April 2017}}</ref> however Erdoğan supporters argue this is a necessary measure as Gulen-linked schools cheated on entrance exams, requiring a purge in the education system and of the Gulen followers who then entered the judiciary.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/08/05/fethullah-gulen-race-top-over-turkey-erdogan-secularism-schools/ |title=Fethullah Gulen's Race to the Top Is Over |publisher=Foreign Policy |date=5 August 2016 |accessdate=16 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailysabah.com/elections/2015/06/15/turkey-21-suspects-detained-in-civil-service-exam-cheating-scandal |title=Turkey: 21 suspects detained in civil service exam cheating scandal |publisher=Daily Sabah |date=15 June 2015 |accessdate=16 April 2017}}</ref> |
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==== Syria ==== |
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Erdoğan's plan is "to reconstitute Turkey as a presidential system. The plan would create a centralized system that would enable him to better tackle Turkey's internal and external threats. One of the main hurdles allegedly standing in his way is Fethullah Gulen's movement ..."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atimes.com/erdogans-global-anti-gulen-drive-hits-pakistan/|title=Erdogan's global anti-Gulen drive hits Pakistan|last=Salman|first=Rafi|date=20 November 2016|website=www.atimes.com|publisher=|access-date=22 November 2016}}</ref> In the aftermath of the [[2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt]], a groundswell of national unity and consensus emerged against cracking down on the coup plotters with a National Unity rally held in Turkey that included Islamists, secularists, liberals and nationalists.<ref>{{cite web|last=McKirdy |first=Euan |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/08/europe/turkey-coup-unity-rally/ |title=Turkey's Erdogan tells million-strong unity rally: I support death penalty - CNN.com |publisher=Edition.cnn.com |date=8 August 2016 |accessdate=16 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/08/turkey-istanbul-pro-democracy-rally-160807095400728.html |title=President Erdogan and opposition unite in Turkey rally - News from |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=7 August 2016 |accessdate=16 April 2017}}</ref> Erdoğan has used this consensus to remove Gulen followers from the bureaucracy, curtail their role in NGOs, Turkey's Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Turkish military, with 149 Generals discharged.<ref>{{cite web|author=Agence France-Presse |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/28/turkey-purges-military-leaders-in-wake-of-failed-coup |title=Turkish generals resign as government prepares to overhaul armed forces | World news |publisher=The Guardian |date=28 July 2016 |accessdate=16 April 2017}}</ref> In a foreign policy shift Erdoğan ordered the Turkish Armed Forces into battle in Syria and has liberated towns from IS control.<ref>{{cite web|author=Reporting by Orhan Coskun; Writing by Nick Tattersall |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-turkey-dabiq-idUSKBN12G0UK |title=Turkish operations in Syria to continue after Dabiq liberated: Erdogan's spokesman |publisher=Reuters |date=16 October 2016 |accessdate=16 April 2017}}</ref> As relations with Europe soured over in the aftermath of the attempted coup, Erdoğan developed alternative relationships with Russia,<ref>{{cite web|author=Shaun Walker in Moscow and Jennifer Rankin in Brussels |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/09/erdogan-meets-putin-leaders-seek-mend-ties-jet-downing-russia-turkey |title=Erdoğan and Putin discuss closer ties in first meeting since jet downing | World news |publisher=The Guardian |date=9 August 2016 |accessdate=16 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/one-year-halt-in-turkey-russia-ties-over-turkish-pm.aspx?pageID=238&nID=106951&NewsCatID=510 |title=One-year halt in Turkey, Russia ties 'over': Turkish PM - DIPLOMACY |publisher=Hurriyetdailynews.com |date=6 December 2016 |accessdate=16 April 2017}}</ref> Saudi Arabia<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/954596/saudi-arabia |title=KSA welcomes Erdogan's success against coup attempt |publisher=Arab News |date=21 November 2016 |accessdate=16 April 2017}}</ref> and a "strategic partnership" with [[Pakistan–Turkey relations|Pakistan]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/turkey-pakistan-vow-to-strengthen-ties-further/687871 |title=Turkey, Pakistan vow to strengthen ties further |publisher=Aa.com.tr |date=17 November 2016 |accessdate=16 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.radio.gov.pk/27-Nov-2016/pakistan-turkey-reaffirm-commitment-to-intensify-mutual-cooperation |title=Pakistan, Turkey reaffirm commitment to intensify mutual cooperation |publisher=Radio.gov.pk |date=27 November 2016 |accessdate=16 April 2017}}</ref> with plans to cultivate relations through free trade agreements and deepening military relations for mutual co-operation with Turkey's regional allies.<ref>{{cite web|author=Yusuf Hati̇p |url=http://aa.com.tr/en/todays-headlines/turkey-pakistan-free-trade-deal-to-be-ready-in-dec/685961 |title=Turkey, Pakistan free trade deal to be ready in Dec |publisher=Aa.com.tr |date=15 November 2016 |accessdate=16 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=David Rider |url=http://www.marsecreview.com/2016/10/pakisan-turkey-in-navy-drills/ |title=Pakistan, Turkey in navy drills | Maritime Security Review |publisher=Marsecreview.com |date=31 October 2016 |accessdate=16 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/167333-Pakistan-to-sell-52-Super-Mushshak-aircraft-to-Turkey |title=Pakistan to sell 52 Super Mushshak aircraft to Turkey | Top Story |publisher=thenews.com.pk |date=24 November 2016 |accessdate=16 April 2017}}</ref> |
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[[File:Merkel, Putin, Erdoğan and Macron during the joint press release.jpg|thumb|[[Angela Merkel]], [[Vladimir Putin]], Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and [[Emmanuel Macron]] giving a press conference as part of Syria summit in Istanbul, Turkey]] |
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{{See also|Syria–Turkey relations}} |
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=== State of emergency and purges (20 July 2016 – present) === |
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{{main article|2016 Turkish purges}} |
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During Erdoğan's term of office, diplomatic relations between Turkey and Syria significantly deteriorated. In 2004, President [[Bashar al-Assad]] arrived in Turkey for the first official visit by a Syrian President in 57 years. In late 2004, Erdoğan signed a free trade agreement with Syria. Visa restrictions between the two countries were lifted in 2009, which caused an economic boom in the regions near the Syrian border.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2004/01/06/son/sontur16.html|title=Türkiye, Suriye ile İsrail arasında kolaylaştırıcı rol üstlenebilir|newspaper=Milliyet|date=6 January 1990|access-date=8 September 2010|language=tr|trans-title=Turkey could play a role in facilitating Syria and Israel|archive-date=10 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010134516/http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2004/01/06/son/sontur16.html|url-status=live}}</ref> However, in 2011 the relationship between the two countries was strained following the outbreak of [[Syrian Civil War|conflict in Syria]]. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he was trying to "cultivate a favorable relationship with whatever government would take the place of Assad".<ref name="Dif relationship against Assad">{{cite web|last=Epatko|first=Larisa|title=Syria and Turkey: A Complex Relationship|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2012/11/syria-and-turkey.html|publisher=PBS NEWSHOUR|access-date=15 November 2012|date=15 November 2012|archive-date=16 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121116134611/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2012/11/syria-and-turkey.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> However, he began to support the opposition in Syria, after demonstrations turned violent, creating a serious Syrian refugee problem in Turkey.<ref>{{cite web|title=Turks Concerned with Erdogan's Syria Policy|via= [[YouTube]]|date= 24 October 2014|access-date= 24 October 2014|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5KJBioljJE |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/y5KJBioljJE |archive-date=21 December 2021 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Erdoğan's policy of providing military training for anti-Damascus fighters has also created conflict with Syria's ally and a neighbour of Turkey, Iran.<ref>{{cite web|title=Senior MP Raps Erdogan's Policies on Syria|date=7 January 2013|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-314125007.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329055718/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-314125007.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 March 2015|access-date=4 December 2014|work=FARS News}}</ref> |
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On 20 July 2016, President Erdoğan declared the [[state of emergency]], citing the coup d'état attempt as justification.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/turkey-bans-all-academics-from-travelling-in-latest-post-coup-measures/2016/07/20/f3498b44-4de5-11e6-bf27-405106836f96_story.html Turkey declares a state of emergency for three months] (20 July 2016, www.washingtonpost.com)</ref> It was first scheduled to last three months. The Turkish parliament approved this measure.<ref>[http://www.wilx.com/content/news/Turkeys-parliament-approves-state-of-emergency-387811071.html Turkey's parliament approves state of emergency] (21 July 2016, www.wilx.com)</ref> The state of emergency was later extended for another three months, amidst the ongoing [[2016 Turkish purges]] including [[Turkey's media purge after the failed July 2016 coup d'état|comprehensive purges of independent media]] and detention of tens of thousands of Turkish citizens politically opposed to Erdoğan.<ref name="japantimes.co.jp">{{cite news|title=Erdogan derailing Turkey's promising future|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2016/11/08/commentary/world-commentary/erdogan-derailing-turkeys-promising-future/|newspaper=The Japan Times|date=8 November 2016}}</ref> |
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==== Saudi Arabia ==== |
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==Controversies== |
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{{See also|Saudi Arabia–Turkey relations}} |
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Early during his prime ministership, Erdoğan was praised as a role model for emerging Middle Eastern nations due to several reform packages initiated by his government which expanded religious freedoms and minority rights as part of [[Accession of Turkey to the European Union|accession negotiations]] with the [[European Union]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/has-recep-tayyip-erdogan-gone-from-model-middle-east-strongman-to-tinpot-dictator-9252366.html|title=Has Recep Tayyip Erdogan gone from model Middle East 'strongman' to tin-pot dictator?|last=Fisk|first=Robert|date=10 April 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014|work=The Independent}}</ref> However, his government underwent several crises including the [[Sledgehammer (coup plan)|Sledgehammer]] and [[Ergenekon trials|Ergenekon]] cases against the [[Turkish Armed Forces]], corruption scandals, accusations of media intimidation, as well as the pursuit of an increasingly polarising political agenda; the opposition accused the government of inciting political hatred throughout the country. Central to the accusations of authoritarianism are Erdoğan's controversial ties with exiled Islamic cleric and former ally [[Fethullah Gülen]], who has been accused of calling for the dismantling of the secular Turkish state in favour of an [[Islamic Republic]], although Gülen had been acquitted in 2006 of the charge, based on the same alleged statements, of trying to overturn the government.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gülen acquitted of trying to overthrow secular government |url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/gulen-acquitted-of-trying-to-overthrow-secular-government.aspx?pageID=438&n=gulen-acquitted-of-trying-to-overthrow-secular-government-2006-05-06 |newspaper=[[Hürriyet Daily News]] |agency=[[Associated Press|AP]] |date=6 May 2006 |accessdate=22 January 2016}}</ref> |
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In August 2006, [[Abdullah of Saudi Arabia|King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz as-Saud]] made a visit to Turkey. This was the first visit by a [[Saudi Arabia|Saudi]] monarch to Turkey in the last four decades. The monarch made a second visit, on 9 November 2007. Turk-Saudi trade volume has exceeded {{USD}} 3.2 billion in 2006, almost double the figure achieved in 2003. In 2009, this amount reached {{USD}} 5.5 billion and the goal for the year 2010 was {{USD}} 10 billion.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.neurope.eu/articles/92934.php|work=New Europe|title=Turkey, Saudi Arabia increase cooperation|date=16 February 2009|access-date=14 June 2011}}{{dead link|date=June 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> |
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In response to criticism, Erdoğan made a speech in May 2014 denouncing allegations of dictatorship, saying that the leader of the opposition, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who was there at the speech, would not be able to "roam the streets" freely if he was a dictator.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/turkiye/76193/Kilicdaroglu__Uc_gun_sussa_huzur_olur.html|title=Kılıçdaroğlu: Üç gün sussa huzur olur|language=Turkish|trans-title=Kılıçdaroğlu: Three days peace is suspect|date=27 May 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref> Kılıçdaroğlu responded that political tensions would cease to exist if Erdoğan stopped making his polarising speeches for three days.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.chp.org.tr/?p=148819|title=Genel Başkan Kılıçdaroğlu, 'Diktatörlerin ortak özelliği çok korkak olmalarıdır' dedi ve 'Diktatör değilim' diyen Erdoğan'a, o zaman diktatör bozuntususun" diye seslendi|language=Turkish|trans-title=President to 'The common features of dictators is that they are too cowardly'|date=27 May 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref> One observer said it was a measure of the state of Turkish democracy that Prime Minister [[Ahmet Davutoğlu]] could openly threaten, on 20 December 2015, that, if his party did not win the election, his country's Kurds would endure a repeat of the era of the "white Toros", the Turkish name for the Renault 12, "a car associated with the gendarmarie's fearsome intelligence agents, who carried out thousands of extrajudicial executions of Kurdish nationalists during the 1990s."<ref name = "NYRB CdeB">{{Cite journal |last= de Bellaigue |first= Christopher |authorlink= Christopher de Bellaigue |year= 2015 |title= The Sultan of Turkey |url= http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2015/12/17/erdogan-sultan-turkey/ |journal= [[The New York Review of Books]] |volume= 62 |number= 20 |pages= 85–87 |accessdate= 28 January 2016 }}</ref> |
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Erdoğan condemned the [[Saudi-led intervention in Bahrain]] and characterized the Saudi movement as "a new [[battle of Karbala|Karbala]]". He demanded withdrawal of Saudi forces from [[Bahrain]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bhadrakumar|first1=M.K.|title=Middle East News, Iraq, Iran current affairs|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/MC25Ak02.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110602082110/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/MC25Ak02.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 June 2011|work=Asia Times}}</ref> |
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In February 2015, a 13-year-old child was arrested after allegedly criticising Erdoğan on Facebook.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ilk-kursun.com/haber/218880/13-yasindaki-cocuk-erdogana-hakaretten-ifade-verdi/|title=13 yaşındaki çocuk, Erdoğan'a hakaretten ifade verdi – İlk Kurşun Gazetesi|author=|date=|work=ilk-kursun.com}}</ref> In 2016, a waiter was arrested for not serving tea to Erdoğan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/siyaset/650617/_Erdogan_a_cay_vermem__dedigi_icin_tutuklanan_kantin_sorumlumuz_Senol_Buran_TBMM_gundeminde.html/|title='Erdoğan'a çay vermem' dediği için tutuklanan kantin sorumlumuz Şenol Buran TBMM gündeminde |author=|date=|work=Cumhuriyet}}</ref> |
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==== Egypt ==== |
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{{See also|Egypt–Turkey relations}} |
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Erdoğan had made his first official visit to [[Egypt]] on 12 September 2011, accompanied by six ministers and 200 businessmen.<ref name="cnn_egypt">{{cite news| title=Turkish prime minister arrives for visit to Egypt as role widens| url=http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/09/12/turkey.diplomacy/| publisher=CNN| date=14 September 2011| access-date=15 September 2011| archive-date=9 July 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709123302/http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/09/12/turkey.diplomacy/| url-status=live}}</ref> This visit was made very soon after Turkey had ejected Israeli ambassadors, cutting off all diplomatic relations with Israel because Israel refused to apologize for the [[Gaza flotilla raid]] which killed eight Turkish and one Turco-American.<ref name="cnn_egypt" /> |
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Erdoğan's visit to Egypt was met with much enthusiasm by [[Egypt]]ians. [[CNN]] reported some Egyptians saying "We consider him as the Islamic leader in the Middle East", while others were appreciative of his role in supporting Gaza.<ref name="cnn_egypt" /> Erdoğan was later honoured in Tahrir Square by members of the Egyptian Revolution Youth Union, and members of the Turkish embassy were presented with a coat of arms in acknowledgment of the Prime Minister's support of the Egyptian Revolution.<ref name="democrati">{{cite news| title=Egypt and Turkey, an Axis against Democracy?| url=http://democrati.net/2011/09/30/egypt-and-turkey-an-axis-against-democracy/| publisher=democrati.net| date=30 September 2011| access-date=30 September 2011| archive-date=9 July 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709154401/https://democrati.net/2011/09/30/egypt-and-turkey-an-axis-against-democracy/| url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Erdoğan referred to the Turkish novelist and Islamist ideologue, [[Necip Fazıl Kısakürek]], as his muse. Kısakürek was regarded by some analysts, such as Günther Jikeli and Kemal Silay, as the source of his views on Jews.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Halil M. Karaveli and M.K. Kaya|title=ISLAMIC CONSERVATIVE |url=http://www.silkroadstudies.org/new/inside/turkey/2009/091109B.html|publisher=Turkey Analyst vol. 2 no. 20|accessdate=17 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Günther Jikeli and Kemal Silay|title='Spawn of Israel': Erdogan's anti-Semitic obsessions|url=http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.592114}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Singer|first1=Sean R.|title=Erdogan's Muse: The School of Necip Fazil Kisakurek|url=http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/article/erdogan%E2%80%99s-muse-school-necip-fazil-kisakurek|publisher=World Affairs Journal|accessdate=13 August 2014}}</ref> Kısakürek's publications included the Turkish translation of ''[[The Protocols of the Elders of Zion]]'' and praise for industrialist [[Henry Ford]]'s ''[[The International Jew]]'', as well as a political program in which he wrote: "Chief among these treacherous and insidious elements to be cleansed are the Dönmeh and the Jews".<ref>{{cite book|last1=Kısakürek|first1=Necip Fazıl|title=Ideolocya örgüsü|date=1968|publisher=Büyük Doğu Yayınları|location=İstanbul|isbn=9789758180325|page=71|edition=10. basım.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Marc David|last= Baer|title=An Enemy Old and New: The Dönme, Anti-Semitism, and Conspiracy Theories in the Ottoman Empire and Turkish Republic |url=https://www.academia.edu/5437676/An_Enemy_Old_and_New_The_Donme_Anti-Semitism_and_Conspiracy_Theories_in_the_Ottoman_Empire_and_Turkish_Republic|publisher=''Jewish Quarterly Review'' 103.4 (2013): 523–555|accessdate=12 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://muse.jhu.edu/|title=Project MUSE|publisher=|accessdate=19 June 2016}}</ref> |
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Erdoğan stated in a 2011 interview that he supported secularism for Egypt, which generated an angry reaction among Islamic movements, especially the [[Freedom and Justice Party (Egypt)|Freedom and Justice Party]], which was the political wing of the [[Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt|Muslim Brotherhood]].<ref name="democrati" /> However, commentators suggest that by forming an alliance with the military junta during Egypt's transition to democracy, Erdoğan may have tipped the balance in favor of an authoritarian government.<ref name=democrati /> |
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A 2009 report issued by the [[Israeli Foreign Ministry]], said that Erdoğan "indirectly incites and encourages" [[antisemitism]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Ravid|first=Barak|title=Israel accuses Turkish PM of inciting anti-Semitism|url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israel-accuses-turkish-pm-of-inciting-anti-semitism-1.265790|accessdate=3 August 2014}}</ref> In 2013, Erdoğan was placed second on the [[Simon Wiesenthal Center]]'s list of the year's top ten antisemitic personalities, after Erdoğan blamed the "interest rate lobby" as organizers of the mass protests against him in cities around the country in June 2013.<ref>{{cite web|title='Spawn of Israel': Erdogan's anti-Semitic obsessions|url=http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.592114|work=[[Haaretz]]}}</ref> In another quote that was regarded as antisemitic, he said "When the word 'media' is pronounced, Israel and Israel's administration comes to mind. They have the ability to manipulate it as they wish." He then claimed that not only the international press but also Turkish newspapers were run by Israel.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Rosenfeld|first1=edited by Alvin H.|title=Resurgent antisemitism global perspectives|date=2013|publisher=Indiana Univ. Press|location=Bloomington [u.a.]|isbn=0253008905|page=318|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M3ZJMYiNe0UC&lpg=PA319&ots=7c6XPh5OGX&dq=%22pronounced%2C+Israel+and+Israel%E2%80%99s+administration%22&pg=PA318#v=onepage&q&f=false}}</ref> During the [[Campaigning for the June 2015 Turkish general election|campaign for the Turkish elections]] in June 2015, Erdoğan accused ''[[The New York Times]]'' of being represented by "Jewish capital" after foreign media outlets expressed concern over the corrosion of freedom of expression in Turkey.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Erdogan-ahead-of-elections-Jewish-capital-behind-New-York-Times-405202|title=Erdogan ahead of elections: 'Jewish money behind New York Times'|date=6 June 2015|work=Jerusalem Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/06/10/17-things-turkeys-erdogan-has-said-about-journalists/|title=17 things Turkey's Erdogan has said about journalists|date=10 June 2015|work=Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/1.659931|title=Turkey's Erdogan: 'Jewish Capital' Is Behind New York Times|date=7 June 2015|work=Haaretz}}</ref> |
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Erdoğan condemned the [[August 2013 Rabaa massacre|sit-in dispersals]] conducted by Egyptian police on 14 August 2013 at the [[Rabaa Al-Adawiya Mosque|Rabaa al-Adawiya]] and al-Nahda squares, where violent clashes between police officers and pro-Morsi Islamist protesters led to hundreds of deaths, mostly protesters.<ref>{{cite news |title=U.S. condemns killings of Egypt protesters, Turkey wants U.N. action |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-egypt-protests-reaction/u-s-condemns-killings-of-egypt-protesters-turkey-wants-u-n-action-idUSBRE97D11920130814 |work=Reuters |date=14 August 2013 |access-date=12 July 2020 |archive-date=28 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200628212427/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-egypt-protests-reaction/u-s-condemns-killings-of-egypt-protesters-turkey-wants-u-n-action-idUSBRE97D11920130814 |url-status=live }}</ref> In July 2014, one year after the removal of [[Mohamed Morsi]] from office, Erdoğan described Egyptian President [[Abdel Fattah el-Sisi]] as an "illegitimate tyrant".<ref>"[http://news.yahoo.com/turkey-pm-erdogan-slams-egypts-illegitimate-tyrant-sisi-130905463.html Turkey PM slams Egypt's 'illegitimate tyrant' Sisi] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630110628/https://news.yahoo.com/turkey-pm-erdogan-slams-egypts-illegitimate-tyrant-sisi-130905463.html |date=30 June 2022 }}". Yahoo News. 18 July 2014.</ref> |
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When during a televised press conference he was asked if he believed a [[presidential system]] was possible in a [[unitary state]] he affirmed this and cited Nazi [[Germany]] as an example of how this is possible.<ref>[http://cdnjw.zaman.com.tr/previews/L4dfmWUI-rVrwPZZ2 Erdoğan: Presidential system with unitary state possible just like Hitler's Germany] Zaman, 1 January 2016</ref> However, the Turkish president's office said that Erdoğan was not advocating a Hitler-style government when he called for a state system with a strong executive. Furthermore, that the Turkish president had declared the [[Holocaust]], [[anti-semitism]] and [[Islamophobia]] as crimes against humanity and that it was out of the question for him to cite [[Hitler]]'s [[Germany]] as a good example.<ref>{{cite web|author=Agency |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/turkey-president-erdogans-office-denies-advocating-hitler-style-rule-a6793446.html |title=Turkey: President Erdogan's office denies advocating Hitler-style rule |publisher=The Independent |date=1 January 2016 |accessdate=16 April 2017}}</ref> |
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==== Somalia ==== |
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===Politicisation of the judiciary=== |
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{{See also|Somalia–Turkey relations}} |
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The judiciary has traditionally adhered to strict secular principles as outlined in the [[Constitution of Turkey]]. This resulted in the closing down of two former parties of which Erdoğan was a member, namely the [[Welfare Party]] in 1998 and the [[Virtue Party]] in 2001. The judiciary was thus seen as a significant threat to the [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|Justice and Development Party]] (AKP). In 2008, the [[Constitutional Court of Turkey]] heard a [[2008 Justice and Development Party closure trial|case in favour of closing down the AKP]] and banning 71 senior members from politics for five years. Although the AKP survived closure, it lost 50% of its state funding. |
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[[File:2015 01 25 Turkish President Visit to Somalia-1 (16176887607).jpg|thumb|Erdoğan and Somalian President [[Hassan Sheikh Mohamud]] opening the new terminal of Aden Abdulle International Airport in [[Mogadishu]], [[Somalia]]]] |
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Erdoğan's administration maintains strong ties with the Somali government. During the [[2011 East Africa drought|drought of 2011]], Erdoğan's government contributed over $201 million to humanitarian relief efforts in the impacted parts of Somalia.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=turkey-raises-201-million-for-somalia-2011-08-26 | work=Hürriyet Daily News | title=Turkey raises $201 million for Somalia | date=26 August 2011 | access-date=31 October 2011 | archive-date=8 September 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110908092346/http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=turkey-raises-201-million-for-somalia-2011-08-26 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Following a greatly improved security situation in [[Mogadishu]] in mid-2011, the Turkish government also re-opened its foreign embassy with the intention of more effectively assisting in the post-conflict development process.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mfa.gov.tr/no_-248_-1-november-2011_-press-release-regarding-the-re-opening-of-the-turkish-embassy-in-mogadishu.en.mfa|title=From Rep. of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs|website=Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs|access-date=28 October 2020|archive-date=1 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401081908/http://www.mfa.gov.tr/no_-248_-1-november-2011_-press-release-regarding-the-re-opening-of-the-turkish-embassy-in-mogadishu.en.mfa|url-status=live}}</ref> It was among the first foreign governments to resume formal diplomatic relations with Somalia after the civil war.<ref name="nation" /> |
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In April 2014, the President of the Constitutional Court, [[Haşim Kılıç]], accused Erdoğan of damaging the credibility of the judiciary, labelling Erdoğan's attempts to increase political control over the courts as 'desperate'.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/1a4b7676-cc7e-11e3-9b5f-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3KwGSkViN|title=Turkey's top judge accuses Erdogan of damaging rule of law|work=Financial Times|date=25 April 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014|first=Daniel|last=Dombey}}</ref> |
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In May 2010, the Turkish and Somali governments signed a military training agreement, in keeping with the provisions outlined in the Djibouti Peace Process.<ref name="Tssmtp">{{cite news|title=Turkey-Somalia military agreement approved|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/diplomacy_turkey-somalia-military-agreement-approved_297699.html|access-date=13 August 2013|newspaper=Today's Zaman|date=9 May 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141027232406/http://www.todayszaman.com/diplomacy_turkey-somalia-military-agreement-approved_297699.html|archive-date=27 October 2014}}</ref> [[Turkish Airlines]] became the first long-distance international commercial airline in two decades to resume flights to and from Mogadishu's [[Aden Adde International Airport]].<ref name="nation">{{cite news|url=http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/Why-Turkish-aid-model-is-proving-to-be-a-success-/-/440808/1378016/-/item/0/-/7rmpkt/-/index.html|title=Why Turkish aid model is proving to be a success in Somalia and elsewhere|author=Rasna Warah|work=Saturday Nation|date=1 April 2012|access-date=4 December 2014|archive-date=10 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110212547/http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/Why-Turkish-aid-model-is-proving-to-be-a-success-/-/440808/1378016/-/item/0/-/7rmpkt/-/index.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Turkey also launched various development and infrastructure projects in Somalia including building several hospitals and helping renovate the National Assembly building.<ref name="nation" /> |
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====Ergenekon and Sledgehammer==== |
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{{main|Ergenekon (allegation)}} |
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Both the military and judiciary were widely known for their secular credentials, both therefore representing a threat to Erdoğan's moderately Islamist government. During the chaotic [[Turkish presidential election, 2007|2007 presidential election]], the military issued an [[E-memorandum]] warning the government to keep within the boundaries of secularism when choosing a candidate. Regardless, Erdoğan's close relations with Fethullah Gülen and his Cemaat Movement allowed his government to maintain a degree of influence within the judiciary through Gülen's supporters in high judicial and bureaucratic offices.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25885817|work=BBC|title=Fethullah Gulen: Powerful but reclusive Turkish cleric|last=Franks|first=Tim|date=27 January 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.yahoo.com/battle-lines-drawn-struggle-influence-over-turkish-judiciary-135714630.html|title=Battle lines drawn in struggle for influence over Turkish judiciary|last1=Ozbilgin|first1=Ozbe|last2=Butler|first2=Daren|date=1 September 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014|work=Yahoo News}}</ref> Shortly after, an alleged coup plot codenamed [[Sledgehammer (coup plan)|Sledgehammer]] became public and resulted in the imprisonment of 300 military officers including [[İbrahim Fırtına]], [[Çetin Doğan]] and [[Engin Alan]]. Several opposition politicians, journalists and military officers also [[Ergenekon trials|went on trial]] for allegedly being part of an ultra-nationalist organisation called [[Ergenekon (allegation)|Ergenekon]]. |
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=== Protests === |
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Both cases were marred by irregularities and were condemned as a joint attempt by Erdoğan and Gülen to curb opposition to the AKP.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ilkehaber.com/yazdir/haber/yargitay-kosulsuz-kaos-dedi--9772.htm|title=Yargıtay 'koşulsuz kaos' dedi|work=ilkehaber|language=Turkish|trans-title=Supreme Court in "unconditional chaos"|date=4 December 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref> The original Sledgehammer document containing the coup plans, allegedly written in 2003, was found to have been written using [[Microsoft Word 2007]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65959|title=Turkey: What happens after the "Sledgehammer" Verdict|first=Yigal|last=Schleifer|date=25 September 2012|accessdate=5 December 2014|work=eurasianet}}</ref> Despite both domestic and international calls for these irregularities to be addressed in order to guarantee a fair trial, Erdoğan instead praised his government for bringing the coup plots to light.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ulusalkanal.com.tr/gundem/akpli-mustafa-elitasin-ergenekon-tertibinde-rol-aldigi-ortaya-cikti-ses-kaydiyla-h8460.html|title=AKP'li Mustafa Elitaş'ın Ergenekon tertibinde rol aldığı ortaya çıktı! Ses kaydıyla|language=Turkish|trans-title=AKP'li Mustafa Elitaş'ın Ergenekon's scheme stars in voice recording|date=25 January 2013|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref> When Gülen publicly withdrew support and openly attacked Erdoğan in late 2013, several imprisoned military officers and journalists were released, with the government admitting that the judicial proceedings were unfair.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aa.com.tr/tr/tag/298101--ilker-basbug-tahliye-edildi|title=İlker Başbuğ serbest bırakıldı|language=Turkish|trans-title=İlker Başbuğ released|date=7 March 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014|work=Anadolu Ajansi}}</ref> |
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{{Main|Gezi Park protests}} |
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The 2013 [[Gezi Park protests]] were held against the perceived [[authoritarianism]] of Erdoğan and his policies, starting from a small sit-in in [[Istanbul]] in defense of a [[Taksim Gezi Park|city park]].<ref name="Reflections">{{cite book|title=Reflections on Taksim – Gezi Park Protests in Turkey|url=http://www.keele.ac.uk/journal-globalfaultlines/publications/geziReflections.pdf|publisher=Journal of Global Faultlines|last1=Gökay|first1=Bülent|last2=Xypolia|first2=Ilia|year=2013|access-date=18 September 2013|archive-date=21 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053344/http://www.keele.ac.uk/journal-globalfaultlines/publications/geziReflections.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> After the [[General Directorate of Security (Turkey)|police]]'s intense reaction with [[tear gas]], the protests grew each day. Faced by the largest mass protest in a decade, Erdoğan made this controversial remark in a televised speech: "The police were there yesterday, they are there today, and they will be there tomorrow". After weeks of clashes in the streets of [[Istanbul]], his government at first apologized to the protestors<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/05/world/europe/turkey-riots.html|title=Turkish Official Apologizes for Force Used at Start of Riots|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=4 June 2013|first=Sebnem|last=Arsu|date=4 June 2013|archive-date=4 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104045055/https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/05/world/europe/turkey-riots.html?_r=0|url-status=live}}</ref> and called for a [[plebiscite]], but then ordered a crackdown on the protesters.<ref name="Reflections" /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/16/world/europe/protesters-in-turkey.html|title=Police Storm Park in Istanbul, Setting Off a Night of Chaos|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=18 June 2013|date=15 June 2013|last1=Arango|first1=Tim|last2=Arsu|first2=Sebnem|first3=Ceylan|last3=Yeginsu|archive-date=5 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171205180954/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/16/world/europe/protesters-in-turkey.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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==Presidency== |
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====2013–14 judicial reform==== |
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{{Main|Presidency of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan}} |
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When Gülen withdrew support from the AKP government in late 2013, a [[2013 corruption scandal in Turkey|government corruption scandal]] broke out, leading to the arrest of several family members of cabinet ministers. Erdoğan accused Gülen of co-ordinating a "[[parallel state]]" within the judiciary in an attempt to topple him from power. He then removed or reassigned several judicial officials in an attempt to remove Gülen's supporters from office. Erdoğan's 'purge' was widely questioned and criticised by the European Union.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/21/brussels-turkey-prime-minister-erdogan-rewrite-law-judiciary-police|title=Brussels urges Turkish PM Erdogan to redraft law purging police and judiciary|last1=Traynor|first1=Ian|last2=Letsch|first2=Constanze|date=22 January 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014|work=The Guardian}}</ref> In early 2014, a new law was passed by parliament giving the government greater control over the judiciary, which sparked public protest throughout the country. International organisations perceived the law to be a danger to the [[separation of powers]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://tv.cnnturk.com/video/2014/01/17/programlar/dort-bir-taraf/turkiye-deki-yargi-sistemi-hsyk-yasasinin-gelecegi-ve-17-aralik-sureci-dort-bir-taraf-16-01-2014/2014-01-16T2130/index.html|title=Türkiye'deki yargı sistemi, HSYK 'nın yapısı ve 17 Aralık sürecinde paralel devlet ve yolsuzluk iddiaları masaya yatırıldı.|language=Turkish|trans-title=The judicial system in Turkey|work=CNN Türk|date=16 January 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref> |
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Erdoğan took the oath of office on 28 August 2014 and became the 12th [[president of Turkey]].<ref>{{cite news |date=10 August 2014 |title=Erdogan set for victory in presidential poll |language=en |publisher=Al Jazeera |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2014/8/10/erdogan-set-for-victory-in-presidential-poll |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-date=4 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404172010/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2014/8/10/erdogan-set-for-victory-in-presidential-poll |url-status=live }}</ref> He administered the new Prime Minister [[Ahmet Davutoğlu]]'s oath on 29 August. When asked about his lower-than-expected 51.79% share of the vote, he allegedly responded, "there were even those who did not like the [[Muhammad|Prophet]]. I, however, won 52%".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nediyor.com/2014/08/14/dusuk-oy-elestirilerine-peygamberli-yanit-iddiasi/|title=Düşük oy eleştirilerine "Peygamber"li yanıt iddiası|work=nediyor.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150212222511/http://nediyor.com/2014/08/14/dusuk-oy-elestirilerine-peygamberli-yanit-iddiasi/|archive-date=12 February 2015}}</ref> Assuming the role of President, Erdoğan was criticized for openly stating that he would not maintain the tradition of presidential neutrality.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnnturk.com/haber/turkiye/erdogan-secilirsem-tarafsiz-olmayacagim|title=Erdoğan: "Seçilirsem tarafsız olmayacağım"|language=tr|trans-title=Erdoğan: "I will not be impartial if selected"|date=7 August 2014|access-date=3 December 2014|work=CNNTürk|archive-date=13 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013031659/http://www.cnnturk.com/haber/turkiye/erdogan-secilirsem-tarafsiz-olmayacagim|url-status=live}}</ref> Erdoğan has also stated his intention to pursue a more active role as president, such as utilizing the President's rarely used cabinet-calling powers.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.yahoo.com/erdogan-vows-strong-turkey-final-election-rally-174303362.html|title=Turkey's Erdogan prepares for strongman president role|last1=Ozerkan|first1=Fulya|last2=Williams|first2=Stuart|publisher=Yahoo! News|date=11 August 2014|access-date=27 November 2014|archive-date=14 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014024833/http://news.yahoo.com/erdogan-vows-strong-turkey-final-election-rally-174303362.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The political opposition has argued that Erdoğan will continue to pursue his own political agenda, controlling the government, while his new Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu would be docile and submissive.<ref name="foxnews.com">{{cite news |date=21 August 2014 |title=Turkey's Davutoglu expected to be a docile Prime Minister with Erdogan calling the shots |publisher=Fox News |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/turkeys-davutoglu-expected-to-be-a-docile-prime-minister-_-with-erdogan-calling-the-shots |access-date=27 November 2014 |archive-date=18 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018172550/http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/08/21/turkey-davutoglu-expected-to-be-docile-prime-minister-with-erdogan-calling/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Furthermore, the domination of loyal Erdoğan supporters in Davutoğlu's [[Cabinet Davutoğlu|cabinet]] fuelled speculation that Erdoğan intended to exercise substantial control over the government.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://online.wsj.com/articles/new-turkish-cabinet-shows-continuity-with-erdogan-legacy-1409312847|title=New Turkish Cabinet Shows Continuity With Erdogan Legacy|author=Yeliz Candemir|date=29 August 2014|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=27 November 2014|archive-date=10 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141010084228/http://online.wsj.com/articles/new-turkish-cabinet-shows-continuity-with-erdogan-legacy-1409312847|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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=== Presidential elections === |
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Several judicial officials removed from their posts said that they had been removed due to their secularist credentials. The political opposition accused Erdoğan of not only attempting to remove Gülen supporters, but supporters of [[Mustafa Kemal Atatürk]]'s principles as well, in order to pave the way for increased politicisation of the judiciary. Several family members of Erdoğan's ministers who had been arrested as a result of the 2013 corruption scandal were released, and a judicial order to question Erdoğan's son Bilal Erdoğan was annulled.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.haberfedai.com/haber/12792/bilal-erdogan-artik-yakalanmayacak|title=Bilal Erdoğan artık 'yakalanmayacak'|language=Turkish|trans-title=Bilal Erdogan is no longer under arrest|date=16 January 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014|work=haberfedai}}</ref> Controversy erupted when it emerged that many of the newly appointed judicial officials were actually AKP supporters.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/siyaset/37959/Hakim_ve_savcilar_AKP_li_cikti_.html|title=Hakim ve savcılar AKP'li çıktı!|language=Turkish|trans-title=Judges and prosecutors outed as AKP|work=cumhuriyet|date=5 February 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref> İslam Çiçek, a judge who ejected the cases of five ministers' relatives accused of corruption, was accused of being an AKP supporter and an official investigation was launched into his political affiliations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.samanyoluhaber.com/gundem/Reza-Zarrabi-tahliye-eden-hakimin-Facebook-bilgileri-sasirtti/1042852/|title=Tahliye kararı veren hakim İslam Çiçek, Facebook'ta Uzun Adam hayranı çıktı! |
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{{Main|2014 Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presidential campaign|2018 Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presidential campaign|2023 Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presidential campaign}} |
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|language=Turkish|trans-title=Judge Islam Çiçek's decisions vacated, Facebook claims links to Uzun Adam|date=1 May 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014|work=amanyolu haber}}</ref> On 1 September 2014, the courts dissolved the cases of 96 suspects, which included Bilal Erdoğan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ilkelihaber.com/index.php?id=5589452&ad=%2025%20Aral%FDk%20Yolsuzluk%20Soru%FEturmas%FD%20Kapat%FDld%FD|title= 25 Aralık Yolsuzluk Soruşturması Kapatıldı |language=Turkish|trans-title=Corruption investigation closed on 25 December|work=ilkelihaber|date=1 September 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref> |
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[[File:Turkey 2018 elections, ballots 2.jpg|thumb|Ballot paper for the [[2018 Turkish presidential election|2018 presidential election]]]] |
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On 1 July 2014, Erdoğan was named the [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|AKP]]'s presidential candidate in the [[2014 Turkish presidential election|Turkish presidential election]]. His candidacy was announced by the Deputy President of the AKP, [[Mehmet Ali Şahin]]. |
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===Media intimidation and censorship=== |
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[[File:Ntv-Van Media for sales.png|thumb|An [[NTV (Turkey)|NTV]] news van covered in anti-AKP protest graffiti in response to their [[Media censorship and disinformation during the Gezi Park protests in Turkey|lack of coverage]] of the [[Gezi Park protests]] in 2013]] |
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{{see also|Censorship in Turkey}} |
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Erdoğan made a speech after the announcement and used the 'Erdoğan logo' for the first time. The logo was criticized because it was very similar to the logo that U.S. President [[Barack Obama]] used in the [[2008 United States presidential election|2008 presidential election]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Erdoğan'ın seçim logosu sosyal medyayı karıştırdı |trans-title=Erdoğan's logo stirs social media |author=Zeynep Gürcanlı |url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/26720140.asp |newspaper=[[Hürriyet Daily News]] |date=1 July 2014 |access-date=26 March 2015 |archive-date=18 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018172550/http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/26720140.asp |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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Erdoğan has been criticised for his politicisation of the media, especially after the 2013 protests. The opposition [[Republican People's Party (Turkey)|Republican People's Party]] (CHP) alleged that over 1,863 journalists lost their jobs due to their anti-government views in 12 years of AKP rule.<ref name="hurriyetdailynews.com">{{cite news|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/1863-turkish-journalists-fired-during-akp-rule-opposition-report-says.aspx?pageID=238&nID=73547&NewsCatID=339|title=1,863 Turkish journalists fired during AKP rule, opposition report says|work=Hürriyet Daily News|date=27 October 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref> Opposition politicians have also alleged that intimidation in the media is due to the government's attempt to restructure the ownership of private media corporations. Journalists from the [[Cihan News Agency]] and the Gülenist [[Zaman (newspaper)|Zaman newspaper]] were repeatedly barred from attending government press conferences or asking questions.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yavuz-baydar/barring-coverage-assaults_b_6135640.html|title=Barring Coverage, Assaults and Fear: New Reports Signal SOS for Turkish Media|last=Baydar|first=Yavuz|work=[[Huffington Post]]|date=10 November 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref> Several opposition journalists such as [[Soner Yalçın]] were controversially arrested as part of the [[Ergenekon trials]] and [[Sledgehammer (coup plan)|Sledgehammer coup investigation]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://bianet.org/english/media/143140-soner-yalcin-imprisoned-journalist-released|title=Soner Yalçın, Imprisoned Journalist, Released|work=bianet|date=27 December 2012|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref> Veli Ağbaba, a CHP politician, has called the AKP the 'biggest media boss in Turkey.'<ref name="hurriyetdailynews.com"/> |
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Erdoğan was elected as the President of Turkey in the first round of the election with 51.79% of the vote, obviating the need for a run-off by winning over 50%. The joint candidate of the [[Republican People's Party|CHP]], [[Nationalist Movement Party|MHP]] and 13 other opposition parties, former [[Organisation of Islamic Co-operation]] general secretary [[Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu]] won 38.44% of the vote. The pro-Kurdish [[Peoples' Democratic Party (Turkey)|HDP]] candidate [[Selahattin Demirtaş]] won 9.76%.<ref>{{cite web |title=Yurt içi, yurt dışı ve gümrük sandıkları dahil cumhurbaşkanı seçim sonucu |trans-title=Presidential election results including domestic, foreign and customs ballot boxes |url=http://www.ysk.gov.tr/ysk/content/conn/YSKUCM/path/Contribution%20Folders/HaberDosya/2014CB-Kesin-416_d_Genel.pdf |publisher=[[Supreme Electoral Council of Turkey]] |date=15 August 2014 |access-date=26 March 2015 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304032009/http://www.ysk.gov.tr/ysk/content/conn/YSKUCM/path/Contribution%20Folders/HaberDosya/2014CB-Kesin-416_d_Genel.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
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In 2015, 74 US senators sent a letter to US Secretary of State, John Kerry, to state their concern over what they saw as deviations from the basic principles of democracy in Turkey and oppressions of Erdoğan over media.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/media/print/2015/03/19/U-S-Senators-urge-Kerry-to-speak-against-Turkey-media-crackdown-.html|title=U.S. Senators urge Kerry to speak against Turkey media crackdown |work=[[Al Arabiya]]|date=19 March 2015|accessdate=19 March 2015}}</ref> |
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The 2018 Turkish presidential election took place as part of the [[2018 Turkish general election|2018 general election]], alongside [[2018 Turkish parliamentary election|parliamentary elections]] on the same day. Following the approval of constitutional changes in a [[2017 Turkish constitutional referendum|referendum]] held in 2017, the elected [[President of Turkey|President]] will be both the [[head of state]] and [[head of government]] of Turkey, taking over the latter role from the to-be-abolished office of the [[Prime Minister of Turkey|Prime Minister]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2017/apr/16/turkey-referendum-recep-tayyip-erdogan-votes-presidential-powers |title=Turkey referendum: Erdoğan wins vote amid dispute over ballots – as it happened |work=The Guardian |date=16 April 2017 |access-date=23 October 2017 |archive-date=27 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227140040/https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2017/apr/16/turkey-referendum-recep-tayyip-erdogan-votes-presidential-powers |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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Notable cases of media censorship occurred during the 2013 anti-government protests, when the mainstream media did not broadcast any news regarding the demonstrations for three days after they began. The lack of media coverage was symbolised by [[CNN International]] covering the protests while [[CNN Türk]] broadcast a documentary about penguins at the same time.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jun/09/turkey-mainstream-media-penguins-protests|title=Why Turkey's mainstream media chose to show penguins rather than protests|work=The Guardian|first=Kerem|last=Oktem|date=10 June 2013|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref> The [[RTÜK|Radio and Television Supreme Council]] (RTÜK) controversially issued a fine to pro-opposition news channels including [[Halk TV]] and [[Ulusal Kanal]] for their coverage of the protests, accusing them of broadcasting footage that could be morally, physically and mentally destabilising to children.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/23486445.asp|title=RTÜK'ten Halk TV ve Ulusal Kanal'a ceza|language=Turkish|trans-title=Penalties for public TV and national channel RTUK|date=12 June 2013|last=Özgenç|first=Meltem|work=Hürriyet|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref> Erdoğan was criticised for not responding to the accusations of media intimidation, and caused international outrage after telling a female journalist ([[Amberin Zaman]] of ''[[The Economist]]'') to know her place and calling her a 'shameless militant' during his [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presidential campaign, 2014|2014 presidential election campaign]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/know-your-place-you-shameless-militant-turkish-prime-minister-tells-female-journalist-9656896.html|title=Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan tells female journalist: 'Know your place, you shameless militant'|date=8 August 2014|last=Dearden|first=Lizzie|work=The Independent|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref> While the [[Turkish presidential election, 2014|2014 presidential election]] was not subject to substantial electoral fraud, Erdoğan was again criticised for receiving disproportionate media attention in comparison to his rivals. The British newspaper ''[[The Times]]'' commented that between 2 and 4 July, the state-owned media channel [[Turkish Radio and Television Corporation|TRT]] gave 204 minutes of coverage to Erdoğan's campaign and less than a total of 3 minutes to both his rivals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/turkce/haberler/2014/07/140731_erdogan_trt_times.shtml |title=Times: TRT'den Erdoğan'a 204, rakiplerine 3 dakika |publisher=''BBC'' Turkey|date=31 July 2014|language=Turkish|trans-title=TIMES: TRT gave Erdogan 204, 3 to his opponent|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref> |
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Incumbent president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared his candidacy for the [[People's Alliance (Turkey)|People's Alliance]] (Turkish: ''Cumhur İttifakı'') on 27 April 2018,{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}} being supported by the MHP.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ganioglu |first1=Ayla |date=2 July 2018 |title=How long can Erdogan's alliance survive? – Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East |language=en |work=al-monitor.com |url=https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2018/07/turkey-how-long-could-erdogans-alliance-survive.html |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-date=4 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404091731/https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2018/07/turkey-how-long-could-erdogans-alliance-survive.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Erdoğan's main opposition, the [[Republican People's Party]], nominated [[Muharrem İnce]], a member of the parliament known for his combative opposition and spirited speeches against Erdoğan.<ref>{{cite news|title=Turkey's main opposition nominates combative former teacher to challenge Erdogan|date=4 May 2018|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-election/turkeys-main-opposition-nominates-combative-former-teacher-to-challenge-erdogan-idUSKBN1I50V4|work=Reuters|access-date=6 May 2018|last1=Solaker|first1=Gulsen|archive-date=4 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404220306/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-election/turkeys-main-opposition-nominates-combative-former-teacher-to-challenge-erdogan-idUSKBN1I50V4|url-status=live}}</ref> Besides these candidates, [[Meral Akşener]], the founder and leader of [[Good Party]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ntv.com.tr/turkiye/iyi-parti-genel-baskani-aksener-100-bin-imzayla-cumhurbaskani-adayi-olacagim,bDEX_kvnB065HK_Y2E_tnw|title=100 bin imzayla Cumhurbaşkanı adayı olacağım|date=18 April 2018|publisher=NTV|access-date=19 April 2018|archive-date=18 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418174015/https://www.ntv.com.tr/turkiye/iyi-parti-genel-baskani-aksener-100-bin-imzayla-cumhurbaskani-adayi-olacagim,bDEX_kvnB065HK_Y2E_tnw|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Temel Karamollaoğlu]], the leader of the [[Felicity Party]] and [[Doğu Perinçek]], the leader of the [[Patriotic Party (Turkey)|Patriotic Party]], have announced their candidacies and collected the 100,000 signatures required for nomination. The alliance which Erdoğan was candidate for won 52.59% of the popular vote. |
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Erdoğan also [[Internet regulation in Turkey|tightened controls over the internet]], signing into law a bill which allows the government to block websites without prior court order on 12 September 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/12/us-turkey-internet-idUSKBN0H70N920140912|title=Erdogan approves law tightening Turkey's Internet controls|date=12 September 2014|publisher=Reuters|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref> His government blocked Twitter and YouTube in late March 2014 following the release of a recording of a conversation between him and his son Bilal, where Erdoğan allegedly warned his family to 'nullify' all cash reserves at their home amid the [[2013 corruption scandal in Turkey|2013 corruption scandal]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/27/google-youtube-ban-turkey-erdogan|title=Erdogan approves law tightening Turkey's Internet controls|work=The Guardian|date=28 March 2014|first1=Constanze|last1=Letsch|first2=Dominic|last2=Rushe|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref> Erdoğan has undertaken a media campaign that attempts to portray the presidential family as frugal and simple-living; their palace electricity-bill is estimated at $500,000 per month.<ref name = "AlMon lavish">{{cite web | last = Tremblay | first = Pinar | date = 2 April 2015 | title = The Erdogans' lavish lifestyle | url = http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/04/erdogan-familys-attempt-to-appear-modest-backfire.html | website = [[Al-Monitor]] | accessdate = 4 April 2015 }}</ref> |
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For the [[2023 Turkish presidential election|presidential election 2023]] his candidacy is in dispute as he has launched his campaign in June 2022,<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 June 2022 |title=Turkish leader Erdogan says he will run for reelection next year |url=https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2022-06-10/turkey-erdogan-run-reelection-next-year |access-date=28 January 2023 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |language=en-US |archive-date=10 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220610111029/https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2022-06-10/turkey-erdogan-run-reelection-next-year |url-status=live }}</ref> but the opposition contends a third presidential term would violate the [[Constitution of Turkey|constitution]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=27 January 2023 |title=Table of Six: Legally Erdoğan cannot run for a third term on May 14 |url=https://bianet.org/english/politics/273383-table-of-six-legally-erdogan-cannot-run-for-a-third-term-on-may-14 |website=[[Bianet]] |access-date=28 January 2023 |archive-date=7 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307221756/https://bianet.org/english/politics/273383-table-of-six-legally-erdogan-cannot-run-for-a-third-term-on-may-14 |url-status=live }}</ref> During the first round of ballots in the 2023 Presidential Election, Erdoğan failed to cross the 50% threshold, resulting in a second runoff election against [[Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu]].<ref>{{Cite news |first1=Archie |last1=Bland |first2=Ruth |last2=Michaelson |date=15 May 2023 |title=Turkey election: what can we expect from Erdoğan v Kılıçdaroğlu runoff? |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/15/turkey-election-what-can-we-expect-from-erdogan-v-kilicdaroglu-runoff |access-date=29 May 2023 |archive-date=29 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529035958/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/15/turkey-election-what-can-we-expect-from-erdogan-v-kilicdaroglu-runoff |url-status=live }}</ref> On 28 May 2023 Erdoğan won the second round with 52.14% of the vote, with over 99% of the total vote counted.<ref>{{Cite news |first1=Ruth |last1=Michaelson |first2=Deniz Baris |last2=Narli |date=28 May 2023 |title=Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wins Turkish presidential election |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/28/polls-close-in-second-round-of-the-turkish-presidential-election |access-date=29 May 2023 |archive-date=28 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528233652/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/28/polls-close-in-second-round-of-the-turkish-presidential-election |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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Despite extensive censorship, Erdoğan has become the world's most insulted president, according to [[Burak Bekdil]] writing in the ''[[Gatestone Institute]]''.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Bekdil|first1=Burak|title=Erdogan: The World's Most Insulted President|journal=Gatestone Institute|date=20 April 2016|url=http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/7883/erdogan-insulted-president|accessdate=2 May 2016|language=en-US}}</ref> Insults have been punished with prison sentences; for example, in May 2016, former [[Miss Turkey]] model [[Merve Büyüksaraç]] was sentenced to more than a year in prison for allegedly insulting the president.<ref name="twsBBC1">{{cite web |
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| date= 31 May 2016 |
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| publisher= BBC |
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| url= http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36419723 |
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| title= Ex-Miss Turkey sentenced for insulting Erdogan |
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| accessdate= 31 May 2016 |
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| quote=...Merve Buyuksarac, 27, was found guilty of insulting a public official for postings she made on social media. She denied insulting Mr Erdogan.... |
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}}</ref><ref name="twsFrance24">{{cite web |
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| date= 31 May 2016 |
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| publisher= France 24 |
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| url= http://www.france24.com/en/20160531-ex-miss-turkey-sentenced-insulting-erdogan |
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| title= Ex-Miss Turkey sentenced 'for insulting Erdogan' |
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| accessdate= 31 May 2016 |
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| quote=...The Istanbul court sentenced model Merve Buyuksarac, 27, to one year and two months in prison ... |
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}}</ref><ref name="twsGuardian1">{{cite web |
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| author= Agence France-Presse in Ankara |
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| date= 16 June 2015 |
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| publisher= The Guardian |
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| url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/17/turkish-newspaper-editor-sentenced-for-insulting-president-recep-erdogan |
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| title= Turkish newspaper editor sentenced for insulting president Recep Erdoğan: Ankara court hands down 21-month suspended jail sentence to editor of English-language newspaper after convicting him of insulting the president in a tweet |
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| accessdate= 31 May 2016 |
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| quote=...In another case that has garnered huge attention, model and former Miss Turkey beauty queen Merve Buyuksarac went on trial in May on charges of insulting Erdoğan.... |
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}}</ref> In a 2016 news story, ''Bloomberg'' reported, "more than 2,000 cases have been opened against journalists, cartoonists, teachers, a former Miss Turkey, and even schoolchildren in the past two years."<ref>[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2016-07-21/can-turkey-s-republic-survive-erdogan-s-purge Can Turkey's Republic Survive Erdogan's Purge?]. ''[[Bloomberg News]]''. 21 July 2016.</ref> |
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On March 8, 2024, he declared that he would retire once his presidential term ended in 2028.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-03-08 |title=Turkey's Erdogan says March election will be his final, state media reports |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkeys-erdogan-says-march-election-will-be-his-final-state-media-reports-2024-03-08/ |access-date=2024-07-27 |work=Reuters |language=en}}</ref> |
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In November 2016, the Turkish government<ref name="japantimes.co.jp"/> blocked access to social media in all of Turkey<ref>{{cite news |title=Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp blocked in Turkey after arrest of opposition leaders|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/facebook-twitter-whatsapp-turkey-erdogan-blocked-opposition-leaders-arrested-a7396831.html|work=The Independent|date=4 November 2016}}</ref> as well as sought to completely block internet access for the citizens in the Southeast of the country.<ref>{{cite news|title=CHP deputy Tanrıkulu slams internet cuts in eastern, southeastern Turkey|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/chp-deputy-tanrikulu-slams-internet-cuts-in-eastern-southeastern-turkey.aspx?pageID=238&nID=105490&NewsCatID=338|newspaper=Hürriyet Daily News|date=28 October 2016}}</ref> |
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=== |
=== Referendum === |
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Erdoğan's government developed the SEÇSİS secure vote counting system in order to reduce fraud. However, it has been criticised for being prone to manipulation.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guncelmeydan.com/pano/bu-secim-sistemiyle-akp-bin-yil-daha-secilir-secsis-hileleri-t27362.html|title='Bu seçim sistemiyle, AKP bin yıl daha seçilir' (SEÇSİS Hileleri)|language=Turkish|trans-title=With this electoral system, AKP can be elected for 1000 years|date=30 August 2007|last=Kavcar|first=Neval|publisher=Guncel Meydan|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref> Particular controversy was generated by the fact that the system was developed in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kurtaricisizsiniz.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/bu-hileli-secim-sistemiyle-secsis-akp.html|title=Bu hileli seçim sistemiyle (seçsis) AKP, 100 yıl daha iktidarda|language=Turkish|trans-title=The fraudulent system that could give AKP 100 years in power|date=22 February 2013|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref> |
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In April 2017, a [[2017 Turkish constitutional referendum|constitutional referendum]] was held, where the voters in Turkey (and Turkish citizens abroad) approved a set of 18 proposed amendments to the Constitution of Turkey.<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 June 2018 |title=Turkey's powerful new executive presidency |work=Reuters.com |agency=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-election-factbox-idUSKBN1JI1O1 |access-date=11 February 2019 |archive-date=13 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213121909/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-election-factbox-idUSKBN1JI1O1 |url-status=live }}</ref> The amendments included the replacement of the existing [[parliamentary system]] with a [[presidential system]]. The post of [[Prime Minister of Turkey|Prime Minister]] would be abolished, and the presidency would become an [[executive president|executive post]] vested with broad executive powers. The parliament seats would be increased from 550 to 600 and the [[age of candidacy]] to the parliament was lowered from 25 to 18. The referendum also called for changes to the [[Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38883556 |title=Why did Turkey hold a referendum? |work=BBC News |date=10 February 2017 |access-date=17 September 2021 |archive-date=14 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414070936/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38883556 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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The first significant cases of election fraud under Erdoğan's rule were documented during the [[Turkish local elections, 2009|2009 local elections]], where numerous cases of ballot paper theft were reported in [[Ankara]] and [[Adana]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gazetevatan.com/ankara-da-oylar-calindi-mi--230569-secim-2009/|title=Ankara'da oylar çalındı mı?|language=Turkish|trans-title=Was the vote stolen in Ankara?|date=30 March 2009|work=Vatan|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.internethaber.com/chpnin-oylari-calindi-iddiasi--186120h.htm|title=CHP'nin oyları çalındı iddiası|language=Turkish|trans-title=Allegations CHP's vote was stolen|date=31 March 2009|publisher=internet haber|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bianet.org/bianet/siyaset/113469-chp-ve-mhp-den-secimde-hile-yapildi-iddiasi|title=CHP ve MHP'den Seçimde Hile Yapıldı İddiası|language=Turkish|trans-title=Cheating allegations made in election of CHP and MHP|date=30 March 2009|work=bianet|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://gundem.bugun.com.tr/adana-seciminde-oylar-boyle-calindi-haberi/65695|title=Adana seçimlerinde oylar böyle çalındı|language=Turkish|trans-title=In elections such as Adana, the vote was stolen|work=bugün|date=10 April 2009|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref> |
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==== Local elections ==== |
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In the [[Turkish general election, 2011|2011 general election]], a minivan containing ballot papers with a pre-stamped vote for the AKP was impounded by police in [[İzmir]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.artemishaber.com/?Syf=18&Hbr=175988|title=İzmir Çınarlı'da AKP'ye 'Evet' mührü basılmış hazır oy pusulalarıyla dolu bir araç yakalanırken, İstanbul'da da bir kişi AKP'nin dağıttığı örnek oy pusulasını zarfa koymak isterken suçüstü yakalandı.|language=Turkish|trans-title=Car full of pre-printed 'YES' ballotts captured in Izmir|work=artemis haberaccessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref> An independent candidate from [[Yalova]] also accused officials at polling stations of intimidating voters to vote for the AKP.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.egeninsesi.com/15159-akpye_evet_muhru_basilmis_pusulalarla_dolu_arac_yakalandi|trans-title=Vehicle full of ballotts printed "YES" with AKP seal captured|language=Turkish|title=Akp'ye "Evet" Mührü Basılmış Pusulalarla Dolu Araç Yakalandı|work=egeninsesi|date=12 June 2011|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.akademipolitik.com/siyaset/1853-akpye-evet-muhru-basilmis-pusulalarla-dolu-arac|title=AKP'ye evet mührü basılmış pusulalarla dolu araç yakalandı|language=Turkish|trans-title=Car caught with ballotts packed with AKP's yes stamp|work=Akademi Politik|date=28 February 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref> |
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{{Main|2019 Turkish local elections}} |
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[[File:Turkish_presidential_election_2014.png|thumb|right|[[Turkish presidential election, 2014|2014 presidential election]] results.]] |
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In the [[2019 Turkish local elections|2019 local elections]], the ruling party AKP lost control of Istanbul and Ankara for the first time in 25 years, as well as 5 of Turkey's 6 largest cities. The loss has been widely attributed to Erdoğan's mismanagement of the Turkish economic crisis, rising authoritarianism as well as the alleged government inaction on the [[Refugees of the Syrian Civil War in Turkey|Syrian refugee crisis]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Gall |first=Carlotta |date=23 June 2019 |title=Turkey's President Suffers Stinging Defeat in Istanbul Election Redo |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/23/world/europe/istanbul-mayor-election-erdogan.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190806102800/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/23/world/europe/istanbul-mayor-election-erdogan.html |archive-date=6 August 2019 |access-date=20 August 2019 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Soon after the elections, [[Supreme Electoral Council (Turkey)|Supreme Electoral Council of Turkey]] ordered a [[June 2019 Istanbul mayoral election|re-election in Istanbul]], cancelling [[Ekrem İmamoğlu|Ekrem İmamoğlu's]] mayoral certificate. The decision led to a significant decrease of Erdoğan's and AKP's popularity and his party lost the elections again in June with a greater margin.<ref name="bbcelection">{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48739256 |title=Turkey's ruling party loses Istanbul election |date=23 June 2019 |work=BBC News |access-date=20 August 2019 |archive-date=8 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190908121738/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48739256 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":4">{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/23/europe/turkey-istanbul-mayor-election-intl/index.html|title=Istanbul election rerun set to be won by opposition, in blow to Erdogan|author=Isil Sariyuce and Ivana Kottasová|date=23 June 2019|publisher=CNN|access-date=20 August 2019|archive-date=29 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190829143116/https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/23/europe/turkey-istanbul-mayor-election-intl/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-setback-for-erdogan-opposition-candidate-wins-istanbul-mayor-seat-11561309654|title=In Setback for Erdogan, Opposition Candidate Wins Istanbul Mayor Seat|last=Gauthier-Villars|first=David|website=The Wall Street Journal|date=23 June 2019|access-date=20 August 2019|archive-date=15 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230515215548/https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-setback-for-erdogan-opposition-candidate-wins-istanbul-mayor-seat-11561309654|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{cite web |url=https://www.sozcu.com.tr/2019/dunya/son-dakika-financial-timestan-sok-istanbul-secimi-yorumu-5194106 |title=Son dakika… Financial Times'tan şok İstanbul seçimi yorumu |website=sozcu.com.tr |date=27 June 2019 |access-date=20 August 2019 |archive-date=24 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190624181049/https://www.sozcu.com.tr/2019/dunya/son-dakika-financial-timestan-sok-istanbul-secimi-yorumu-5194106/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The result was seen as a huge blow to Erdoğan, who had once said that if his party 'lost Istanbul, we would lose Turkey. The opposition's victory was characterised as 'the beginning of the end' for Erdoğan',<ref name=":02">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48744733|title=Can Erdogan bounce back from big Turkey defeat?|last=Lowen|first=Mark|date=24 June 2019|access-date=6 August 2019|language=en-GB|archive-date=30 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190630013142/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48744733|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="thenational.ae">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenational.ae/opinion/editorial/the-beginning-of-the-end-for-erdogan-1.878567|title=The beginning of the end for Erdogan?|website=The National|date=24 June 2019|language=en|access-date=6 August 2019|archive-date=24 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190624154015/https://www.thenational.ae/opinion/editorial/the-beginning-of-the-end-for-erdogan-1.878567|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite web|url=https://www.euronews.com/2019/06/24/could-imamoglu-victory-in-istanbul-be-beginning-of-the-end-for-erdogan|title=Could Imamoglu victory in Istanbul be 'beginning of the end' for Erdogan?|date=24 June 2019|website=euronews|language=en|access-date=6 August 2019|archive-date=8 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190708194855/https://www.euronews.com/2019/06/24/could-imamoglu-victory-in-istanbul-be-beginning-of-the-end-for-erdogan|url-status=live}}</ref> with international commentators calling the re-run a huge government miscalculation that led to a potential İmamoğlu candidacy in the next scheduled [[2023 Turkish general election|presidential election]].<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":12" /> It is suspected that the scale of the government's defeat could provoke a cabinet reshuffle and early general elections, currently scheduled for June 2023.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/24/turkeys-erdogan-suffers-election-blow-but-vote-sparks-hope-for-change.html|title=Turkey's Erdogan suffers election blow, sparking hope for change|first=Holly|last=Ellyatt|date=24 June 2019|publisher=CNBC|access-date=28 October 2020|archive-date=8 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108002733/https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/24/turkeys-erdogan-suffers-election-blow-but-vote-sparks-hope-for-change.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/23/world/europe/istanbul-mayor-election-erdogan.html|title=Turkey's President Suffers Stinging Defeat in Istanbul Election Redo|last=Gall|first=Carlotta|date=23 June 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=6 August 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=6 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190806102800/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/23/world/europe/istanbul-mayor-election-erdogan.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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[[File:Turkish local elections 2014 electricity cuts.png|thumb|left|Map showing provinces suffering from power outages during the counting process for the 2014 local elections<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amerikaninsesi.com/content/secim-gecesinde-elektrik-kesintileri-tartisiliyor/1884077.html|title=Seçim Gecesinde Elektrik Kesintileri Tartışılıyor|language=Turkish|trans-title=Power outages debated on election night|work=Amerika'nin sesi|date=30 March 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref>]] |
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Substantial levels of fraud were documented during the [[Turkish local elections, 2014|2014 local elections]], including the theft and burning of ballots cast both for and against the AKP and the intimidation of officials counting the votes, including European Union Minister [[Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu]], by government forces.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gazetecileronline.com/newsdetails/13294-/GazetecilerOnline/secimler-hileli-iste-chp-oylarinin-calindiginin-be |title=Seçimler hileli! İşte CHP oylarının çalındığının belgeleri |language=Turkish |trans-title=Fraudulent elections: here are the documents showing the theft of CHP votes |work=Gazeteciler Online |date=31 March 2014 |accessdate=5 December 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006072457/http://www.gazetecileronline.com/newsdetails/13294-/GazetecilerOnline/secimler-hileli-iste-chp-oylarinin-calindiginin-be |archivedate=6 October 2014 |df=dmy }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.turksolu.com.tr/443/gokcefirat443.html|title=AKP'nin Seçim Gecesi Operasyonu'nu Açıklıyoruz! Oylar nasıl çalındı?|language=Turkish|trans-title=Explanation of the AKP's election night operation: how were the votes stolen?|last=Firat|first=Gökçe|work=Türk solu|date=|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com.tr/haber/kilicdaroglundan-oy-calindi-suclamasi|title=Kılıçdaroğlu'ndan 'oy çalındı' suçlaması|language=Turkish|trans-title=Kılıçdaroğlu's "votes were stolen" accusation|work=Aljazeera|date=18 April 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.meltemhaber.com/?haber,10959/elektrikler-kesildi-oylar-calindi-iddiasi|title=Elektrikler kesildi, oylar çalındı iddiası!|language=Turkish|trans-title=Power outages: claims the vote was stolen|work=meltem Haber|date=31 March 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://sozcu.com.tr/2014/gundem/ab-bakani-mevlut-cavusoglu-oy-sayarken-480201/|title=AB Bakanı Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu oy sayarke|language=Turkish|trans-title=EU Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu counting votes|work=Sözcü|date=2 April 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.istanbulhaber.com.tr/ab-bakani-mevlut-cavusoglu-oy-sayarken-haber-192571.htm|title=AB Bakanı Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu oy sayarken|language=Turkish|trans-title=EU Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu vote counting|work=Istanbul Haber Ajansi|date= April 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref> Several cases of opposition votes being counted as invalid and vote totals per ballot box being recorded incorrectly also caused controversy.{{citation needed|date=December 2014}} With an unusually high number of power outages occurring throughout the country while votes were being counted, the government was ridiculed when Energy Minister [[Taner Yıldız]] blamed them on cats entering [[transformer]]s.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/26128954.asp|title=Enerji Bakanı Taner Yıldız: Trafoya kedi girdi|language=Turkish|trans-title=Energy Minister Taner Yıldız: Transformers entered by cats|work=cumhuriyet|date=2 April 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/video/video_haber/56411/Enerji_Bakani_Taner_Yildiz__Trafoya_kedi_girdi.html|title=Enerji Bakanı Taner Yıldız: Trafoya kedi girdi|language=Turkish|trans-title=Energy Minister Taner Yıldız: Cats enter transformers|work=cumhuriyet|date=1 April 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.milliyet.com.tr/Milliyet-Tv/video-izle/Taner-Yildiz--Trafoya-kedi-girdi-4tyLfgenFh0f.html|title=Taner Yıldız: Trafoya kedi girdi|language=Turkish|trans-title=Taner Yıldız: Transformer cat entry|work=Milliyet|date=1 April 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref> Erdoğan was criticised for disregarding the high number of fraud cases and declaring victory none-the-less. Significant cases of misconduct were documented in [[Yalova]], [[Ankara]], [[Antalya]] and [[Ağrı]]. The [[Supreme Electoral Council of Turkey|Supreme Electoral Council]] ordered a repeat of the election in Yalova and Ağrı, both of which the AKP had initially narrowly lost to the [[Republican People's Party (Turkey)|CHP]] and [[Democratic Regions Party|BDP]] respectively. |
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The New Zealand and Australian governments and opposition [[Republican People's Party|CHP]] party have criticized Erdoğan after he repeatedly showed video taken by the [[Christchurch mosque shootings|Christchurch mosque shooter]] to his supporters at campaign rallies for [[2019 Turkish local elections|31 March local elections]] and said Australians and New Zealanders who came to Turkey with anti-Muslim sentiments "would be sent back in coffins like their grandfathers" at [[Gallipoli Campaign|Gallipoli]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan uses New Zealand attack video at campaign rally |url=https://www.dw.com/en/turkeys-recep-tayyip-erdogan-uses-new-zealand-attack-video-at-campaign-rally/a-47959569 |publisher=Deutsche Welle |date=18 March 2019 |access-date=20 March 2019 |archive-date=19 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190319164811/https://www.dw.com/en/turkeys-recep-tayyip-erdogan-uses-new-zealand-attack-video-at-campaign-rally/a-47959569 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title='Deeply offended' PM demands Turkey's Erdogan withdraws Gallipoli 'coffins' comment |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/deeply-offended-pm-demands-turkey-s-erdogan-withdraws-gallipoli-coffins-comment |work=SBS News |date=20 March 2019 |access-date=20 March 2019 |archive-date=22 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322073522/https://www.sbs.com.au/news/deeply-offended-pm-demands-turkey-s-erdogan-withdraws-gallipoli-coffins-comment |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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Despite strong surveillance by citizens during the [[Turkish presidential election, 2014|2014 presidential election]], no serious cases of fraud were documented during the voting or counting process.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.todayszaman.com/news-342821-citizens-have-right-to-monitor-elections-for-fraud-free-voting-says-activist.html|title=Citizens have right to monitor elections for fraud-free voting, says activist|work=''Today's Zaman''|date=23 March 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014|first=Yonica|last=Puyraz Dogan}}</ref> However, Erdoğan was still heavily scrutinised over what was perceived to be excessive media bias in his favour during the campaigning process.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20140811/even-without-any-voting-fraud-turkeys-elections-arent-a-fair-fight|title=Even without any voting fraud, Turkey's elections aren't a fair fight|work=Los Angeles Daily News|last=Resneck|first=Jacob|date=11 August 2014|accessdate=5 December 2014}}</ref> |
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=== Domestic policy === |
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==== Presidential palace ==== |
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Political polarisation in Turkey soared during the 2013–14 anti-government protests, due to the government's response. A more general polarisation was caused by the undermining of [[Mustafa Kemal Atatürk]]'s principles and the [[Constitution of Turkey|Constitution]], which created tension between [[Secularism|secularists]] and government supporters. Both have been allegedly fuelled by Erdoğan's ignorance of the opposition, as well as strongly partisan speeches which have referred to anti-government protestors as 'looters,' 'terrorists,' and 'traitors.'{{citation needed|date=November 2014}} |
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Erdoğan has also received criticism for the construction of a new official residence called the [[Presidential Complex (Turkey)|Presidential Complex]], which takes up approximately 50 acres of [[Atatürk Forest Farm and Zoo|Atatürk Forest Farm]] (AOÇ) in [[Ankara]].<ref>[http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/erdogans-ak-saray-likened-to-alamut-castle-ceausescus-palace.aspx?pageID=238&nID=73936&NewsCatID=338# Erdoğan's 'Ak Saray' likened to Alamut Castle, Ceausescu's Palace] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141116175533/http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/erdogans-ak-saray-likened-to-alamut-castle-ceausescus-palace.aspx?PageID=238&NID=73936&NewsCatID=338 |date=16 November 2014 }} (hurriyetdailynews.com. Retrieved 9 April 2016)</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/11/01/world/europe/erdogan-uses-conflict-to-consolidate-power.html?referrer|title=Turkis Leader, Using Conflicts, Cements Power|author=Tim Arango|work=The New York Times|date=31 October 2014|access-date=27 November 2014|archive-date=2 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141102133325/http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/11/01/world/europe/erdogan-uses-conflict-to-consolidate-power.html?referrer|url-status=live}}</ref> Since the AOÇ is protected land, several court orders were issued to halt the construction of the new palace, though building work went on nonetheless.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://therealdeal.com/blog/2014/11/01/turkish-president-drops-350m-on-new-palace/|title=Turkish President drops $350m on new palace|author=Christopher Cameron|work=The Real Deal: New York Real Estate News|date=1 November 2014|access-date=27 November 2014|archive-date=6 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106051014/http://therealdeal.com/blog/2014/11/01/turkish-president-drops-350m-on-new-palace/|url-status=live}}</ref> The opposition described the move as a clear disregard for the rule of law.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/turkiye/136319/Erdogan_dan__Kac-Ak_Saray__icin_yorum.html|title=Erdoğan'dan 'Kaç-Ak Saray' için yorum|language=tr|trans-title=How Erdoğan's 'illegal palace' looks|date=1 November 2014|access-date=3 December 2014|work=Cumhuriyet|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304124218/http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/turkiye/136319/Erdogan_dan__Kac-Ak_Saray__icin_yorum.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The project was subject to heavy criticism and allegations were made; of corruption during the construction process, wildlife destruction and the complete obliteration of the zoo in the AOÇ in order to make way for the new compound.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/national_critical-media-block-imposed-on-ak-saray-opening-amid-graft-concerns_362922.html|title=Critical media block imposed on 'Ak Saray' amid opening graft concerns|newspaper=Today's Zaman|date=29 October 2014|access-date=27 November 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141125103048/http://www.todayszaman.com/national_critical-media-block-imposed-on-ak-saray-opening-amid-graft-concerns_362922.html|archive-date=25 November 2014}}</ref> The fact that the palace is technically illegal has led to it being branded as the 'Kaç-Ak Saray', the word ''kaçak'' in Turkish meaning 'illegal'.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/video/video/136120/Kac-Ak_Saray_a_mehterli_tanitim.html|work=Cumhuriyet|date=31 October 2014|access-date=3 December 2014|title=Kaç-Ak Saray'a mehterli tanıtım|language=tr|trans-title="Illegal" palace promotional material|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303051432/http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/video/video/136120/Kac-Ak_Saray_a_mehterli_tanitim.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Ak Saray was originally designed as a new office for the Prime Minister. However, upon assuming the presidency, Erdoğan announced that the palace would become the new Presidential Palace, while the [[Çankaya Mansion]] will be used by the Prime Minister instead. The move was seen as a historic change since the [[Çankaya Mansion]] had been used as the iconic office of the presidency ever since its inception. The [[Presidential Complex]] has almost 1,000 rooms and cost $350 million (€270 million), leading to strong criticism at a time when mining accidents and workers' rights had been dominating the agenda.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zaman.com.tr/gundem_ak-saray-alman-basininda_2254265.html|title='Ak-Saray' Alman basınında|language=tr|trans-title=Ak Saray in the German press|date=30 October 2014|access-date=3 December 2014|work=Zaman|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141201150226/http://www.zaman.com.tr/gundem_ak-saray-alman-basininda_2254265.html|archive-date=1 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/09/turkey-erdogan-white-palace-presidential-residence.html|title=Erdogan's $350m presidential palace|work=Al-Monitor|author=Kadri Gursel|date=17 September 2014|access-date=27 November 2014|archive-date=21 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160321095805/http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/09/turkey-erdogan-white-palace-presidential-residence.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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===Mehmet Aksoy lawsuit=== |
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In 2009, Turkish sculptor [[Mehmet Aksoy]] created the ''[[Statue of Humanity]]'' in [[Kars]] to promote reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia. When visiting the city in 2011, Erdoğan deemed the statue a "freak", and months later it was demolished.<ref>{{cite news|title=Turkey-Armenia friendship symbol being demolished|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13199787|accessdate=5 March 2015|work=BBC News|date=26 April 2011}}</ref> Aksoy sued Erdoğan for "moral indemnities", although his lawyer said that his statement was a critique rather than an insult. In March 2015, a judge ordered Erdoğan to pay Aksoy 10,000 lira.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Erdem|first1=Umut|title=Artist 'to party with' Erdoğan's money|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/artist-to-party-with-erdogans-money.aspx?pageID=238&nID=79207&NewsCatID=341|accessdate=5 March 2015|work=[[Hürriyet]]|date=5 March 2015}}</ref> |
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On 29 October 2014, Erdoğan was due to hold a [[Republic Day (Turkey)|Republic Day]] reception in the new palace to commemorate the 91st anniversary of the [[Turkey|Republic of Turkey]] and to officially inaugurate the [[Presidential Complex|Presidential Palace]]. However, after most invited participants announced that they would boycott the event and a mining accident occurred in the district of [[Ermenek]] in [[Karaman]], the reception was cancelled.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/27477903.asp|title=29 Ekim resepsiyonu iptal|language=tr|trans-title=29 October reception cancelled|date=30 October 2014|access-date=3 December 2014|archive-date=2 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160302103334/http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/27477903.asp|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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===Crackdown on Academics for Peace=== |
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In January 2016, more than a thousand academics signed a petition criticizing Turkey's military crackdown on ethnic Kurdish towns and neighbourhoods in the east of the country, such as Sur (a district of [[Diyarbakır]]), [[Silvan, Diyarbakır|Silvan]], [[Nusaybin]], [[Cizre]] and [[Silopi]], and asking an end to violence.<ref>{{cite news |title=Scholars for Peace: we will not be a party to this crime |author=Samim Akgönül |url=http://www.todayszaman.com/columnists_scholars-for-peace-we-will-not-be-a-party-to-this-crime_409172.html |newspaper=[[Today's Zaman]] |date=8 January 2016 |accessdate=22 January 2016}}</ref> Erdoğan accused those who signed the petition of "terrorist propaganda", calling them "the darkest of people". He called for action by institutions and universities, stating, "Everyone who benefits from this state but is now an enemy of the state must be punished without further delay."<ref>{{cite journal |author=Brendan O'Malley |title=Lecturers detained, threatened for opposing military action |journal=[[University World News]] |issue=396 |date=15 January 2016 |url=http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20160115184937503 |accessdate=22 January 2016}}</ref> Within days, over 30 of the signatories were arrested, many in dawn-time raids on their homes. Although all were quickly released, nearly half were fired from their jobs, eliciting a denunciation from Turkey's Science Academy for such "wrong and disturbing" treatment.<ref>{{cite web|title = Turkish academics pay price for speaking out on Kurds|url = http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/01/turkish-academics-pay-price-speaking-out-kurds|website = sciencemag.org|access-date = 19 January 2016|date = 19 January 2016|last = Bohannon|first = John}}</ref> Erdoğan vowed that the academics would pay the price for "falling into a pit of treachery".<ref>{{cite news |title=Turkish president vows 'treasonous' academics will pay the price |author= |url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-president-vows-treasonous-academics-will-pay-the-price.aspx?pageID=238&nID=94128&NewsCatID=339 |newspaper=[[Hürriyet Daily News]] |date=20 January 2016 |accessdate=22 January 2016}}</ref> |
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==== The media ==== |
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[[File:Turkish journalists protesting imprisonment of their colleagues in 2016.jpg|thumb|Turkish journalists protesting imprisonment of their colleagues on [[Human Rights Day]], 10 December 2016]] |
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On 1 May 2016, a controversial anonymous blog post named [[The Pelican Brief memorandum|The Pelican Brief]] demanded the resignation of Turkish Prime Minister [[Ahmet Davutoğlu]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://next.ft.com/content/80890590-120c-11e6-91da-096d89bd2173|title=Turkish prime minister quits after rift with Erdogan|author=|date=|work=Financial Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://turkishmonitor.com/the-rift-betweent-erdogan-and-davutoglu-raises-questions-2783/|title=The rift betweent Erdoğan and Davutoğlu raises questions|author=|date=|work=turkishmonitor.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/05/turkey-rift-between-erdogan-davutoglu.html#|title=How mysterious new Turkish blog exposed Erdogan-Davutoglu rift – Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East|author=|date=|work=Al-Monitor}}</ref> On 4 May Ahmet Davutoglu met Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the [[Presidential Complex]] and it was announced Davutoglu that would not run for leadership again in the upcoming special party congress.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/05/world/europe/erdogan-ahmet-davutoglu-turkey-prime-minister-is-expected-to-be-replaced.html|title=Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkey's Prime Minister, Is Expected to Be Replaced|author=|date=5 May 2016|work=The New York Times}}</ref> It was described as a palace coup d'état on Turkish social media<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/siyaset/527169/_4_Mayis_Saray_darbesi.html|title=Cumhuriyet Gazetesi – No. 4 Mayıs Saray darbesi|author=|date=4 May 2016|work=cumhuriyet.com.tr}}</ref> and by other sources.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://odatv.com/bu-saray-darbesi-nedir-.toglanlari-0505161200.html|title=Nihat Genç yazdı: Bu saray darbesi nedir .toğlanları|author=|date=|work=odatv.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://t24.com.tr/yazarlar/bilinmeyen/davutogluna-saray-darbesini-mhpye-yargi-darbesi-izler-mi-25-maddede-akp-tarihi-ve-ihtimaller,14484|title=Davutoğlu'na Saray darbesini MHP'ye yargı darbesi izler mi; 25 maddede AKP tarihi ve ihtimaller|author=Doğan Akın|date=|work=t24.com.tr}}</ref> |
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President Erdoğan and his government continue to press for court action against the remaining free press in Turkey. The latest newspaper that has been seized is ''[[Zaman (newspaper)|Zaman]]'', in March 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/05/world/middleeast/recep-tayyip-erdogan-government-seizes-zaman-newspaper.html|title=Turkey Seizes Newspaper, Zaman, as Press Crackdown Continues|work=The New York Times|first1=Safak|last1=Timur|first2=Tim|last2=Arango|date=4 March 2016|access-date=16 April 2022|archive-date=28 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328155824/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/05/world/middleeast/recep-tayyip-erdogan-government-seizes-zaman-newspaper.html|url-status=live}}</ref> After the seizure [[Morton Abramowitz]] and [[Eric Edelman]], former U.S. ambassadors to Turkey, condemned President Erdoğan's actions in an opinion piece published by ''[[The Washington Post]]'': "Clearly, democracy cannot flourish under Erdoğan now".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/turkeys-erdogan-must-reform-or-resign/2016/03/10/80cc9be2-dffe-11e5-9c36-e1902f6b6571_story.html|title=Turkey's Erdogan must reform or resign|newspaper=The Washington Post|first1=Mort|last1=Abramowitz|first2=Eric|last2=Edelman|date=10 March 2016|access-date=17 April 2022|archive-date=7 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407004501/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/turkeys-erdogan-must-reform-or-resign/2016/03/10/80cc9be2-dffe-11e5-9c36-e1902f6b6571_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> "The overall pace of reforms in Turkey has not only slowed down but in some key areas, such as freedom of expression and the independence of the judiciary, there has been a regression, which is particularly worrying", rapporteur [[Kati Piri]] said in April 2016 after [[the European Parliament]] passed its annual progress report on Turkey.<ref name="Deutsche Welle">{{cite web|url=http://www.dw.com/en/european-parliament-slams-turkey-over-deterioration-of-rights-and-democracy/a-19189464|title=European Parliament slams Turkey over deterioration of rights and democracy|publisher=Deutsche Welle|date=14 April 2016|access-date=6 June 2015|archive-date=14 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414165834/http://www.dw.com/en/european-parliament-slams-turkey-over-deterioration-of-rights-and-democracy/a-19189464|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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On 22 June 2016, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that he considered himself successful in "destroying" Turkish civil groups "working against the state",<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/erdogan-says-civil-society-groups-working-against-turkish-state-largely-destroyed.aspx?pageID=238&nID=100789&NewsCatID=338|title=Erdoğan says 'civil society groups working against Turkish state' largely destroyed|newspaper=Hürriyet Daily News|date=22 June 2016|access-date=23 June 2016|archive-date=23 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160623163101/http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/erdogan-says-civil-society-groups-working-against-turkish-state-largely-destroyed.aspx?pageID=238&nID=100789&NewsCatID=338|url-status=live}}</ref> a conclusion that had been confirmed some days earlier by [[Sedat Laçiner]], Professor of International Relations and rector of the [[Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University]]: "Outlawing unarmed and peaceful opposition, sentencing people to unfair punishment under erroneous terror accusations, will feed genuine terrorism in Erdoğan's Turkey. Guns and violence will become the sole alternative for legally expressing free thought".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theturkishsun.com/opponent-or-terrorist-the-dramatically-changing-nature-of-turkish-democracy-20313/|title=Opponent or Terrorist? The dramatically changing nature of Turkish democracy|work=The Turkish Sun|date=16 June 2016|access-date=23 June 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160619081327/http://theturkishsun.com/opponent-or-terrorist-the-dramatically-changing-nature-of-turkish-democracy-20313/|archive-date=19 June 2016}}</ref> |
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=== US bribery probe === |
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In March, 2017 after the imprisonment and indictment of Turkish financier, [[Reza Zarrab]] for his alleged bribery of high officials within the Erdoğan administration and money laundering, US president Trump had aggressive prosecutor, [[Preet Bharara]] fired. This came after Zarrab had hired [[Rudolph Giuliani]] to aid with Zarrab's legal defense, and after Giuliani's having met with Erdoğan.<ref>[http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/a-mysterious-case-involving-turkey-iran-and-rudy-giuliani A Mysterious Case Involving Turkey, Iran, and Rudy Giuliani] The New Yorker. By Dexter Filkins. April 14, 2017. Downloaded April 18, 2017.</ref> |
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After the coup attempt, over 200 journalists were arrested and over 120 media outlets were closed. ''[[Cumhuriyet]]'' journalists were detained in November 2016 after a long-standing crackdown on the newspaper. Subsequently, [[Reporters Without Borders]] called Erdoğan an "enemy of press freedom" and said that he "hides his aggressive dictatorship under a veneer of democracy".<ref>{{cite web|title=Reporters Without Borders labels Erdogan as 'enemy of press freedom'|url=http://www.dw.com/en/reporters-without-borders-labels-erdogan-as-enemy-of-press-freedom/a-36228949|publisher=Deutsche Welle|access-date=13 November 2016|date=2 November 2016|archive-date=14 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114004630/http://www.dw.com/en/reporters-without-borders-labels-erdogan-as-enemy-of-press-freedom/a-36228949|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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=== Dictatorial policies enacted into law === |
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In August 2016, Erdoğan began rounding up journalists who had been publishing, or who were about to publish articles questioning corruption within the Erdoğan administration, and to routinely incarcerate them.<ref>[http://www.dw.com/en/erdogan-wants-to-silence-all-opposition-media/a-19100896 Erdoğan wants to silence all opposition media] Deutsche Welle. August 3, 2016. Downloaded April 19, 2017.</ref> The number of Turkish journalists jailed by Turkey is currently higher than any other country, including all of those journalists currently jailed in North Korea, Cuba, Russia and China combined.<ref name="journalists_jailed"/> |
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In the wake of the [[2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt|coup attempt of July 2016]] the Erdoğan administration began rounding up tens of thousands of individuals, both from within the government, and from the public sector, and to incarcerate these under charges of alleged "terrorism."<ref name="WashPost_35k">{{cite web |last1=Morris |first1=Loveday |title=Turkey suspends more than 15,000 education workers in widening purge |date=2016-07-19 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/turkey-jails-generals-as-post-coup-purge-widens/2016/07/19/db076c84-4d1f-11e6-bf27-405106836f96_story.html |accessdate=2016-07-19 |deadurl=no}}</ref><ref>[http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21702511-failed-putsch-was-bloodiest-turkey-has-seen-backlash-worrying-after-coup After the coup, the counter-coup], 23rd July, 2016, ''[[The Economist]]''</ref><ref name="NYT_countercoup">{{cite web |title=The Counter-Coup in Turkey |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2016-07-16 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/16/opinion/the-counter-coup-in-turkey.html |accessdate=2016-07-16 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160716175951/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/16/opinion/the-counter-coup-in-turkey.html |archivedate=2016-07-16 |deadurl=no}}</ref> As a result of these arrests, many complained regarding the lack of proper judicial process in the incarceration of Erdoğan's opposition.<ref>[http://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-turkey-media-20170302-story.html Turkey’s bleak media scene: Arrests, closures and closed trials] Los Angeles Times. March 3, 2017. By Roy Gutman. Downloaded April 19, 2017.</ref> |
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In 2014, Turkey temporarily blocked access to [[Twitter]].<ref name="Turkey Blocks Twitter">{{cite news |date=21 March 2014 |title=Turkey Blocks Twitter |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/turkey-blocks-access-to-twitter/2014/03/20/7bad19d2-b08c-11e3-b8b3-44b1d1cd4c1f_story.html |url-status=dead |access-date=27 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140321092718/http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/turkey-blocks-access-to-twitter/2014/03/20/7bad19d2-b08c-11e3-b8b3-44b1d1cd4c1f_story.html |archive-date=21 March 2014}}</ref> In April 2017, Turkey [[Block of Wikipedia in Turkey|blocked all access to Wikipedia]] over a content dispute.<ref>{{cite news|work=The Guardian|last1=Shieber|first1=Jonathan|title=Wikipedia has been blocked in Turkey|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/29/turkey-blocks-wikipedia-under-law-designed-to-protect-national-security|access-date=29 April 2017|date=29 April 2017|archive-date=5 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805103010/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/29/turkey-blocks-wikipedia-under-law-designed-to-protect-national-security|url-status=live}}</ref> The Turkish government lifted a two-and-a-half-year ban on Wikipedia on 15 January 2020, restoring access to the online encyclopedia a month after [[Constitutional Court of Turkey|Turkey's top court]] ruled that blocking Wikipedia was unconstitutional. |
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In April 2017 Erdoğan successfully sponsored legislation effectively making it illegal for the Turkish legislative branch to investigate his executive branch of government.<ref name="2017_referendum"/> Without the checks and balances of freedom of speech, and the freedom of the Turkish legislature to hold him accountable for his actions, many have likened Turkey's current form of government to a dictatorship with only nominal forms of democracy in practice.<ref>[http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/turkeys-vote-makes-erdogan-effectively-a-dictator Turkey's Vote Makes Erdoğan Effectively a Dictator] The New Yorker. By Dexter Filkins. April 17, 2017. Downloaded April 19, 2017.</ref><ref name="democracy_falls"/> At the time of Erdoğan's successful passing of the most recent legislation silencing his opposition, US president Trump called Erdoğan to congratulate him for his "recent referendum victory."<ref>[https://www.thenation.com/article/trump-to-erdogan-congrats-on-your-dictatorship/ Trump to Erdoğan: Congrats On Your Dictatorship!] The Nation. By John Nichols. April 18, 2017. Downloaded April 19, 2017.</ref> |
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On 1 July 2020, in a statement made to his party members, Erdoğan announced that the government would introduce new measures and regulations to control or shut down social media platforms such as [[YouTube]], Twitter and [[Netflix]]. Through these new measures, each company would be required to appoint an official representative in the country to respond to legal concerns. The decision came after a number of Twitter users insulted his daughter [[Esra Erdoğan|Esra]] after she gave birth to her fourth child.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-turkey-security-socialmedia/turkey-determined-to-control-social-media-platforms-erdogan-says-idUKKBN2425Y4|title=Turkey determined to control social media platforms, Erdogan says|work=Reuters|date=1 July 2020|access-date=1 July 2020|archive-date=1 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701132727/https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-turkey-security-socialmedia/turkey-determined-to-control-social-media-platforms-erdogan-says-idUKKBN2425Y4|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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==Foreign policy== |
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{{Main article|Foreign policy of the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan government|List of prime ministerial trips made by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan|List of people by number of countries visited}} |
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[[File:Secretary Kerry Shakes Hands With Turkish President Erdogan Before Meeting With President Obama (15124679506).jpg|thumb|Erdoğan with U.S. President [[Barack Obama]] and Secretary of State [[John Kerry]] during the [[2014 Wales summit|NATO Summit in Newport]], 5 September 2014]] |
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Erdoğan is a co-founder of the so-called "[[Alliance of Civilizations]]" (AOC). The AOC initiative was proposed by the Prime Minister of Spain, [[José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero]], at the 59th [[General Assembly of the United Nations]] in 2005. The initiative seeks to galvanize international action against [[extremism]] through the forging of international, intercultural and inter-religious dialogue and cooperation. |
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==== State of emergency and purges ==== |
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===European Union=== |
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{{Main|2016–present purges in Turkey}} |
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[[File:Erdogan foreign trips as prime minister.png|thumb|left|Map of [[List of prime ministerial trips made by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan|international trips made by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]] as prime minister]] |
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On 20 July 2016, President Erdoğan declared the [[state of emergency]], citing the coup d'état attempt as justification.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Morris |first1=Loveday |last2=Naylor |first2=Hugh |date=20 July 2016 |title=Turkey declares a state of emergency for three months |language=en-US |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/turkey-bans-all-academics-from-travelling-in-latest-post-coup-measures/2016/07/20/f3498b44-4de5-11e6-bf27-405106836f96_story.html |access-date=18 October 2022 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=9 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170409190658/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/turkey-bans-all-academics-from-travelling-in-latest-post-coup-measures/2016/07/20/f3498b44-4de5-11e6-bf27-405106836f96_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It was first scheduled to last three months. The Turkish parliament approved this measure.<ref>[http://www.wilx.com/content/news/Turkeys-parliament-approves-state-of-emergency-387811071.html Turkey's parliament approves state of emergency] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203174713/http://www.wilx.com/content/news/Turkeys-parliament-approves-state-of-emergency-387811071.html |date=3 February 2017 }} (21 July 2016, wilx.com)</ref> The state of emergency was later continuously extended until 2018<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=18 July 2018 |title=Turkey ends state of emergency after two years |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-44881328 |access-date=12 October 2022 |archive-date=12 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221012180149/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-44881328 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Turkey's failed coup attempt: All you need to know |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/turkey-failed-coup-attempt-161217032345594.html |publisher=Al Jazeera |access-date=19 May 2019 |archive-date=16 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816085400/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/turkey-failed-coup-attempt-161217032345594.html |url-status=live }}</ref> amidst the ongoing [[2016 Turkish purges]] including [[Turkey's media purge after the failed July 2016 coup d'état|comprehensive purges of independent media]] and detention of tens of thousands of Turkish citizens politically opposed to Erdoğan.<ref name="japantimes.co.jp">{{cite news |last=Dyier |first=Gwinne |date=8 November 2016 |title=Erdogan derailing Turkey's promising future |newspaper=[[The Japan Times]] |url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2016/11/08/commentary/world-commentary/erdogan-derailing-turkeys-promising-future/ |access-date=10 November 2016 |archive-date=26 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170326164723/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2016/11/08/commentary/world-commentary/erdogan-derailing-turkeys-promising-future/ |url-status=live }}</ref> More than 50,000 people have been arrested and over 160,000 fired from their jobs by March 2018.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-southkorea-politics-park/south-korean-court-jails-former-president-park-for-24-years-idUKKCN1HC2ZR |title=Turkey orders 70 army officers detained over Gulen links |work=Reuters |date=29 March 2018 |access-date=15 May 2018 |archive-date=1 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180501023628/https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-southkorea-politics-park/south-korean-court-jails-former-president-park-for-24-years-idUKKCN1HC2ZR |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=":1" /> |
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Erdoğan was named "European of the Year 2004" by the newspaper [[European Voice]] for the reforms in his country. He said, "Turkey's accession shows that Europe is a continent where civilisations reconcile and not clash."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://arsiv.ntvmsnbc.com/news/298717.asp?cp1=1|title=Erdoğan named European of the Year|work=[[NTV-MSNBC]]|date=1 December 2004|accessdate=2 December 2004|last=Tümü|first=Haberin}}</ref> On 3 October 2005, during Erdoğan's tenure as Prime Minister, negotiations for Turkey's accession to the EU formally started.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7529707.stm|title=EU enlargement past, present and future|work=BBC News|date=6 November 2008|accessdate=1 February 2009}}</ref> |
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[[File:Can Dündar & Erdem Gül.jpg|thumb|Turkish journalists [[Can Dündar]] and [[Erdem Gül]] were arrested for leaking classified information about [[Turkish involvement in the Syrian civil war|Turkish support to Islamist fighters in Syria]]]] |
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Erdoğan's government is not unconditionally pro-European. The [[European Commission]] generally supports Erdoğan's reforms, but remains critical of his policies. Negotiations about possible EU membership came to a standstill in 2009 and 2010, when Turkish ports were closed to Cypriot ships. Furthermore, fundamental rights remain an issue in Turkey. A law establishing the Turkish National Human Rights Institution was adopted by the Turkish parliament, but the law does not comply fully with the UN Paris principles on human rights institutions. In a 2012 European Commission report about possible Turkish accession to the [[European Union]], the Commission specifically mentioned the lack of the freedoms of;[[freedom of expression|expression]], [[freedom of thought|thought]], [[freedom of conscience|conscience]], [[freedom of religion|religion]] and [[freedom of assembly|assembly]] as well as restricted access to; independent and impartial [[justice]], [[children's rights]], and trade union rights, as areas where the Turkish government needs to implement reforms. [[Freedom of the press]] continues to be restricted in practice, according to the report. No progress was made on anti-discrimination policies, such as discrimination against homosexuals. The position of socially vulnerable persons and/or persons with disabilities, torture in prisons and the issue of [[Honor killing|violence against women]] in relationships outside marriage, as well as early and [[forced marriage]]s, also remain concerns, according to the report.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/key_documents/2012/package/tr_rapport_2012_en.pdf|title=Turkey 2012 Progress report|publisher=European Commission|date=10 October 2012|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref> |
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In August 2016, Erdoğan began rounding up journalists who had been publishing, or who were about to publish articles questioning corruption within the Erdoğan administration, and incarcerating them.<ref>[http://www.dw.com/en/erdogan-wants-to-silence-all-opposition-media/a-19100896 Erdoğan wants to silence all opposition media] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170420050407/http://www.dw.com/en/erdogan-wants-to-silence-all-opposition-media/a-19100896 |date=20 April 2017 }} Deutsche Welle. 3 August 2016. Downloaded 19 April 2017.</ref> The number of Turkish journalists jailed by Turkey is higher than any other country, including all of those journalists currently jailed in North Korea, Cuba, Russia, and China combined.<ref name="journalists_jailed">[https://cpj.org/reports/2017/12/journalists-prison-jail-record-number-turkey-china-egypt.php Record number of journalists jailed as Turkey, China, Egypt pay scant price for repression] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629191208/https://cpj.org/reports/2017/12/journalists-prison-jail-record-number-turkey-china-egypt.php |date=29 June 2018 }}, [[Committee to Protect Journalists]] (13 December 2017).</ref> |
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In the wake of the [[2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt|coup attempt of July 2016]] the Erdoğan administration began rounding up tens of thousands of individuals, both from within the government, and from the public sector, and incarcerating them on charges of alleged "terrorism".<ref name="WashPost_35k">{{cite news |last1=Morris |first1=Loveday |title=Turkey suspends more than 15,000 education workers in widening purge |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=19 July 2016 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/turkey-jails-generals-as-post-coup-purge-widens/2016/07/19/db076c84-4d1f-11e6-bf27-405106836f96_story.html |access-date=19 July 2016 |archive-date=22 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160722223251/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/turkey-jails-generals-as-post-coup-purge-widens/2016/07/19/db076c84-4d1f-11e6-bf27-405106836f96_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>[https://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21702511-failed-putsch-was-bloodiest-turkey-has-seen-backlash-worrying-after-coup After the coup, the counter-coup] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428201829/https://economist.com/news/briefing/21702511-failed-putsch-was-bloodiest-turkey-has-seen-backlash-worrying-after-coup |date=28 April 2018 }}, 23 July 2016, ''[[The Economist]]''</ref><ref name="NYT_countercoup">{{cite web |title=The Counter-Coup in Turkey |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=16 July 2016 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/16/opinion/the-counter-coup-in-turkey.html |access-date=16 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160716175951/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/16/opinion/the-counter-coup-in-turkey.html |archive-date=16 July 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> As a result of these arrests, many in the international community complained about the lack of proper judicial process in the incarceration of Erdoğan's opposition.<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 March 2017 |title=Turkey's bleak media scene: Arrests, closures and closed trials |url=https://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-turkey-media-20170302-story.html |access-date=18 October 2022 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US |archive-date=28 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221028161811/https://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-turkey-media-20170302-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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In April 2017 Erdoğan successfully sponsored legislation effectively making it illegal for the Turkish legislative branch to investigate his executive branch of government.<ref name="2017_referendum">{{cite web|url=https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2017/04/04/erdogan-referendum-threatens-democracy-turkey|title=Erdoğan referendum threatens democracy in Turkey|work=American Magazine|first=Ryan|last=Richardson|date=4 April 2017|access-date=20 April 2022|archive-date=2 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220702082511/https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2017/04/04/erdogan-referendum-threatens-democracy-turkey|url-status=live}}</ref> Without the checks and balances of freedom of speech, and the freedom of the Turkish legislature to hold him accountable for his actions, many have likened Turkey's current form of government to a dictatorship with only nominal forms of democracy in practice.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/turkeys-vote-makes-erdogan-effectively-a-dictator|title=Turkey's Vote Makes Erdoğan Effectively a Dictator|magazine=The New Yorker|first=Dexter|last=Filkins|author-link=Dexter Filkins|date=17 April 2017|access-date=17 April 2022|archive-date=21 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521064848/https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/turkeys-vote-makes-erdogan-effectively-a-dictator|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="democracy_falls">[http://www.publicseminar.org/2017/03/the-fall-of-turkish-democracy/ Ertug Tombus, "The Fall of Turkish Democracy"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612163612/http://www.publicseminar.org/2017/03/the-fall-of-turkish-democracy/ |date=12 June 2018 }}, Publicseminar.org, 3 March 2017. Downloaded 19 April 2017.</ref> At the time of Erdoğan's successful passing of the most recent legislation silencing his opposition, [[President of the United States|United States President]] [[Donald Trump]] called Erdoğan to congratulate him for his "recent referendum victory".<ref>[https://www.thenation.com/article/trump-to-erdogan-congrats-on-your-dictatorship/ Trump to Erdoğan: Congrats On Your Dictatorship!] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170420052659/https://www.thenation.com/article/trump-to-erdogan-congrats-on-your-dictatorship/ |date=20 April 2017 }} ''The Nation''. By John Nichols. 18 April 2017. Downloaded 19 April 2017.</ref> |
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In February 2016 Erdoğan threatened to [[European migrant crisis|send the millions of refugees in Turkey to EU]] member states,<ref>"[https://euobserver.com/migration/132233 Erdogan to EU: 'We're not idiots', threatens to send refugees]". EUobserver. 11 February 2016.</ref> saying: "We can open the doors to Greece and Bulgaria anytime and we can put the refugees on buses ... So how will you deal with refugees if you don't get a deal? Kill the refugees?"<ref>"[http://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-migrants-eu-turkey-idUSKCN0VH1R0 Turkey's Erdogan threatened to flood Europe with migrants: Greek website]". Reuters. 8 February 2016.</ref> |
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On 29 April 2017 Erdoğan's administration began an internal [[Internet block]] of all of the [[Wikipedia]] online encyclopedia site via Turkey's domestic Internet filtering system. This blocking action took place after the government had first made a request for Wikipedia to remove what it referred to as "offensive content". In response, Wikipedia co-founder [[Jimmy Wales]] replied via a post on [[Twitter]] stating, "Access to information is a fundamental human right. Turkish people, I will always stand with you and fight for this right."<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/30/world/europe/turkey-purge-wikipedia-tv-dating-shows.html? Turkey Purges 4,000 More Officials, and Blocks Wikipedia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170501024117/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/30/world/europe/turkey-purge-wikipedia-tv-dating-shows.html |date=1 May 2017 }} ''The New York Times''. By Patrick Kingsley. 30 April 2017</ref><ref>{{Cite tweet |last=Wales |first=Jimmy |author-link=Jimmy Wales |user=jimmy_wales |number=858317740616032256 |date=April 29, 2017 |title=Access to information is a fundamental human right. Turkish people, I will always stand with you and fight for this right. #turkey |archive-date=May 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170502184059/https://mobile.twitter.com/jimmy_wales/status/858317740616032256}}</ref> |
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===Greece and Cyprus dispute=== |
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[[File:Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and George Papandreou, Erzurum January 2011 08.jpg|thumb|Erdoğan with Greek Prime Minister [[George Papandreou]].]] |
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In January 2016, more [[Academics for Peace|than a thousand academics]] signed a petition criticizing Turkey's military crackdown on ethnic Kurdish towns and neighborhoods in the east of the country, such as Sur (a district of [[Diyarbakır]]), [[Silvan, Diyarbakır|Silvan]], [[Nusaybin]], [[Cizre]] and [[Silopi]], and asking an end to violence.<ref>{{cite news |title=Scholars for Peace: we will not be a party to this crime |author=Samim Akgönül |url=http://www.todayszaman.com/columnists_scholars-for-peace-we-will-not-be-a-party-to-this-crime_409172.html |newspaper=[[Today's Zaman]] |date=8 January 2016 |access-date=22 January 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160122082724/http://www.todayszaman.com/columnists_scholars-for-peace-we-will-not-be-a-party-to-this-crime_409172.html |archive-date=22 January 2016}}</ref> Erdoğan accused those who signed the petition of "terrorist propaganda", calling them "the darkest of people". He called for action by institutions and universities, stating, "Everyone who benefits from this state but is now an enemy of the state must be punished without further delay".<ref>{{cite journal |author=Brendan O'Malley |title=Lecturers detained, threatened for opposing military action |journal=[[University World News]] |issue=396 |date=15 January 2016 |url=http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20160115184937503 |access-date=22 January 2016 |archive-date=24 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160124114134/http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20160115184937503 |url-status=live }}</ref> Within days, over 30 of the signatories were arrested, many in dawn-time raids on their homes. Although all were quickly released, nearly half were fired from their jobs, eliciting a denunciation from Turkey's Science Academy for such "wrong and disturbing" treatment.<ref>{{cite web|title=Turkish academics pay price for speaking out on Kurds|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/turkish-academics-pay-price-speaking-out-kurds|website=Science Magazine|access-date=19 January 2016|date=19 January 2016|last=Bohannon|first=John|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104114928/https://www.science.org/content/article/turkish-academics-pay-price-speaking-out-kurds|url-status=live}}</ref> Erdoğan vowed that the academics would pay the price for "falling into a pit of treachery".<ref>{{cite news |title=Turkish president vows 'treasonous' academics will pay the price |url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-president-vows-treasonous-academics-will-pay-the-price.aspx?pageID=238&nID=94128&NewsCatID=339 |newspaper=[[Hürriyet Daily News]] |date=20 January 2016 |access-date=22 January 2016 |archive-date=22 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160122095734/http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-president-vows-treasonous-academics-will-pay-the-price.aspx?pageID=238&nID=94128&NewsCatID=339 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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During Erdoğan's Prime Ministership, relations with [[Greece]] were normalized and political and economic relations improved significantly. In 2007, Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister [[Kostas Karamanlis]] met on the bridge over the Evros River, at the border between Greece and Turkey, for the inauguration of the Greek-Turkish natural gas pipeline. Linking the longtime Aegean rivals, this project will give Caspian gas its first direct Western outlet and help ease Russia's energy dominance.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/19/world/europe/19greece.html|title=Greece and Turkey Open Gas Pipeline|work=The New York Times|date=19 November 2007|accessdate=1 February 2009|first=Anthee|last=Carassava}}</ref> |
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Turkey and Greece signed an agreement to create a Combined Joint Operational Unit within the framework of NATO to participate in Peace Support Operations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greekembassy.org/embassy/Content/en/Article.aspx?office=1&folder=24&article=22442 |title=Turkish Foreign Minister's visit to Athens – Greek-Turkish agreement on confidence-building measures |work=greekembassy.org |accessdate=4 December 2007 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080210080019/http://www.greekembassy.org/Embassy/Content/en/Article.aspx?office=1 |archivedate=10 February 2008 }}</ref> |
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Erdoğan and his party strongly supported the [[Cypriot Annan Plan referendum, 2004|EU-backed referendum]] to reunify Cyprus in 2004.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3656919.stm|title=Analysis: Turkey's Cyprus gamble|work=BBC News|date=25 April 2004|accessdate=1 February 2009|first=Jonny|last=Dymond}}</ref> Negotiations about Turkey's possible EU membership came to a standstill in 2009 and 2010, when Turkish ports were closed to Cypriot ships in "revenge" for the economic isolation of the internationally unrecognized [[Northern Cyprus|Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus]] and the failure of the EU to end the isolation, as it had promised in 2004.<ref>Bogdani, Mirela (2010), ''Turkey and the Dilemma of EU Accession: When Religion Meets Politics'', I.B. Tauris, pp. 32–33</ref> The Turkish government continues its refusal to recognize the Republic of Cyprus.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/eu-pays-the-price-for-admitting-cyprus-turkish-prime-minister-erdogan.aspx?pageID=238&nid=40580|title=EU pays the price for admitting Cyprus: Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan|work=[[Hürriyet]]dailynews.com|date=5 February 2013|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref> |
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On 8 July 2018, Erdoğan sacked 18,000 officials for alleged ties to US based cleric [[Fethullah Gülen]], shortly before renewing his term as an [[President of Turkey|executive president]]. Of those removed, 9000 were police officers with 5000 from the armed forces with the addition of hundreds of academics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/turkey-sacks-18000-officials-emergency-decree-erdogan-swears-oath-president-a8437151.html|title=Turkey suddenly sacks 18,000 officials in emergency decree, days before Erdogan is sworn in again|date=9 July 2018|website=The Independent|first=Alina|last=Polianskaya|access-date=29 October 2023|archive-date=30 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190630065044/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/turkey-sacks-18000-officials-emergency-decree-erdogan-swears-oath-president-a8437151.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In January 2017, Erdoğan said that the withdrawal of [[Turkish invasion of Cyprus|Turkish troops]] from [[Northern Cyprus]] is "out of the question" and Turkey will be in Cyprus "forever".<ref>"[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-13/cyprus-reunification-talks-to-reconvene-next-week-as-deal-stalls Erdogan Vows to Keep Turkish Troops in Cyprus as Talks Stall]". Bloomberg. 13 January 2017.</ref> |
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==== Economic policy ==== |
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Under his presidency, Erdoğan has decreased the independence of the [[Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey|Central Bank]] and pushed it to pursue a highly unorthodox monetary policy, decreasing interest rates even with high inflation.<ref name=":7">{{Cite news |title=Is Recep Tayyip Erdogan's monetary policy as mad as it seems? |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/01/27/is-recep-tayyip-erdogans-monetary-policy-as-mad-as-it-seems |access-date=10 March 2023 |issn=0013-0613 |archive-date=10 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230310202504/https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/01/27/is-recep-tayyip-erdogans-monetary-policy-as-mad-as-it-seems |url-status=live }}</ref> He has pushed the theory that inflation is caused by high interest rates, an idea universally rejected by economists.<ref name=":7" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=17 March 2022 |title=Turkish central bank doesn't change rates as inflation soars |url=https://apnews.com/article/business-middle-east-europe-prices-inflation-d462a5d85364a50f159fa620287b9f21 |access-date=16 May 2023 |website=AP NEWS |first=Zeynep |last=Bilginsoy |language=en |archive-date=16 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516201247/https://apnews.com/article/business-middle-east-europe-prices-inflation-d462a5d85364a50f159fa620287b9f21 |url-status=live }}</ref> This, along with other factors such as excessive [[Current account (balance of payments)|current account]] deficit and foreign-currency debt,<ref name="tirto.id">{{cite web |date=25 January 2018 |title=Represi Turki terhadap Minoritas Kurdi Akhirnya Meluas ke Suriah |url=https://tirto.id/represi-turki-terhadap-minoritas-kurdi-akhirnya-meluas-ke-suriah-cDLj |access-date=29 January 2022 |publisher=Tirto.id |archive-date=29 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220129042114/https://tirto.id/represi-turki-terhadap-minoritas-kurdi-akhirnya-meluas-ke-suriah-cDLj |url-status=live }}</ref> in combination with Erdoğan's increasing [[authoritarianism]], caused an [[Turkish economic crisis (2018–current)|economic crisis starting from 2018]], leading to large depreciation of the Turkish lira and very high inflation.<ref name="e101">{{cite magazine |author=Borzou Daragahi |date=25 May 2018 |title=Erdogan Is Failing Economics 101 |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/05/25/erdogan-is-a-mad-economist-and-turkey-is-his-laboratory/ |magazine=Foreign Policy |access-date=14 July 2018 |archive-date=14 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414084916/https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/05/25/erdogan-is-a-mad-economist-and-turkey-is-his-laboratory/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="challenge">{{cite news |date=5 June 2018 |title=Inflation rise poses challenge to Erdogan as election looms |newspaper=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/79317f20-67f5-11e8-8cf3-0c230fa67aec |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/79317f20-67f5-11e8-8cf3-0c230fa67aec |archive-date=10 December 2022}}</ref><ref name="crash">{{cite news |author=Matt O'Brien |date=13 July 2018 |title=Turkey's economy looks like it's headed for a big crash |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2018/07/13/turkeys-economy-looks-like-its-headed-big-crash/ |access-date=14 July 2018 |archive-date=8 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408090710/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2018/07/13/turkeys-economy-looks-like-its-headed-big-crash/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=5 May 2023 |title=Turkey's Erdogan faces tough election amid quake, inflation |url=https://apnews.com/article/erdogan-turkey-presidential-election-earthquake-inflation-5e9ba02e8a552cc5d7187a5ea557333e |access-date=16 May 2023 |website=AP NEWS |language=en |archive-date=16 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516201246/https://apnews.com/article/erdogan-turkey-presidential-election-earthquake-inflation-5e9ba02e8a552cc5d7187a5ea557333e |url-status=live }}</ref> Economist [[Paul Krugman]] described the unfolding crisis as "a classic currency-and-debt crisis, of a kind we've seen many times", adding: "At such a time, the quality of leadership suddenly matters a great deal. You need officials who understand what's happening, can devise a response and have enough credibility that markets give them the benefit of the doubt. Some emerging markets have those things, and they are riding out the turmoil fairly well. The Erdoğan regime has none of that".<ref>{{cite news |author=Paul Krugman |date=24 May 2018 |title=Turmoil for Turkey's Trump |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/24/opinion/turkey-trump-erdogan.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-left-region®ion=opinion-c-col-left-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region |access-date=14 July 2018 |archive-date=28 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181128092742/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/24/opinion/turkey-trump-erdogan.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-left-region®ion=opinion-c-col-left-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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[[Armenia]] is Turkey's only neighbouring country that Erdoğan did not visit during his prime ministry. [[Turkish-Armenian relations]] are difficult due to the [[denial of the Armenian Genocide]] by Erdoğan and have been frozen since 1993 because of the [[Nagorno-Karabakh War]] with Turkey's close ally Azerbaijan. |
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=== Foreign policy === |
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Diplomatic efforts resulted in the [[Armenia–Turkey relations|signing of protocols]] by the Turkish and Armenian Foreign Ministers in [[Switzerland]] to improve relations between the two countries in 2010. One of the points of the agreement was the creation of a joint commission on the issue. The [[Constitutional Court of Armenia|Armenian Constitutional Court]] decided that the commission contradicts the [[Constitution of Armenia|Armenian constitution]]. Turkey said that the Armenian court's ruling on the protocols was not acceptable.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/news-199092-turkey-says-armenian-top-courts-ruling-on-protocols-not-acceptable.htm|title=Turkey says Armenian top court's ruling on protocols not acceptable|work=''Today's Zaman''|date=20 January 2010|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref> The [[National Assembly of Armenia|parliament of Armenia]] and [[Grand National Assembly of Turkey|Turkey's National Assembly]] decided to suspend the ratification process. |
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{{See also|List of international presidential trips made by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan}} |
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==== Europe ==== |
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On 5 August 2014, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in a televised interview on [[NTV (Turkey)|NTV]] news network, remarked that being Armenian is "uglier" even than being Georgian, saying "You wouldn't believe the things they have said about me. They have said I am Georgian ... they have said even uglier things – they have called me Armenian, but I am Turkish."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Altintas|first1=Baris|title=PM uses offensive, racist language targeting Armenians|url=https://www.todayszaman.com/son-dakika_erdogan-even-worse-i-apologize-i-was-called-an-armenian_354746.html|agency=Zaman|date=6 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Taylor|first1=Adam|title=Is 'Armenian' an insult? Turkey's prime minister seems to think so.|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/08/06/is-armenian-an-insult-turkeys-prime-minister-seems-to-think-so/|agency=Washington Post|date=6 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Turkey's Erdogan accused of inciting racial hatred for comment on Armenian descent |url=http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/8743cb2799aa430c911c126e308dcda9/EU--Turkey-Erdogan-Racism |publisher=The Republic |date=6 August 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812184110/http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/8743cb2799aa430c911c126e308dcda9/EU--Turkey-Erdogan-Racism |archivedate=12 August 2014 |df= }}</ref> |
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{{See also|Turkey–European Union relations}} |
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===Egypt=== |
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[[File:List of International presidential trips made by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.svg|thumb|[[List of international presidential trips made by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan|Foreign trips made by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]] as President (since 2014)]] |
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[[File:Erdogan gesturing Rabia.jpg|thumb|Erdoğan is making [[Rabia sign]] for solidarity with Muslim Brotherhood protesters after [[2013 Egyptian coup d'état]]]] |
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In February 2016, Erdoğan threatened to [[2015 European migrant crisis|send the millions of refugees in Turkey to EU]] member states,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://euobserver.com/migration/132233|title=Erdogan to EU: 'We're not idiots', threatens to send refugees|website=EUobserver|date=11 February 2016|access-date=30 April 2016|archive-date=2 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602202248/https://euobserver.com/migration/132233|url-status=live}}</ref> saying: "We can open the doors to Greece and Bulgaria anytime and we can put the refugees on buses ... So how will you deal with refugees if you don't get a deal?"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-migrants-eu-turkey-idUSKCN0VH1R0|title=Turkey's Erdogan threatened to flood Europe with migrants: Greek website|work=Reuters|date=8 February 2016|access-date=1 July 2017|archive-date=26 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170626000142/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-migrants-eu-turkey-idUSKCN0VH1R0|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In an interview to the news magazine {{Lang|de|[[Der Spiegel]]}}, German [[Federal Ministry of Defence (Germany)|minister of defence]] [[Ursula von der Leyen]] said on 11 March 2016 that the refugee crisis had made good cooperation between EU and Turkey an "existentially important" issue. "Therefore it is right to advance now negotiations on Turkey's EU accession".<ref>[http://www.trtworld.com/europe/germany-voices-support-for-accelerating-turkey-eu-talks-65967 Germany voices support for accelerating Turkey-EU talks] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313032120/http://www.trtworld.com/europe/germany-voices-support-for-accelerating-turkey-eu-talks-65967 |date=13 March 2016 }} (trtworld.com, 12 March 2016)</ref> |
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{{main article|Egypt–Turkey relations}} |
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[[File:Meeting between the leaders of Russia, Turkey, Germany and France.jpg|thumb|Working dinner between the leaders of Turkey, Germany, France and Russia in Istanbul]] |
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Erdoğan made his first official visit to [[Egypt]] on 12 September 2011, accompanied by six ministers and 200 businessmen.<ref name="cnn_egypt">{{cite news| title=Turkish prime minister arrives for visit to Egypt as role widens| url=http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/09/12/turkey.diplomacy/| publisher=''CNN''| date=14 September 2011| accessdate=15 September 2011|last1=Watson|first1=Ivan|last2=Fahmy|first2=Mohamed Fadel}}</ref> This visit was considered a diplomatic success. It was made very soon after Turkey had ejected Israeli ambassadors, cutting all diplomatic and bilateral military agreements<ref name="cnn_egypt" /> because Israel refused to apologize for the [[Gaza flotilla raid]] which killed eight Turkish and one Turco-American aboard a convoy headed to Gaza.<ref name="cnn_egypt" /> This was the first visit to Egypt by a Prime Minister of Turkey in 15 years and the first after the [[Egyptian Revolution of 2011]].<ref name="cnn_egypt" /><ref name="guardian_egypt">{{cite news| title=Turkey-Egypt talks stoke Israeli fears of political isolation| url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/sep/09/turkey-egypt-israel-political-isolation| publisher=''The Guardian''| date=9 September 2011| accessdate=15 September 2011| first=Harriet| last=Sherwood}}</ref> |
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In its resolution "The functioning of democratic institutions in Turkey" from 22 June 2016, the [[Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe]] warned that "recent developments in Turkey pertaining to freedom of the media and of expression, erosion of the rule of law and the human rights violations in relation to anti-terrorism security operations in south-east Turkey have ... raised serious questions about the functioning of its democratic institutions".<ref>{{cite web| url=http://venice.coe.int/files/turkish%20declaration%20June%202015.pdf| title=Venice Commission Declaration on Interference with Judicial Independence in Turkey. Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Resolution 2121 (2016)| date=22 June 2016| access-date=20 July 2016| archive-date=28 August 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828190528/http://venice.coe.int/files/turkish%20declaration%20June%202015.pdf| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/rights-violations-terror-ops-threaten-turkeys-democratic-institutions-pace.aspx?pageID=238&nID=100835&NewsCatID=339|title=Rights violations, terror ops threaten Turkey's democratic institutions: PACE|newspaper=Hürriyet Daily News|date=23 June 2016|access-date=23 June 2016|archive-date=16 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160716083728/http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/rights-violations-terror-ops-threaten-turkeys-democratic-institutions-pace.aspx?pageID=238&nID=100835&NewsCatID=339|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In January 2017, Erdoğan said that the withdrawal of [[Turkish invasion of Cyprus|Turkish troops]] from [[Northern Cyprus]] is "out of the question" and Turkey will be in Cyprus "forever".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-13/cyprus-reunification-talks-to-reconvene-next-week-as-deal-stalls|title=Erdogan Vows to Keep Turkish Troops in Cyprus as Talks Stall|publisher=Bloomberg L.P.|date=13 January 2017|access-date=13 January 2017|archive-date=15 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170115161108/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-13/cyprus-reunification-talks-to-reconvene-next-week-as-deal-stalls|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Erdoğan's visit to Egypt was met with much enthusiasm by [[Egyptians]]. Even though it was midnight, Cairo traffic was reported to be jammed as thousands rushed to welcome the Turkish Prime Minister with Turkish flags. [[CNN]] reported some Egyptians saying "We consider him as the Islamic leader in the Middle East", while others were appreciative of his role in supporting Gaza.<ref name="cnn_egypt" /> Erdoğan was later honored in Tahrir Square by members of the Egyptian Revolution Youth Union, and members of the Turkish embassy were presented with a coat of arms in acknowledgment of the Prime Minister's support of the Egyptian Revolution.<ref name="democrati">{{cite news| title=Egypt and Turkey, an Axis against Democracy?| url=http://democrati.net/2011/09/30/egypt-and-turkey-an-axis-against-democracy/| publisher=democrati.net|author=T. Fouad| date=30 September 2011| accessdate=30 September 2011}}</ref> His visit brought criticism from [[Christianity in the Middle East|Middle Eastern Christians]], however, when he drew comparisons in a speech between the fall of Mubarak and the [[Fall of Constantinople]], describing the [[Byzantine Empire]] as a "dark civilization".<ref>{{cite news|author=Mitropolitan George Khedr |script-title=ar:السيد اردوغان هل يقرأ؟ |trans-title=Can Mr. Erdoğan read history? |language=Arabic |url=http://www.ortmtlb.org.lb/ocal/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=863:-09242011&catid=97:an-nahar-2011&Itemid=62 |accessdate=4 November 2011 |newspaper=[[al-Nahar]] |date=24 September 2011 }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Syriac League|script-title=ar:الرابطة السريانية:لمراعاة التنوع والتعدد وعقائد وفكر الاخر|trans-title=To tolerate diversity and respect others' beliefs|language=Arabic|newspaper=[[Lebanese Forces]]|date=21 September 2011}}</ref> |
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In September 2020, Erdoğan declared his government's support for [[Azerbaijan]] following [[Second Nagorno-Karabakh War|a major conflict]] between Armenian and Azeri forces over a [[Territorial dispute|disputed region]] of [[Nagorno-Karabakh]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Azerbaijan President Aliyev thanks Turkey's Erdogan for support |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-armenia-azerbaijan-turkey/azerbaijan-president-aliyev-thanks-turkeys-erdogan-for-support-idUSKBN26L2CG |work=Reuters |date=30 September 2020 |access-date=2 October 2020 |archive-date=17 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017113027/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-armenia-azerbaijan-turkey/azerbaijan-president-aliyev-thanks-turkeys-erdogan-for-support-idUSKBN26L2CG |url-status=live }}</ref> He dismissed demands for a ceasefire.<ref>{{cite news |title=US, Russia, France condemn fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh |url=https://www.dw.com/en/us-russia-france-condemn-fighting-in-nagorno-karabakh/a-55124944 |publisher=Deutsche Welle |date=1 September 2020 |access-date=2 October 2020 |archive-date=2 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002173647/https://www.dw.com/en/us-russia-france-condemn-fighting-in-nagorno-karabakh/a-55124944 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2022, Erdoğan and Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]] planned for [[Turkey]] to become an energy hub for all of Europe through the [[TurkStream]] and [[Blue Stream]] gas pipelines.<ref>{{cite news |title=Erdogan Agrees to Putin's Plan for Turkey to Be Russian Gas Hub |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/erdogan-agrees-to-putin-s-plan-for-turkey-to-be-russian-gas-hub/6798604.html |work=VOA News |date=20 October 2022 |access-date=29 June 2023 |archive-date=10 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610114849/https://www.voanews.com/a/erdogan-agrees-to-putin-s-plan-for-turkey-to-be-russian-gas-hub/6798604.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="black sea-pipelines">{{cite news |title=Erdoğan plays energy card in Turkish election—with Putin's help |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/turkey-election-energy-recep-tayyip-erdogan-nuclear-gas-russia/ |work=Politico |date=4 May 2023 |access-date=29 June 2023 |archive-date=10 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610114845/https://www.politico.eu/article/turkey-election-energy-recep-tayyip-erdogan-nuclear-gas-russia/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In October 2023 Erdoğan canceled attendance at the third [[European Political Community|European Political Community (EPC)]] meeting.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-04 |title=Erdoğan cancels Granada summit trip after falling ill |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/azerbaijan-president-ilham-aliyev-refuse-hold-nagorno-karabakh-talks-turkey-recep-tayyip-erdogan-erdogan-canceled-attendance-european-political-community-falling-ill/ |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=POLITICO |language=en |archive-date=5 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005063756/https://www.politico.eu/article/azerbaijan-president-ilham-aliyev-refuse-hold-nagorno-karabakh-talks-turkey-recep-tayyip-erdogan-erdogan-canceled-attendance-european-political-community-falling-ill/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-04 |title=Erdogan cancels scheduled commitments due to illness |url=https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1221606/erdogan-cancels-scheduled-commitments-due-to-illness/ |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=Ekathimerini |language=English |archive-date=5 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005095222/https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1221606/erdogan-cancels-scheduled-commitments-due-to-illness/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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[[File:G8 summit in L'Aquila, family photo.jpg|thumb|250px|Erdoğan and [[Hosni Mubarak]] are among the world leaders seen here at the G8 summit in 2009.]] |
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[[File:Putin meets Erdogan (2024-06-03) (1).jpg|thumb|Erdoğan and Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]] on 3 July 2024]] |
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When asked in an interview with Mona Al Shazly on Dream TV, Erdoğan stated that he recommended secularism for Egypt, which generated rage among Islamic movements, especially the Freedom and Justice party – the political wing of the [[Muslim Brotherhood]]. A week after he left, Turkish Foreign Minister, [[Ahmet Davutoğlu]] proclaimed his vision of a strategic alliance between Turkey and Egypt, which he described as an "Axis of Democracy".<ref name=democrati /> However, some voiced concerns that the Egyptian revolution was not fulfilled and that Erdoğan was seeking his own country's strategic interests.{{who|date=November 2014}} It was feared that by forming an alliance with the military junta in Egypt during the country's transition to democracy, Erdoğan may have tipped the balance in favor of those that stood between the Egyptians and their freedom.<ref name=democrati /> In July 2014, after [[Mohammed Morsi]], Egypt's first democratically elected leader, was ousted in 2013, Erdoğan called Egyptian President [[Abdel Fattah el-Sisi]] an "illegitimate tyrant".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.yahoo.com/turkey-pm-erdogan-slams-egypts-illegitimate-tyrant-sisi-130905463.html|title=Turkey PM slams Egypt's 'illegitimate tyrant' Sisi|publisher=''Yahoo News''|date=18 July 2014|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref> |
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===== Finnish and Swedish NATO accession ===== |
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===Iraq=== |
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In May 2022, Erdoğan voiced his opposition to [[Finland]] and [[Sweden]] joining [[NATO]], accusing the two countries of tolerating groups which Turkey classifies as terrorist organizations,<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 May 2022 |title=Nato member Turkey hits out at Finland and Sweden membership bids |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-finland-nato-sweden-turkey-b2078248.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220601200659/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-finland-nato-sweden-turkey-b2078248.html%23comments-area |archive-date=1 June 2022 |website=[[The Independent]] |language=en |access-date=1 June 2022 }}</ref> including the Kurdish militant groups [[Kurdistan Workers' Party|PKK]], [[Democratic Union Party (Syria)|PYD]] and [[People's Defense Units|YPG]] and the supporters of [[Fethullah Gülen]].<ref>{{cite news |date=13 May 2022 |title=Erdogan says Turkey not supportive of Finland, Sweden joining NATO |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/erdogan-says-turkey-not-positive-finland-sweden-joining-nato-2022-05-13/ |access-date=18 May 2022 |archive-date=13 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220513152702/https://www.reuters.com/world/erdogan-says-turkey-not-positive-finland-sweden-joining-nato-2022-05-13/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Following a protest in Sweden where a Quran was burned, Erdogan re-iterated that he would not support Sweden's bid to join NATO.<ref>{{Cite news |date=23 January 2023 |title=Erdogan tells Sweden not to expect Nato bid support |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64380066 |access-date=24 January 2023 |archive-date=23 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230123233811/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64380066 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[President of Finland]] [[Sauli Niinistö]] visited Erdogan in Istanbul and Ankara in March 2023. During the visit, Erdogan confirmed that he supported Finnish NATO membership and declared that the Turkish parliament would confirm Finnish membership before the Turkish Presidential elections in May 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 March 2023 |title=Nato: Erdoğan ilmoitti Turkin ratifioivan Suomen Nato-jäsenyyden, Valkoinen talo antoi kehotuksen myös Ruotsin hyväksymisestä – HS seurasi Niinistön Turkin-vierailua |url=https://www.hs.fi/politiikka/art-2000009459412.html |access-date=25 March 2023 |website=Helsingin Sanomat |language=fi |archive-date=25 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325201423/https://www.hs.fi/politiikka/art-2000009459412.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On 23 March 2023, the Turkish parliament's foreign relations committee confirmed the Finnish NATO membership application and sent the process to the Turkish Parliament's plenary session.<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 March 2023 |title=Nato: Turkin parlamentin ulkoasiainvaliokunta hyväksyi Suomen Nato-jäsenyyden |url=https://www.hs.fi/ulkomaat/art-2000009473813.html |access-date=25 March 2023 |website=Helsingin Sanomat |language=fi |archive-date=24 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324131641/https://www.hs.fi/ulkomaat/art-2000009473813.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On 1 April 2023, Erdoğan confirmed and signed the Turkish Grand National Assembly's ratification of Finnish NATO membership.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 April 2023 |title=Erdogan has signed ratification of Finland's NATO membership |url=https://yle.fi/a/74-20025375 |access-date=1 April 2023 |website=News |language=en |archive-date=1 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401205652/https://yle.fi/a/74-20025375 |url-status=live }}</ref> This decision sealed [[Finland–NATO relations|Finland's entry to NATO]]. In June 2023, Erdoğan again voiced his opposition to [[Sweden–NATO relations|Sweden joining NATO]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Erdogan tells NATO chief Sweden must stop Kurdish protests |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/26/erdogan-tells-nato-chief-sweden-must-stop-kurdish-protests |work=Al Jazeera |date=26 June 2023 |access-date=29 June 2023 |archive-date=29 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629093001/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/26/erdogan-tells-nato-chief-sweden-must-stop-kurdish-protests |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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Turkey under Erdoğan was named by the [[Presidency of George W. Bush|Bush Administration]] as a part of the "[[coalition of the willing]]" that was central to the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]].<ref>"[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2862343.stm US names 'coalition of the willing']". 18 March 2003. BBC News.</ref> |
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Just prior to the NATO summit in Vilnius in July 2023, Erdoğan linked Sweden's accession to NATO membership to [[Accession of Turkey to the European Union|Turkey's application for EU membership]]. Turkey had applied for EU membership in 1999, but talks made little progress since 2016.<ref name="Huseyin Hayatsever 2023 k001">{{cite web |last1=Hayatsever |first1=Huseyin |last2=Toksabay |first2=Ece |date=2023-07-10 |title=Erdogan links Sweden's NATO membership to Turkey's EU accession |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/erdogan-links-swedens-nato-membership-turkeys-eu-accession-2023-07-10/ |access-date=2023-07-10 |website=Reuters |archive-date=1 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230801081525/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/erdogan-links-swedens-nato-membership-turkeys-eu-accession-2023-07-10/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Hande Atay Alam 2023 r971">{{cite web |last1=Alam |first1=Hande Atay |last2=Edwards |first2=Christian |date=2023-07-10 |title=Erdogan links Sweden's NATO bid to Turkey joining the EU |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/10/europe/erdogan-turkey-nato-eu-sweden-intl/index.html |access-date=2023-07-10 |website=CNN |archive-date=16 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230716214608/https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/10/europe/erdogan-turkey-nato-eu-sweden-intl/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In September 2023, Erdoğan announced that the [[European Union]] was well into a rupture in its [[Turkey–European Union relations|relations with Turkey]] and that they would part ways during Turkey's European Union membership process.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkeys-erdogan-says-country-could-part-ways-with-eu-if-necessary-2023-09-16/|title=Turkey could part ways with EU if necessary, Erdogan says|publisher=Reuters|date=16 September 2023|access-date=18 September 2023|archive-date=18 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230918150629/https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkeys-erdogan-says-country-could-part-ways-with-eu-if-necessary-2023-09-16/|url-status=live}}</ref> However, on 23 October 2023, Erdoğan approved Sweden's pending NATO membership bid and sent the accession protocol to the Turkish Parliament for ratification.<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 October 2023 |title=Turkey's Erdogan initiates Sweden NATO ratification in parliament – Al-Monitor: Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle East |url=https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2023/09/turkeys-erdogan-initiates-sweden-nato-ratification-parliament |access-date=23 October 2023 |website=www.al-monitor.com |language=en |archive-date=23 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231023145158/https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2023/09/turkeys-erdogan-initiates-sweden-nato-ratification-parliament |url-status=live}}</ref> Two days later, Turkey's parliamentary speaker, [[Numan Kurtulmuş]], sent a bill approving Sweden's NATO membership bid to parliament's foreign affairs committee.<ref>{{Cite news |date=25 October 2023 |title=Turkish parliament set to discuss ratifying Sweden's NATO membership |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/turkish-parliament-set-discuss-ratifying-swedens-nato-membership-2023-10-25/ |access-date=31 October 2023 |archive-date=31 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031113155/https://www.reuters.com/world/turkish-parliament-set-discuss-ratifying-swedens-nato-membership-2023-10-25/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The committee discussed the ratification on 16 November 2023, but a decision was deferred,<ref>{{Cite web |last=YetkinReport |date=16 November 2023 |title=Turkish parliament postponed Sweden's NATO accession deliberations |url=https://yetkinreport.com/en/2023/11/16/turkish-parliament-postponed-swedens-nato-accession-deliberations/ |access-date=16 November 2023 |website=Yetkin Report |language=en-US |archive-date=16 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116144539/https://yetkinreport.com/en/2023/11/16/turkish-parliament-postponed-swedens-nato-accession-deliberations/ |url-status=live}}</ref> with a request for Sweden to produce a written roadmap to implement its anti-terrorism commitments.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/turkish-parliament-signals-new-delay-in-sweden-s-nato-bid-1.1999552|title=Turkish Parliament Signals New Delay in Sweden's NATO Bid|date=2023-11-16|accessdate=2024-02-03|publisher=[[Bloomberg News]]|archive-date=4 February 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240204050641/https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/turkish-parliament-signals-new-delay-in-sweden-s-nato-bid-1.1999552|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="soon">{{Cite news |issn=1756-3224 |oclc=60623878 |language=en-GB |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |department=Music |last=Bryant |first=Miranda |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/22/sweden-must-join-nato-soon-to-ward-off-russian-threat-says-defence-minister |title=Sweden must join Nato soon to ward off Russian threat, says defence minister |access-date=22 November 2023 |archive-date=22 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231122080010/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/22/sweden-must-join-nato-soon-to-ward-off-russian-threat-says-defence-minister |url-status=live}}</ref> On 26 December 2023, the Turkish parliament's foreign relations committee confirmed the Swedish NATO membership application and sent the process to the Turkish Parliament's plenary session.<ref>{{Cite news |date=26 December 2023 |title=Sweden moves one step closer to NATO membership after Turkish parliamentary committee gives approval |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/12/26/turkey-sweden-nato/4ab84610-a3cc-11ee-aacb-6f873a65763e_story.html |access-date=26 December 2023 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231226161416/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/12/26/turkey-sweden-nato/4ab84610-a3cc-11ee-aacb-6f873a65763e_story.html |archive-date=26 December 2023}}</ref> On 25 January 2024, Erdoğan formally signed and approved the Turkish parliament's decision to ratify Swedish NATO membership.<ref>{{cite web|date=2024-01-25|url=https://www.ntv.com.tr/amp/turkiye/son-dakika-haberi-cumhurbaskani-erdogan-isvecin-nato-uyeligikararini-onayladi,kjvWV5WQmkiTPnIig-d2PQ|title=Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan, İsveç'in NATO üyeliği kararını onayladı|publisher=ntv.com.tr|language=tr|access-date=6 February 2024|archive-date=6 February 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240206113538/https://www.ntv.com.tr/amp/turkiye/son-dakika-haberi-cumhurbaskani-erdogan-isvecin-nato-uyeligikararini-onayladi,kjvWV5WQmkiTPnIig-d2PQ|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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[[File:NATO Summit, Vilnius.P061598-880399.jpg|thumb|Erdoğan and President of the European Commission [[Ursula von der Leyen]] on 12 July 2023]] |
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==== Greece ==== |
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Under Erdoğan, [[Iraq]] and Turkey signed 48 trade agreements at the Iraqi-Turkish Strategic Council in Baghdad. Agreements were signed on issues including security, energy, oil, electricity, water, health, trade, environment, transport, housing, construction, agriculture, education, higher education, and defense. The Turkish government mended relations with [[Iraqi Kurdistan]] by opening a Turkish university in [[Arbil]], and a Turkish consulate in [[Mosul]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-191730-100-news-analysis-towards-a-new-era-in-ties-with-northern-iraq.html |title=Towards a new era in ties with Northern Iraq |date=2 November 2009 |work=''Today's Zaman'' |accessdate=3 December 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091105191731/http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-191730-100-news-analysis-towards-a-new-era-in-ties-with-northern-iraq.html |archivedate= 5 November 2009 |df= }}</ref> On 23 March 2009, [[Abdullah Gül]] became the first Turkish head of state to visit Iraq in 33 years. |
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{{See also|Greece–Turkey relations}} |
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There is a long-standing [[Aegean dispute|dispute between Turkey and Greece]] in the [[Aegean Sea]]. Erdoğan warned that Greece will pay a "heavy price" if Turkey's gas exploration vessel – in what Turkey said are disputed waters – is attacked.<ref>{{cite news |date=14 August 2020 |title=Erdogan says Greece will pay a 'heavy price' if it attacks Turkish ships in Mediterranean |work=Euronews |url=https://www.euronews.com/2020/08/14/erdogan-says-greece-will-pay-a-heavy-price-if-it-attacks-turkish-ships-in-mediterranean |access-date=10 September 2020 |archive-date=18 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918192741/https://www.euronews.com/2020/08/14/erdogan-says-greece-will-pay-a-heavy-price-if-it-attacks-turkish-ships-in-mediterranean |url-status=live }}</ref> He deemed the readmission of Greece into the military alliance NATO a mistake, claiming they were collaborating with terrorists.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Murphy |first=Matt |date=24 May 2022 |title=Erdogan blanks Greek prime minister over US remarks |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61562305 |access-date=28 May 2022 |archive-date=28 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220528054736/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61562305 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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===== Diaspora ===== |
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Erdoğan's government fostered very strong economic and political relations with [[Irbil]], and Turkey has begun to consider the [[Kurdistan Regional Government]] in northern Iraq as an ally against Maliki's government.<ref name=Kurd-Shiite-Sunni-Split>{{cite web|last=Salem|first=Paul|title=INSIGHT: Iraq's Tensions Heightened by Syria Conflict|url=http://middleeastvoices.voanews.com/2012/11/insight-iraqs-tensions-heightened-by-syria-conflict-96791/|publisher=Middle East Voices|accessdate=3 November 2012|date=29 November 2012}}</ref> |
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In March 2017, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated to the Turks in Europe, "Make not three, but five children. Because you are the future of Europe. That will be the best response to the injustices against you." This has been interpreted as an imperialist call for demographic warfare.<ref>{{cite news|title='You Are the Future of Europe,' Erdogan Tells Turks|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/17/world/europe/erdogan-turkey-future-of-europe.html|last=Goldman|first=Russell|newspaper=The New York Times|date=17 March 2017|access-date=17 March 2017|archive-date=10 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810194238/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/17/world/europe/erdogan-turkey-future-of-europe.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In March 2015, Erdoğan criticized [[Iran]]'s regional ambitions in Iraq.<ref name="Iran"/> |
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According to ''[[The Economist]]'', Erdoğan is the first Turkish leader to take the [[Turkish diaspora]] seriously, which has created friction within these diaspora communities and between the Turkish government and several of its European counterparts.<ref>{{cite news|title=How Recep Tayyip Erdogan seduces Turkish migrants in Europe|url=https://www.economist.com/news/europe/21727921-big-diaspora-complicates-european-relations-turkey-how-recep-tayyip-erdogan-seduces|access-date=2 September 2017|newspaper=[[The Economist]]|date=31 August 2017|archive-date=2 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902003641/https://www.economist.com/news/europe/21727921-big-diaspora-complicates-european-relations-turkey-how-recep-tayyip-erdogan-seduces|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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===Israel=== |
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{{see also|Israel–Turkey relations}} |
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[[Image:WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM ANNUAL MEETING 2009 - Recep Tayyip Erdogan.jpg|thumb|left|Erdoğan walks out of the session at the [[World Economic Forum]] in 2009, vows never to return.]] |
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==== The Balkans ==== |
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On 1 May 2005, in a rare state visit by a leader of a Muslim majority country, Turkey's prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, came to Israel offering to serve as a [[Middle East]] [[peace]] [[mediation|mediator]] and looking to build on [[trade]] and [[military]] ties.<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite web|last1=Myre|first1=Greg|title=Turkish Leader Visits Israel, Restoring Friendly Ties|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/02/world/middleeast/turkish-leader-visits-israel-restoring-friendly-ties.html|publisher=''The New York Times''|accessdate=16 April 2017|date=2 May 2005}}</ref> Along with him bringing a delegation of [[businessmen]] to further [[economic]] ties.<ref>{{cite news|author=Grey Myre|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/02/international/middleeast/02mideast.html|title=Report: Turkish Leader Visits Israel, Restoring Friendly Ties|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=2 May 2005|accessdate=3 September 2011}}</ref> During his visit to Israel, Erdoğan also visited the [[Yad Vashem]], which is Israel's official [[memorial]] to the victims of the [[Holocaust]].<ref name="nytimes.com"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/pressroom/pressreleases/pr_details.asp?cid=377 |title=Press Room |publisher=www.yadvashem.org |accessdate=16 April 2017}}</ref> |
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[[File:Meeting between leaders in Istanbul, Turkey.jpg|thumb|left|Meeting between leaders of Turkey, Albania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria and Serbia in Istanbul, 10 July 2017]] |
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In February 2018, President Erdoğan expressed Turkish support of the [[Republic of Macedonia]]'s position during negotiations over the [[Macedonia naming dispute]] saying that Greece's position is wrong.<ref name="NeosKosmosstance">{{cite web|author=Neos Kosmos|title=Turkey's president claims Greece's stance over 'Macedonia' name dispute is wrong|date=5 February 2018 |url=http://neoskosmos.com/news/en/Turkeys-president-claims-Greeces-stance-on-Macedonia-name-dispute-is-wrong|publisher=Neos Kosmos|access-date=11 February 2018}}</ref> |
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In March 2018, President Erdoğan criticized the [[Kosovo|Kosovan]] Prime Minister [[Ramush Haradinaj]] for dismissing his Interior Minister and Intelligence Chief for failing to inform him of an unauthorized and illegal secret operation conducted by the [[National Intelligence Organization (Turkey)|National Intelligence Organization of Turkey]] on Kosovo's territory that led to the arrest of six people allegedly associated with the Gülen movement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.euronews.com/2018/03/31/erdogan-attacks-kosovo-prime-minister-for-sacking-officials-who-sanctioned-teacher-kidnap|title=Erdogan slams Kosovo PM over sackings after Gulen-linked deportations|date=31 March 2018|publisher=Euronews|access-date=31 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/kosovo-intelligence-director-and-internal-minister-dismissed-over-turkish-arrested-men-03-30-2018|title=Kosovo Minister and Spy Chief Sacked Over Turkish Arrests|date=30 March 2018|publisher=BIRN|access-date=30 March 2018}}</ref> |
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The [[President of Israel]] [[Shimon Peres]] addressed the Turkish parliament during a visit in 2007, the first time an Israeli leader had addressed the legislature of a predominantly Muslim nation.<ref>{{cite news|author=|url=http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/world/peres-addresses-turkish-parliament/2007/11/14/1194766711166.html|title=Peres addresses Turkish Parliament|newspaper=[[Brisbane Times]]|date=14 November 2007|accessdate=3 September 2011}}</ref> |
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[[File:Ilham Aliyev attended North Atlantic Council meeting on NATO Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan 4.jpg|right|thumb|Erdoğan with Azerbaijani President [[Ilham Aliyev]] (middle) and Bosnian Presidency Chairman [[Bakir Izetbegović]], 12 July 2018]] |
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On 26 November 2019, [[2019 Albania earthquake|an earthquake struck]] the Durrës region of Albania. President Erdoğan expressed his condolences.<ref name="HrriDaiNetu27">{{cite news|title=Erdoğan calls for support to Albania amid quake|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/erdogan-calls-for-support-to-albania-amid-quake-149184|work=Hürriyet Daily News|date=27 November 2019|access-date=28 November 2019}}</ref> and citing close [[Albanian-Turkish relations]], he committed Turkey to reconstructing 500 earthquake destroyed homes and other civic structures in [[Laç]], Albania.<ref name="TRTbanes">{{cite news|title=Erdogan: Në Shqipërinë e goditur nga tërmeti do të ndërtojmë 500 banesa (i plotësuar)|url=https://www.trt.net.tr/shqip/turqia/2019/11/29/erdogan-ne-shqiperine-e-goditur-nga-termeti-do-te-ndertojme-500-banesa-i-plotesuar-1314905|agency=[[Turkish Radio and Television Corporation|TRT]]|date=29 November 2019|access-date=29 November 2019|language=sq}}</ref><ref name="Lajmealturap">{{cite news|title=Turqia nis punën për ngritjen e 500 apartamenteve pas tërmetit, ja ku do ndërtohen|url=https://www.lajme.al/turqia-nis-punen-per-ngritjen-e-500-apartamenteve-pas-termetit-ja-ku-do-ndertohen/|agency=Lajme.al|date=3 December 2019|access-date=2 December 2019|language=sq}}</ref><ref name="Kohatur">{{cite news|title=Turqia krahas 500 banesave parashikon ndërtimin edhe të objekteve të tjera përcjellëse|url=https://www.koha.net/arberi/198253/turqia-krahas-500-banesave-parashikon-ndertimin-edhe-te-objekteve-te-tjera-percjellese/|agency=Koha|date=10 December 2019|access-date=25 December 2019|language=sq}}</ref> In Istanbul, Erdoğan organised and attended a donors conference (8 December) to assist Albania that included Turkish businessmen, investors and Albanian Prime Minister [[Edi Rama]].<ref name="RTSHdon">{{cite news|title=Konferenca e Donatorëve në Turqi, Rama- Erdogan takojnë biznesmenët turq|url=https://www.rtsh.al/lajme/konferenca-e-donatoreve-ne-turqi-rama-erdogan-takojne-biznesmenet-turq/|agency=[[Radio Televizioni Shqiptar]] (RTSH)|date=8 December 2019|access-date=27 December 2019|language=sq}}{{Dead link|date=July 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> |
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==== Azerbaijan ==== |
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At the 2009 [[World Economic Forum]] conference, debate became heated in relation to the [[Gaza War (2008–09)|Gaza War]]. Peres responded to Erdoğan, stating that Turkey would have done the same if rockets had been hitting Istanbul.<ref name=telegraph>{{cite news|title=WEF 2009 Turkish leader storms out of debate with Israeli PM|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/davos/4392331/WEF-2009-Turkish-leader-storms-out-of-debate-with-Israeli-PM.html|publisher=''The Telegraph''|accessdate=23 February 2011|date=30 January 2009}}</ref> Erdoğan was interrupted by the moderator while he was responding to Peres: "Mister Peres, you are older than I am. Maybe you are feeling guilty and that is why you are raising your voice. When it comes to killing you know it too well. I remember how you killed the children on beaches ..." Upon the moderator's reminder that they needed to adjourn for dinner, Erdoğan left the panel, accusing the moderator of giving Peres more time than all the other panelists combined.<ref name="erdoganhurriyet">{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/world/10887282.asp?gid=244|title=Turkish PM storms out of Davos' Gaza session, slams moderator|work=Hürriyet|date=1 February 2009|accessdate=1 February 2009}}</ref> |
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{{See also|Azerbaijan–Turkey relations}} |
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In September 2023, [[Azerbaijan]] launched a large-scale [[2023 Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh|military offensive]] to recapture the [[Flight of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians|Armenian]]-populated [[Nagorno-Karabakh]]. Addressing the [[United Nations General Assembly]], Erdoğan stated "As everyone now acknowledges, Karabakh is Azerbaijani territory. Imposition of another status [to the region] will never be accepted," and that "[Turkey] support[s] the steps taken by Azerbaijan—with whom we act together with the motto of [[Azerbaijan–Turkey relations|one nation, two states]]—to defend its territorial integrity."<ref>{{cite web|title=Turkey's Erdogan backs Azerbaijan's offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, as US, Russia urge restraint|url=https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2023/09/turkeys-erdogan-backs-azerbaijans-offensive-nagorno-karabakh-us-russia-urge|work=[[Al-Monitor]]|date=19 September 2023|access-date=19 September 2023|archive-date=20 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920072135/https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2023/09/turkeys-erdogan-backs-azerbaijans-offensive-nagorno-karabakh-us-russia-urge|url-status=live}}</ref> Erdoğan also met with Azerbaijan's President [[Ilham Aliyev]] in the [[Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/erdogan-visits-azerbaijan-after-nagorno-karabakh-cease-fire/a-66916267|title=Erdogan visits Azerbaijan after Nagorno-Karabakh cease-fire – DW – 09/25/2023|work=DW|access-date=25 September 2023|archive-date=25 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230925150958/https://www.dw.com/en/erdogan-visits-azerbaijan-after-nagorno-karabakh-cease-fire/a-66916267|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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==== United Kingdom ==== |
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Following the [[Gaza flotilla raid]] in May 2010, tension between the two countries mounted. Erdoğan strongly condemned the raid, describing it as "state terrorism", and called for the Israeli leaders responsible to apologize. Erdoğan described [[Israel]] as "the main threat to regional peace", and called for [[Nuclear weapons and Israel|Israel's nuclear facilities]] to come under [[International Atomic Energy Agency|IAEA]] inspection.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/turkish-pm-israel-is-the-main-threat-to-mideast-peace-1.901|title=Turkish PM: Israel is the main threat to Mideast peace|publisher=Haaretz.com|accessdate=8 September 2010}}</ref> Erdoğan accused Israel of turning Gaza into an "open-air prison".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/report-turkish-pm-erdogan-says-palestine-today-is-an-open-air-prison-1.266939|title=Report: Turkish PM Erdoğan says 'Palestine today is an open-air prison'|newspaper=[[Haaretz]]|date=1 January 2009|accessdate=8 September 2010}}</ref> UN Secretary General [[Ban Ki-moon]] subsequently described Erdoğan's remarks as "hurtful and divisive."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://rt.com/news/netanyahu-condemns-erdogan-zionism-accusations-648/|title=Turkish PM's 'Zionist' comment sparks international outcry|publisher=''[[Russia Today]]''|date=1 March 2013|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-01/un-says-erdogan-wrong-to-link-zionism-with-fascism.html|title=UN Says Erdogan 'Wrong' to Link Zionism With Fascism|first1=Selcan|last1=Hacaoglu|first2=Nicole|last2=Gaouette|work=Bloomberg|date=1 March 2013|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref> |
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{{See also|Turkey–United Kingdom relations}} |
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During the [[March 2012 Gaza–Israel clashes]], Erdoğan demanded that Israel must stop the 'massacre' of Palestinians in Gaza, saying that it was a part of an Israeli campaign of "genocide" against the [[Palestinian people]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=261722|title=Erdogan calls on Israelis to oppose Gaza 'massacre'|work=The Jerusalem Post|date=13 March 2013|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref> |
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[[File:Prime Minister Keir Starmer attends NATO Summit (53850724928).jpg|thumb|Erdoğan and British Prime Minister [[Keir Starmer]] at the [[2024 Washington summit|2024 NATO Summit]] in Washington, D.C.]] |
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In May 2018, British Prime Minister [[Theresa May]] welcomed Erdoğan to the United Kingdom for a three-day state visit. Erdoğan declared that the United Kingdom is "an ally and a strategic partner, but also a real friend. The cooperation we have is well beyond any mechanism that we have established with other partners."<ref>"[https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/president-erdogan-theresa-may-post-brexit-trade-turkey-a8351531.html Post-Brexit, the UK will need Turkey for trade – and Erdogan is using that to his advantage]". ''The Independent''. 14 May 2018.</ref> |
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==== Israel ==== |
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In February 2013, Erdoğan called [[Zionism]] a "crime against humanity", comparing it to Islamophobia, antisemitism, and fascism.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kalman |first=Aaron |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/erdogan-calls-zionism-a-crime-against-humanity/ |title=Erdogan calls Zionism a 'crime against humanity' |work=The Times of Israel |date=28 February 2013|accessdate=3 June 2013}}</ref> He later retracted the statement, saying he had been misinterpreted. He said "everyone should know" that his comments were directed at "Israeli policies," especially as regards to "Gaza and the settlements." Erdoğan also said "in several statements I openly condemned anti-Semitism, and it clearly displays my position on this issue."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Mar-20/210853-erdogan-says-comments-on-zionism-misunderstood.ashx |title=Erdogan says comments on Zionism 'misunderstood'|work=The Lebanon Daily Star|date=20 March 2013|accessdate=3 December 2014|agency=Agence Presse France}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/turkish-pm-says-zionism-comments-misinterpreted/|title=Turkish PM says Zionism comments misinterpreted|work=The Times of Israel|date=20 March 2013|accessdate=3 December 2014|last=Fiske|first=Gavriel}}</ref> Erdoğan's branding of Zionism as a crime against humanity was condemned by the Israeli Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]], criticized by the US Secretary of State [[John Kerry]] and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and called unacceptable by the German Foreign Minister [[Guido Westerwelle]] and EU High Representative [[Catherine Ashton]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pmo.gov.il/English/MediaCenter/Spokesman/Pages/spokeArdu280213.aspx|title=PM Netanyahu Responds to Turkish PM Erdogan's Statement|publisher=Israel Prime Minister's Office|date=28 February 2013|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/02/world/europe/kerry-criticizes-turkish-prime-minister-over-zionism-remark.html?hp&_r=1&|title=Kerry Comes to Turkey With Rebuke of Its Leader Over Zionism Remark|first=Michael|last=Gordon|work=''[[The New York Times]]|date=1 March 2013|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.un.org/sg/offthecuff/index.asp?nid=2731|title=Note to Correspondents on comments attributed to Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey during the Fifth Global Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations in Vienna|date=1 March 2013|accessdate=3 December 2014|last=Moon|first=Ban-Ki|publisher=United Nations}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://diepresse.com/home/politik/aussenpolitik/1350833/Zionismus-ist-Verbrechen_Aussenamt-ruegt-Erdogan?from=suche.intern.portal|title=Zionismus ist Verbrechen: Außenamt rügt Erdogan|work=[[Die Presse]]|date=1 March 2013|accessdate=3 December 2014|language=German|trans-title="Zionism is a crime": Foreign Ministry criticises Erdogan}}</ref> |
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[[File: |
[[File:Isaac Herzog state visit to Turkey, March 2022 (GPOHA1 0866).jpg|thumb|Erdoğan during a state visit of Israeli President [[Isaac Herzog]] to Turkey, 9 March 2022]] |
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{{See also|Israel–Turkey relations}} |
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Relations between Turkey and Israel began to normalize after Israeli Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu|Netanyahu]] officially apologized for the death of the nine Turkish activists during the [[Gaza flotilla raid]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Netanyahu apologizes to Turkey over Gaza flotilla|url=http://www.jpost.com/International/Obama-Netanyahu-Erdogan-speak-by-phone-307423|access-date=30 August 2014|newspaper=[[The Jerusalem Post]]|date=22 March 2014|last=Keinon|first=Herb}}</ref> However, in response to the [[2014 Israel–Gaza conflict]], Erdoğan accused Israel of being "more barbaric than Hitler",<ref>{{cite news|title=Turkish Prime Minister says Israel is 'more barbaric than Hitler'|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/turkish-prime-minister-says-israel-is-more-barbaric-than-hitler-9617145.html|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|date=20 July 2014|access-date=4 December 2014}}</ref> and conducting "[[state terrorism]]" and a "genocide attempt" against the Palestinians.<ref>{{cite news|title=Erdogan accuses Israel of 'using terrorism' in its operations against Hamas in Gaza|url=http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/Erdogan-accuses-Israel-of-using-terrorism-in-its-operations-against-Hamas-in-Gaza-362759|access-date=18 July 2014|last=Ben Solomon|first=Ariel|newspaper=[[The Jerusalem Post]]|date=14 July 2014}}</ref> |
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In December 2017, President Erdoğan issued a warning to [[Donald Trump]], after the U.S. President [[United States recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel|acknowledged]] [[Jerusalem]] as Israel's capital.<ref>{{cite news |title=How The World Is Reacting To Trump Recognizing Jerusalem As Israel's Capital |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/12/06/568748383/how-is-the-world-reacting-to-u-s-plan-to-recognize-jerusalem-as-israeli-capital?t=1564929890877 |publisher=[[NPR]] |date=6 December 2017}}</ref> Erdoğan stated, "Jerusalem is a red line for Muslims", indicating that naming Jerusalem as Israel's capital would alienate Palestinians and other Muslims from the city, undermining hopes at a future capital of a Palestinian State.<ref name="Naftali Bennett" /> Erdoğan called Israel a "terrorist state".<ref>"[https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/12/erdogan-israel-terrorist-state-171211085734826.html Erdogan: Israel is a terrorist state]". Al Jazeera. 11 December 2017.</ref> [[Naftali Bennett]] dismissed the threats, claiming "Erdoğan does not miss an opportunity to attack Israel".<ref name="Naftali Bennett">{{cite news|title=Jerusalem: Turkey warns Trump against crossing 'red line'|work=[[BBC News]]|date=5 December 2017 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42232158}}</ref> |
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In August 2013, the ''[[Hürriyet]]'' reported that Erdoğan had stated to a meeting of the AKP's provincial chairs that Israel was responsible for the [[2013 Egyptian coup d'état|military coup in Egypt]] which overthrew [[Mohammad Morsi]]. Erdoğan reportedly stated "Who is behind this? Israel. We have evidence". Specifically, Erdoğan cited a video posted online of [[Tzipi Livni]] speaking with French intellectual [[Bernard-Henri Levy]]. Erdoğan alleged that Levy said: "The [[Muslim Brotherhood]] will not be in power even if they win the elections, because democracy is not the ballot box." However, what Levy said was: "If the Muslim Brotherhood arrives in Egypt, I will not say democracy wants it, so let democracy progress. Democracy is not only elections, it is also values ... I will urge the prevention of [the Muslim Brotherhood] coming to power, but by all sorts of means."<ref name=Israelbehind>{{cite news|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-has-evidence-that-israel-was-behind-egypt-coup-erdogan.aspx?pageID=517&nID=52876&NewsCatID=338|title=Israel behind coup to oust Morsi, Turkish PM Erdoğan says|work=[[Hürriyet]]|date=20 August 2013|accessdate=4 December 2014}}</ref> The Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman later stated that Erdoğan's accusation was "a statement well worth not commenting on". Egypt's interim government rejected Erdoğan' allegations, describing it as "baseless", and charged that "Its purpose is to strike at the unity of Egyptians."<ref name="Israelbehind" /><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/154587/turkey-has-evidence-that-israel-was-behind-egypt-coup-erdogan.html |title=Turkey has evidence that Israel was behind Egypt coup: Erdoğan |work=[[The Journal of Turkish Weekly]] |date=20 August 2013 |accessdate=4 December 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021023932/http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/154587/turkey-has-evidence-that-israel-was-behind-egypt-coup-erdogan.html |archivedate=21 October 2013 |df= }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://rt.com/news/israel-egypt-coup-erdogan-722/|title='Israel behind Egypt coup' – Turkish PM|work=[[Russia Today]]|date=20 August 2013|accessdate=4 December 2014}}</ref> |
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In April 2019, Erdoğan said the [[West Bank]] belongs to Palestinians, after Israeli Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] said he would annex [[Israeli settlement]]s in the occupied [[Palestinian territories]] if he is re-elected.<ref>{{cite news |title=Turkey's Erdogan says West Bank belongs to Palestinians |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-palestinian-settlements-turkey/turkeys-erdogan-says-west-bank-belongs-to-palestinians-idUSKCN1RK0N9 |work=Reuters |date=8 April 2019}}</ref> |
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Relations between the two countries began to normalize after Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu officially apologized for the death of the nine Turkish activists during the Gaza flotilla raid.<ref>{{cite news|title=Netanyahu apologizes to Turkey over Gaza flotilla|url=http://www.jpost.com/International/Obama-Netanyahu-Erdogan-speak-by-phone-307423|accessdate=30 August 2014|newspaper=[[The Jerusalem Post]]|date=22 March 2014|last=Keinon|first=Herb}}</ref> However, in response to the [[2014 Israel–Gaza conflict]], Erdoğan accused Israel of being "more barbaric than Hitler",<ref>{{cite news|title=Turkish Prime Minister says Israel is 'more barbaric than Hitler'|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/turkish-prime-minister-says-israel-is-more-barbaric-than-hitler-9617145.html|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|date=20 July 2014|accessdate=4 December 2014}}</ref> and conducting "[[state terrorism]]" and a "genocide attempt" against the Palestinians.<ref>{{cite news|title=Erdogan accuses Israel of 'using terrorism' in its operations against Hamas in Gaza|url=http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/Erdogan-accuses-Israel-of-using-terrorism-in-its-operations-against-Hamas-in-Gaza-362759|accessdate=18 July 2014|last=Ben Solomon|first=Ariel|newspaper=[[The Jerusalem Post]]|date=14 July 2014}}</ref> He also stated that "If Israel continues with this attitude, it will definitely be tried at international courts."<ref>{{cite news|title=Turkey's Erdogan says Israel should face trial over Gaza assault |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/24/us-mideast-gaza-turkey-idUSKBN0FT2BZ20140724 |date=24 July 2014|accessdate=4 December 2014|last1=Butler|first1=Daren|last2=Toksabay|first2=Ece}}</ref> |
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Erdoğan condemned the [[Israel–United Arab Emirates normalization agreement|Israel–UAE peace agreement]], stating that Turkey was considering suspending or cutting off [[Turkey–United Arab Emirates relations|diplomatic relations]] with the [[United Arab Emirates]] in retaliation.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Butler|first1=Daren |last2=Gumrukcu|first2=Tuvan |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-emirates-turkey/turkey-may-suspend-ties-with-uae-over-israel-deal-erdogan-says-idUSKCN25A0ON|title=Turkey may suspend ties with UAE over Israel deal, Erdogan says|date=14 August 2020|work=Reuters}}</ref> |
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===Russia=== |
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[[File:Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (2015-06-13) 5.jpg|thumb|250px|Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]] and Erdoğan during a meeting in Baku, 13 June 2015]] |
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The relations shifted back to normality since 2021, when the two countries started improving relations.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wilks |first=Andrew |title=Turkey 'playing a balancing act' between Tel Aviv and Tehran |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/6/23/turkey-playing-a-balancing-act-between-tel-aviv-and-tehran |access-date=17 August 2022 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref> In March 2022, Israeli president [[Isaac Herzog]] visited Turkey, meeting Erdoğan.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Herzog advances Israel-Turkey ties in meeting with Erdogan |url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-700676 |access-date=17 August 2022 |newspaper=The Jerusalem Post | Jpost.com |language=en-US}}</ref> The two countries agreed to restore diplomatic relations in August 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Turkey, Israel to restore full diplomatic relations |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/17/turkey-israel-to-restore-full-diplomatic-relations |access-date=17 August 2022 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref> |
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{{main article|Russia–Turkey relations}} |
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Erdoğan condemned the Israeli attacks in the Gaza strip during [[2023 Israel–Hamas war]], saying they are a violation of human rights, which led to accusations of hypocrisy as Turkey itself severely bombed [[Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present)|Kurdish]] areas at the same time, including many civilian targets.<ref>{{cite news |title=Erdoğan's criticism of Israeli airstrikes branded as hypocrisy over Turkish bombing of Kurds in Syria |url=https://www.turkishminute.com/2023/10/11/erdogans-criticism-of-israeli-airstrike-branded-hypocrisy-over-turkish-bombing-of-kurds-in-syria/ |access-date=12 October 2023 |agency=TURKISH MINUTE |date=11 October 2023}}</ref> Erdoğan said that Israel's bombing and [[October 2023 Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip|blockade of the Gaza Strip]] in retaliation for Hamas’ attack was a disproportionate response amounting to a "massacre."<ref>{{cite news |title=Turkey's Erdogan calls Israeli siege and bombing of Gaza a 'massacre' |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/11/turkeys-erdogan-calls-israeli-siege-and-bombing-of-gaza-a-massacre |work=Al Jazeera |date=11 October 2023}}</ref> On 25 October 2023, Erdoğan said that [[Hamas]] was not a terrorist organisation but a liberation group fighting to protect Palestinian lands and people.<ref>{{cite news |title=Turkey's Erdogan says Hamas is not terrorist organisation, cancels trip to Israel |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkeys-erdogan-says-hamas-is-not-terrorist-organisation-2023-10-25/ |work=Reuters |date=25 October 2023}}</ref> On 15 November 2023, he condemned Israel as a "terrorist state" and accused it of committing [[Palestinian genocide accusation|genocide against the Palestinians]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Türkiye to ensure those responsible for Gaza massacre face trial in international courts: Turkish president |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkiye/turkiye-to-ensure-those-responsible-for-gaza-massacre-face-trial-in-international-courts-turkish-president/3054444 |work=[[Anadolu Agency]] |date=15 November 2023}}</ref> |
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In December 2004, Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]] visited Turkey. This was only the second presidential visit in the history of Turkish–Russian relations after that of the Chairman of the [[Presidium of the Supreme Soviet]] of the [[USSR]], [[Nikolai Podgorny]], in 1972. In November 2005, Putin attended the inauguration of a jointly constructed [[Blue Stream]] natural gas pipeline in Turkey. This sequence of top-level visits brought several important bilateral issues to the forefront. The two countries consider it their strategic goal to achieve "multidimensional co-operation", especially in the fields of energy, transport and the military. Specifically, Russia aims to invest in Turkey's fuel and energy industries, and it also expects to participate in the modernisation of Turkey's military.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.euractiv.com/en/foreign-affairs/turkey-russia-relations/article-134083|work=euractiv.com|title=Turkey–Russia relations|date=17 November 2005|accessdate=4 December 2014}}</ref> |
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==== Syrian Civil War ==== |
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In 2010, then-President [[Dmitry Medvedev]] described Turkey as "one of our most important partners with respect to regional and international issues", adding, "We can confidently say that Russian–Turkish relations have advanced to the level of a multidimensional strategic partnership."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/news-209892-102-turkey-russia-eye-strategic-partnership-in-medvedev-visit.html |work=''Today's Zaman'' |title=Turkey, Russia eye strategic partnership in Medvedev visit |date=11 May 2010 |accessdate=4 December 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141012082440/http://www.todayszaman.com/news-209892-102-turkey-russia-eye-strategic-partnership-in-medvedev-visit.html |archivedate=12 October 2014 |df= }}</ref> |
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[[File:President Barack Obama meeting with President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.jpg|thumbnail|right|Erdoğan meeting U.S. President [[Barack Obama]] during the [[2014 Wales summit]] in [[Newport, Wales|Newport]], Wales]] |
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{{See also|Turkish involvement in the Syrian civil war|Turkey–Islamic State conflict}} |
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Diplomatic relations between Turkey and Syria significantly deteriorated due to the [[Syrian civil war]]. Initially, while tens of thousand of Syrian refugees already crossed the border to Turkey, Turkish officials tried to convince Syrian President [[Bashar al-Assad]] to make significant reforms to alleviate the conflict and calm down the protests.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ahmet Davutoğlu 8 yıl sonra konuştu 3 saat baş başa görüştüm |url=https://www.internethaber.com/ahmet-davutoglu-8-yil-sonra-konustu-3-saat-bas-basa-gorustum-2103235h.htm |access-date=22 September 2022 |work=Internethaber |date=20 May 2020 |language=tr-TR}}</ref> The last of such meetings happened on 9 August 2011, during a seven-hour meeting between Assad and Turkey's [[Ahmet Davutoğlu]], giving the latter the title of 'the last European leader who visited Assad'.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Aydin |first1=Enis |title=Former Head of AKP Davutoğlu on Erdogan's Syria U-turn: "Putin is coercing Turkey" - |url=https://middleeasttransparent.com/en/former-head-of-akp-davutoglu-on-erdogans-syria-u-turn-putin-is-coercing-turkey/ |access-date=22 September 2022 |work=Middle East Transparent |date=15 August 2022}}</ref> |
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[[File:The opening of the Moscow Cathedral Mosque (2015-09-23) 05.jpg|thumb|Putin, Erdoğan and [[Mahmoud Abbas|Abbas]] attend [[Moscow Cathedral Mosque|Moscow's Cathedral Mosque]] opening ceremony, 23 September 2015]] |
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On 12 May 2010, Ankara and Moscow signed 17 agreements to enhance cooperation in energy and other fields, including pacts to build Turkey's first nuclear power plant and further plans for an oil pipeline from the [[Black Sea]] to the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. The leaders of both countries also signed an agreement on visa-free travel, enabling tourists to get into the country for free and stay there for up to 30 days.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://rt.com/politics/russia-turkey-visa-regime|work=Russia Today|title=Russia and Turkey agree on visa-free travel|date=12 May 2010|accessdate=4 December 2014}}</ref> |
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Turkey got involved in a violent conflict with [[Islamic State]] (IS) as part of the [[spillover of the Syrian Civil War]]. IS executed a [[Islamic State-related terrorist attacks in Turkey|series of attacks against Turkish soldiers and civilians]]. In an ISIS-video, where two Turkish soldiers were burned alive, Turkish President Erdoğan was verbally attacked by ISIS and threatened with the destruction of Turkey.<ref>{{cite news |title=ISIS video shows Turkish troops 'burned alive' |url=https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2016/12/23/ISIS-video-shows-Turkish-troops-burned-alive- |access-date=22 September 2022 |work=Al Arabiya English |date=23 December 2016 |language=en}}</ref> Turkey joined the [[international military intervention against the Islamic State]] in 2015. The [[Turkish Armed Forces]]' [[Operation Euphrates Shield]] was aimed at IS, and areas around [[Jarabulus]] and [[al-Bab]] were conquered from IS.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-turkey-bombing-kurds-20150729-story.html#page=1|title=Turkey steps up bombing – but on Kurds, not Islamic State|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|first1=Jeremiah|last1=Bailey-Hoover|first2=Patrick J.|last2=McDonnell|date=29 July 2015}}</ref> |
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Erdoğan is defender of the [[Crimean Tatars]]' minority rights. He said after meeting with Crimean Tatar leaders in August 2015: "Unfortunately, throughout history, the right of the Crimean Tatar people to live in dignity in their own homeland was undermined with collective deportations and repression. Today we are witnessing the illegal annexation of the Crimea and other regrettable events."<ref>"[http://www.ibtimes.com/defeat-russia-ukraine-creates-muslim-military-unit-made-crimean-tatars-2036618 To Defeat Russia, Ukraine Creates Muslim Military Unit Made Up Of Crimean Tatars]". ''[[International Business Times]]''. 3 August 2015.</ref> On 20 August 2016 Erdoğan told his [[Ukrainia]]n counterpart [[Petro Poroshenko]] that Turkey would not recognize the [[2014 Russian annexation of Crimea]]; calling it "Crimea's occupation".<ref>[http://www.rferl.mobi/a/russia-turkey-poroshenko-erdogan-crimea-russia-recognize/27935596.html Erdogan Tells Poroshenko Turkey Won't Recognize Crimea As Russian], [[Radio Free Europe]] (20 August 2016)</ref> |
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In January 2018, the Turkish military and its allies [[Syrian National Army]] and [[Sham Legion]] began [[Operation Olive Branch]] in [[Afrin District|Afrin]] in Northern Syria, against the Kurdish armed group YPG.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/01/erdogan-operation-syria-afrin-begun-180120120424928.html|title=Erdogan: Operation in Syria's Afrin has begun|publisher=Al Jazeera}}</ref><ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-turkey-afrin/turkish-army-hit-village-in-syrias-afrin-with-suspected-gas-kurdish-ypg-observatory-idUSKCN1G02JE Turkish army hit village in Syria's Afrin with suspected gas: Kurdish YPG, Observatory]. Reuters. 16 February 2018.</ref> In October 2019, the United States gave the go-ahead to the [[2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria]], despite recently agreeing to a [[Northern Syria Buffer Zone]]. [[American-led intervention in the Syrian Civil War|U.S. troops in northern Syria]] were withdrawn from the border to avoid interference with the Turkish operation.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Chappell |first1=Bill |last2=Neuman |first2=Scott |title=In Major Policy Shift, U.S. Will Stand Aside As Turkish Forces Extend Reach in Syria |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/10/07/767777899/in-major-policy-shift-u-s-will-stand-aside-as-turkish-forces-extend-reach-in-syr |publisher=[[NPR]] |date=7 October 2019}}</ref> After the U.S. pullout, Turkey proceeded to attack the [[Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Pence heads to Turkey as Erdogan rejects calls for ceasefire in Syria |url=https://www.dw.com/en/pence-heads-to-turkey-as-erdogan-rejects-calls-for-ceasefire-in-syria/a-50851292 |publisher=Deutsche Welle |date=16 October 2019}}</ref> Rejecting criticism of the invasion, Erdoğan claimed that [[NATO]] and [[European Union]] countries "sided with terrorists, and all of them attacked us".<ref>{{cite news |title=Erdogan Criticizes Western Allies Over Syrian Operation Ahead of Putin Meeting |url=https://www.voanews.com/middle-east/erdogan-criticizes-western-allies-over-syrian-operation-ahead-putin-meeting |publisher=VOA News |date=21 October 2019}}</ref> Erdoğan then filed a criminal complaint against French magazine ''[[Le Point]]'' after it accused him of conducting [[ethnic cleansing]] in the area.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 October 2019 |title=Turkey's Erdogan sues French magazine over 'eradicator' cover |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2019/10/25/turkeys-erdogan-sues-french-magazine-over-eradicator-cover |website=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=25 October 2019 |title=Erdogan files complaint against French magazine over ethnic cleansing comment |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-security-turkey-france-idUSKBN1X41GT |access-date=1 June 2022}}</ref> With Erdogan's control of the media fanning local nationalism,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kasapoglu |first=Cagil |date=15 October 2019 |title=Turkey-Syria offensive: Turks embrace nationalist mood |language=en-GB |work=[[BBC]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50053526 |access-date=15 February 2023}}</ref> a poll by Metropoll Research found that 79% of Turkish respondents expressed support for the operation.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 November 2019 |title=Public support for Turkey's Syria offensive at 79 percent: Poll |url=https://www.duvarenglish.com/politics/2019/11/18/public-support-for-turkeys-syria-offensive-at-79-percent-poll/ |website=[[Gazete Duvar]]}}</ref> |
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===Saudi Arabia=== |
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Diplomatic ties with [[Saudi Arabia]] were established in 1929. In recent years, importance has been given to regional issues and to the improvement of bilateral relations to strengthen political, economic and military ties.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.susris.com/articles/2006/ioi/060808-saudi-turkey.html||work=Arab News|title=Saudi-Turkey relations set for new era|date=8 August 2006|accessdate=4 December 2014|last=Ali Khan|first=M.Ghazanfar}}</ref> |
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==== China ==== |
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In August 2006, [[Abdullah of Saudi Arabia|King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz as-Saud]] made a visit to [[Turkey]]. This was the first visit by a [[Saudi Arabia|Saudi]] monarch to Turkey in four decades. The monarch made a second visit on 9 November 2007. Turkish-Saudi trade volume exceeded {{USD}} 3.2 billion in 2006, almost double the figure achieved in 2003. In 2009, this amount reached {{USD}} 5.5 billion and the goal for the year 2010 was {{USD}} 10 billion.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.neurope.eu/article/turkey-saudi-arabia-increase-cooperation|work=New Europe|title=Turkey, Saudi Arabia increase cooperation|date=16 February 2009|accessdate=4 December 2014}}</ref> Trade is expected to increase further as the strategic locations of both countries mean their economies are in a position to supplement each other.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mfa.gov.tr/turkey-saudi-arabia-relations.en.mfa|title=Turkey-Saudi Arabia Relations|publisher=Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs}}</ref> |
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{{See also|China–Turkey relations}} |
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[[File:Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states Summit gets underway in Samarkand 02.jpg|thumb|Erdoğan, Chinese President [[Xi Jinping]] and other leaders at the [[Shanghai Cooperation Organisation]] summit on 16 September 2022]] |
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Bilateral trade between Turkey and China increased from $1 billion a year in 2002 to $27 billion annually in 2017.<ref name="wapochina">{{cite news|last1=Taylor|first1=Adam|title=U.S. ally Turkey may have a new best friend in Beijing|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/05/16/u-s-ally-turkey-may-have-a-new-best-friend-in-beijing/|access-date=17 May 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=16 May 2017}}</ref> Erdoğan has stated that Turkey might consider joining the [[Shanghai Cooperation Organisation]] instead of the European Union.<ref>{{cite news|title=China says would consider Turkish membership of security bloc|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-turkey-idUSKBN13G0SS|access-date=17 May 2017|work=Reuters|date=21 November 2016}}</ref> |
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In 2009, Erdoğan accused China of "genocide" against the [[Uyghurs]] in [[Xinjiang]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Why Erdogan Has Abandoned the Uyghurs |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/03/02/why-erdogan-has-abandoned-the-uyghurs/ |work=Foreign Policy |date=2 March 2021}}</ref> In 2019, the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning what it described as China's "reintroduction of concentration camps in the 21st century" and "a great cause of shame for humanity".<ref name="NYT-Turkey">{{Cite news|last=Qin|first=Amy|date=10 February 2019|title=Turkey Urges China to End Mass Detention of Muslims|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/10/world/asia/china-turkey-uighurs.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190210100607/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/10/world/asia/china-turkey-uighurs.html |archive-date=10 February 2019 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title='Shame for humanity': Turkey urges China to close Uighur camps|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/2/10/shame-for-humanity-turkey-urges-china-to-close-uighur-camps|publisher=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] |date=10 February 2019 |access-date=12 April 2021}}</ref> Later that year, while visiting China, Erdoğan said that there were those who "exploited" the Uyghur issue to strain relations between China and Turkey.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Westcott |first=Ben |date=5 July 2019 |title=Erdogan says Xinjiang camps shouldn't spoil Turkey-China relationship |work=[[CNN]] |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/05/asia/turkey-china-uyghur-erdogan-intl-hnk/index.html |access-date=20 May 2023}}</ref> Since then the Turkish government has largely toned down its criticisms of China's treatment of Uyghurs, and cracked down on Uyghur activists at China's behest, and has expanded deportations of Uyghurs to China.<ref>{{cite news |date=28 January 2021 |title=Turkish Opposition Challenge Erdogan Over Uighur Silence |work=VOA News |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/europe_turkish-opposition-challenge-erdogan-over-uighur-silence/6201354.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Basu |first1=Zachary |last2=Allen-Ebrahimian |first2=Bethany |date=1 March 2022 |title=Turkey rejected Uyghur citizenship applications over "national security" risks |work=[[Axios (website)|Axios]] |url=https://www.axios.com/2022/03/01/turkey-rejected-uyghur-citizenship |access-date=30 May 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Browne |first=Gareth |date=26 July 2020 |title=How Turkey is sending Muslim Uighurs back to China without breaking its promise |work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/07/26/turkey-sending-muslim-uighurs-back-china-without-breaking-promise/ |access-date=30 May 2023}}</ref> |
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In March 2015, Erdoğan said that Turkey supported the [[Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen]] against the [[Shia Islam|Shia]] [[Houthis]] and forces loyal to former President [[Ali Abdullah Saleh]].<ref name="Iran">{{cite news|url=http://www.france24.com/en/20150326-turkey-support-saudi-yemen-erdogan-interview-france-24|work=France24|title=Turkey supports Saudi mission in Yemen, says Iran must withdraw|date=26 March 2015}}</ref> |
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==== Japan ==== |
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{{ |
{{Further|Japan–Turkey relations}} |
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[[File:20181201summit04.jpg|thumb|Erdoğan meeting with Japanese Prime Minister [[Shinzo Abe]] (2018)]] |
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Erdoğan's administration maintained strong ties with the [[Federal Government of Somalia]]. Following a greatly improved security situation in [[Mogadishu]] in mid-2011, the Turkish government re-opened its foreign embassy with the intention of more effectively assisting in the post-conflict development process.<ref name="Prrtrotteim">{{cite web|title=No: 248: Press Release Regarding the Re-opening of the Turkish Embassy in Mogadishu|url=http://www.mfa.gov.tr/no_-248_-1-november-2011_-press-release-regarding-the-re-opening-of-the-turkish-embassy-in-mogadishu.en.mfa|publisher=Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs|date=1 November 2011|accessdate=13 August 2013}}</ref> It was among the first foreign administrations to resume formal diplomatic relations with Somalia after the civil war.<ref name="nation">{{cite news|url=http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/Why-Turkish-aid-model-is-proving-to-be-a-success-/-/440808/1378016/-/item/0/-/7rmpkt/-/index.html|title=Why Turkish aid model is proving to be a success in Somalia and elsewhere|author=Rasna Warah|work=Saturday Nation|date=1 April 2012|accessdate=4 December 2014}}</ref> |
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==== Qatar blockade ==== |
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Development cooperation between Turkey and Somalia is multi-tiered, and includes military, social, economic and infrastructural partnerships.<ref name="nation"/><ref name="Tsmaa">{{cite news|title=Turkey-Somalia military agreement approved |url=http://www.todayszaman.com/news-297699-turkey-somalia-military-agreement-approved.html |accessdate=13 August 2013 |newspaper=''Today's Zaman'' |date=9 November 2012 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130623235606/http://www.todayszaman.com/news-297699-turkey-somalia-military-agreement-approved.html |archivedate=23 June 2013 |df=dmy }}</ref> In May 2010, the Turkish and Somali governments signed a military training agreement, in keeping with the provisions outlined in the Djibouti Peace Process.<ref name="Tssmtp">{{cite news|title=Turkey-Somalia military agreement approved|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/diplomacy_turkey-somalia-military-agreement-approved_297699.html|accessdate=13 August 2013|newspaper=''Today's Zaman''|date=9 May 2012}}</ref> Enforcement of the pact officially began in November 2012. Outlining training, technical and scientific cooperation, the treaty includes joint-service exercises between both national militaries and exchanges of delegations and personnel. It also encompasses training by the Turkish Military Medical Academy and Mapping General Command, between the gendarmerie and coast guard, as well as in-field training and education at national military installations and institutions. Additionally, the agreement includes provisions for the mutual exchange of information vis-a-vis military history, publications and museology.<ref name="Tsmaa"/> |
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{{See also|2017 Qatar diplomatic crisis}} |
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[[Turkish Airlines]] became the first long-distance international commercial airline in two decades to resume flights to and from Mogadishu's [[Aden Adde International Airport]].<ref name="nation"/> In September 2013, the Turkish company Favori LLC began operations at the airport.<ref name=Aksam>{{cite news|title=Somali'ye Türk firma havalimanı yapacak|url=http://www.aksam.com.tr/newsdetail.asp?Newsid=162839&cid=guncel&title=somaliye-turk-firma-havalimani-yapacak|accessdate=11 January 2014|newspaper=''Aksam''|language=Turkish|trans-title=Turkish companies will build Somalia's airport|date=29 January 2013}}</ref> In partnership with the Somali government, Turkish officials also launched various development and infrastructure projects in Somalia. They have assisted in the building of several hospitals, and helped renovate and rehabilitate the National Assembly building, among other initiatives.<ref name="nation"/> |
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In June 2017 during a speech, Erdoğan called the [[Qatar diplomatic crisis|isolation of Qatar]] as "inhumane and against Islamic values" and that "victimising Qatar through smear campaigns serves no purpose".<ref>{{cite news|title=Turkey's Erdogan decries Qatar's 'inhumane' isolation|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-40261479|work=BBC News|date=13 June 2017}}</ref> |
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==== Myanmar ==== |
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In May 2013, the 1st Turkish-Somali Business Forum was held in Istanbul to highlight commercial opportunities in both Turkey and Somalia for Turkish and Somali businesses. Organized by the Somali Council in conjunction with Turkish and Somali government ministries, the event included roundtable discussions on potential commercial ventures in both countries as well as business-to-business meetings between Turkish and Somali firms.<ref name="Ftsbf">{{cite web|title=1st Turkish-Somali Business Forum |url=http://www.thesomalicouncil.org/programs/turkey/forumprogram.pdf |publisher=Somali Council |date=21 May 2013 |accessdate=13 August 2013 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413143813/http://www.thesomalicouncil.org/programs/turkey/forumprogram.pdf |archivedate=13 April 2014 |df= }}</ref> |
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In September 2017, Erdoğan condemned the [[persecution of Muslims in Myanmar]] and accused [[Myanmar]] of "genocide" against the Muslim minority.<ref>{{cite news |title=Erdoğan accuses Myanmar of 'genocide' as thousands of Rohingya flee to Bangladesh |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/02/erdogan-accuses-myanmar-of-genocide-against-rohingya |work=The Guardian |date=2 September 2017}}</ref> |
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===Syria=== |
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During Erdoğan's term of office, diplomatic relations between Turkey and Syria significantly deteriorated. At first there were hopeful signs. In 2004, President [[Bashar al-Assad]] arrived in Turkey for the first official visit by a Syrian President in 57 years. In late 2004, Erdoğan signed a free trade agreement with Syria. Visa restrictions between the two countries were lifted in 2009, which caused an economic boom in the regions near the Syrian border.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2004/01/06/son/sontur16.html|title=Türkiye, Suriye ile İsrail arasında kolaylaştırıcı rol üstlenebilir|publisher=''Milliyet''|date=6 January 1990|accessdate=8 September 2010|language=Turkish|trans-title=Turkey could play a role in facilitating Syria and Israel}}</ref> Before the [[Syrian civil war]] Erdoğan and al-Assad were described by ''[[The Economist]]'' as "the best of friends".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21578046-turkish-government-under-attack-home-its-assertive-policy-towards-syria-explosive|title=Turkey and Syria: An explosive border|work=The Economist|date18 may 2013=|accessdate=4 December 2014}}</ref> However, in 2011, the relationship between the two countries was strained following the outbreak of conflict in Syria. Erdoğan said he was trying to "cultivate a favorable relationship with whatever government would take the place of Assad".<ref name="Dif releationship against Assad">{{cite web|last=Epatko|first=Larisa|title=Syria and Turkey: A Complex Relationship|url=http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2012/11/syria-and-turkey.html|publisher=PBS NEWSHOUR|accessdate=15 November 2012|date=15 November 2012}}</ref> However, he began to directly support the armed opposition in Syria, creating a serious Syrian refugee problem in Turkey, conflict over armed fighter bases in Turkey, and an unpopular conflict with Syria.<ref>{{cite web|title=Turks Concerned with Erdogan's Syria Policy|date= 24 October 2014|accessdate= 24 October 2014|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5KJBioljJE}}</ref> Erdoğan's policy of providing military training for anti-Damascus fighters has also created conflict with Syria's ally, Iran.<ref>{{cite web|title=Senior MP Raps Erdogan's Policies on Syria|date=7 January 2013|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-314125007.html|accessdate=4 December 2014|work=FARS News}}</ref> |
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==== United States ==== |
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As of 2015, Turkey is actively supporting the [[Army of Conquest]],<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/syria-crisis-turkey-and-saudi-arabia-shock-western-countries-by-supporting-antiassad-jihadists-10242747.html |title=Turkey and Saudi Arabia alarm the West by backing Islamist extremists the Americans had bombed in Syria |author=Kim Sengupta |newspaper=The Independent |date=12 May 2015}}</ref> an umbrella Syrian rebel group that reportedly includes an [[al-Qaeda]] linked [[al-Nusra Front]] and another [[Salafi jihadism|Salafi]] coalition known as [[Ahrar al-Sham]].<ref>"[http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/12392/21/Gulf-allies-and-%E2%80%98Army-of-Conquest%E2%80%99.aspx Gulf allies and 'Army of Conquest']". ''[[Al-Ahram Weekly]]''. 28 May 2015.</ref><ref>"[https://news.yahoo.com/army-conquest-rebel-alliance-pressures-syria-regime-090529121.html 'Army of Conquest' rebel alliance pressures Syria regime]". Yahoo News. 28 April 2015.</ref> Al-Nusra Front and [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|Islamic State]] (ISIL) sometimes cooperate with each other when they fight against the Syrian government.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/jabhat-al-nusra-isis-alliance-could-spread-beyond-damascus-1877819 |title=Jabhat Al-Nusra And ISIS Alliance Could Spread Beyond Damascus |author=Erin Banco |newspaper=''[[International Business Times]]'' |date=11 April 2015}}</ref><ref>"[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11230622/How-would-a-deal-between-al-Qaeda-and-Isil-change-Syrias-civil-war.html How would a deal between al-Qaeda and Isil change Syria's civil war?]". ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''. 14 November 2014</ref> |
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{{See also|Turkey–United States relations}} |
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In late November 2016, Erdoğan said that the Turkish military [[Turkish military intervention in Syria|launched its operations in Syria]] to end the rule of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-entered-syria-to-end-al-assads-rule-president-erdogan.aspx?PageID=238&NID=106709&NewsCatID=352|title=Turkey entered Syria to end al-Assad's rule: President Erdoğan|publisher=Hurriyet Daily News|date=29 November 2016}}</ref> Days later, Erdoğan sought to retract his statement; media observers attributed his outburst to frustration due to failure of his government's Syria policies.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/12/erdogan-syria-policy-turkey-dead-end-aleppo.html|title=Erdogan's Syria policy hits dead end in Aleppo|publisher=Al-Monitor|date=4 December 2016}}</ref> In an interview with the state-run [[Syrian Arab News Agency]] on 8 December, Syria President [[Bashar al-Assad]] said that "as long as the Turkish policy is run by an abnormal and psychologically-disturbed person like Erdogan, we have to expect all possibilities".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://sana.sy/en/?p=95555|title=President al-Assad: Failure of Western states and Turkey in the battle in Aleppo means failure of outside project and the transformation of the course of the war in Syria|publisher=[[Syrian Arab News Agency]]|date=8 December 2016}}</ref> |
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[[File:Meeting between US President Biden and Turkish President Erdogan together with foreign ministers Blinken and Cavusoglu at G20 in Rome.jpg|thumb|Erdoğan in a meeting with US President [[Joe Biden]], Turkish Foreign Minister Çavusoğlu and US Secretary of State Blinken, October 2021]] |
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Over time, Turkey began to look for ways to buy its own missile defense system and also to use that procurement to build up its own capacity to manufacture and sell an air and missile defense system. Turkey got serious about acquiring a missile defense system early in the [[Presidency of Barack Obama|first Obama administration]] when it opened a competition between the Raytheon Patriot PAC 2 system and systems from Europe, Russia, and even China.<ref>{{cite news |title=Turkey Cancels T-Loramids Program After Eight Years |url=http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/168852/more-on-turkey%E2%80%99s-cancellation-of-t_loramids-program.html |access-date=10 January 2020 |work=defense-aerospace.com |date=16 November 2015}}</ref> |
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Taking advantage of the new low in U.S.-Turkish relations, Putin saw his chance to use an [[S-400 missile system|S-400]] sale to Turkey, so in July 2017, he offered the air defense system to Turkey. In the months that followed, the United States warned Turkey that a S-400 purchase jeopardized Turkey's [[Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II procurement|F-35 purchase]]. Integration of the Russian system into the NATO air defense net was also out of the question. Administration officials, including [[Mark Esper]], warned that Turkey had to choose between the S-400 and the F-35, that they could not have both. |
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===United States=== |
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[[File:Joe Biden & Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.jpg|thumb|U.S. Vice President [[Joe Biden]] meets with Prime Minister Erdoğan at his home in [[Istanbul]].]] |
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The S-400 deliveries to Turkey began on 12 July. On 16 July, Trump mentioned to reporters that withholding the F-35 from Turkey was unfair. Said the president, "So what happens is we have a situation where Turkey is very good with us, very good, and we are now telling Turkey that because you have really been forced to buy another missile system, we're not going to sell you the F-35 fighter jets".<ref>{{cite web |title=Lawmakers say Trump is locked into Turkey sanctions |url=https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2019/07/16/trump-cuts-off-f-35-for-turkey-and-lawmakers-say-sanctions-are-coming/ |website=Defense News |access-date=10 January 2020 |date=19 July 2019}}</ref> |
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When [[Barack Obama]] became President of the United States, he made [[List of presidential trips made by Barack Obama|his first overseas bilateral meeting visit to Turkey]] in April 2009. |
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The U.S. Congress made clear on a bipartisan basis that it expected the president to sanction Turkey for buying Russian equipment.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Townsend |first1=Jim |title=The Tale of Turkey and the Patriots |url=https://warontherocks.com/2019/07/the-tale-of-turkey-and-the-patriots/ |access-date=10 January 2020 |work=War on the Rocks |date=22 July 2019}}</ref> Out of the F-35, Turkey considered buying Russian [[Fifth-generation fighter|fifth-generation jet fighter]] [[Sukhoi Su-57|Su-57]]. |
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At a joint news conference in Turkey, Obama said: "I'm trying to make a statement about the importance of Turkey, not just to the United States but to the world. I think that where there's the most promise of building stronger [[Turkey – United States relations|U.S.-Turkish relations]] is in the recognition that Turkey and the United States can build a model partnership in which a predominantly Christian nation, a predominantly [[Muslim]] nation – a Western nation and a nation that straddles two continents," he continued, "that we can create a modern international community that is respectful, that is secure, that is prosperous, that there are not tensions – inevitable tensions between cultures – which I think is extraordinarily important."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/06/obama.turkey/index.html|title=Obama in Turkey|work=[[CNN]]|date=6 April 2006|accessdate=1 February 2009}}</ref> |
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On 1 August 2018, the U.S. Department of Treasury sanctioned two senior [[Cabinet Erdoğan IV|Turkish government ministers]] who were involved in the detention of American pastor [[Andrew Brunson]].<ref>{{cite news |title=US sanctions Turkish officials over detained pastor |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-administration-to-sanction-turkish-officials-over-imprisonment-of-american-pastor-andrew-brunson/ |work=Politico |date=1 August 2018}}</ref> Erdoğan said that U.S. behavior would force Turkey to look for new friends and allies.<ref>"[http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/dont-force-turkey-to-look-for-other-friends-erdogan-addresses-us-in-nyt-article-135685 US changing strategic NATO partner with pastor, Turkish President Erdoğan says]". ''[[Hürriyet Daily News]]''. 11 August 2018.</ref> The [[Turkey–United States relations|U.S.–Turkey tensions]] appeared to be the most serious diplomatic crisis between the NATO allies in years.<ref>{{cite news |title=US sanctions Turkey over Pastor Brunson detention |url=https://www.thenational.ae/world/europe/us-sanctions-turkey-over-pastor-brunson-detention-1.756238 |work=The National |date=1 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Turkey, US in diplomatic crisis after ministers hit by sanctions |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/turkey-us-in-diplomatic-crisis-after-ministers-hit-by-sanctions/articleshow/65243086.cms |work=The Times of India |date=2 August 2018}}</ref> |
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==Elections and referendums== |
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[[File:P20240614AS-1003.jpg|thumb|Erdoğan and Biden at the [[50th G7 summit]] in Italy, 14 June 2024]] |
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In terms of his successes in elections and [[referendum]]s, Erdoğan is one of the most successful politicians in the Republican era of [[Turkish history]]. Since 1994, he has taken part in 3 general elections, 3 local elections, 1 by-election and 2 referendums, none of which he has lost. |
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Trump's former national security adviser [[John Bolton]] claimed that President [[Donald Trump]] told Erdoğan he would 'take care' of the investigation against Turkey's state-owned bank [[Halkbank]], accused of bank fraud charges and laundering up to $20 billion on behalf of Iranian entities.<ref>{{cite news |title=John Bolton urged to elaborate on Trump-Erdoğan claims |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/18/john-bolton-urged-to-elaborate-on-trump-erdogan-claims |work=The Guardian|first=Bethan|last=McKernan |date=18 June 2020}}</ref> Turkey criticized [[The Room Where It Happened|Bolton's book]], saying it included misleading accounts of conversations between Trump and Erdoğan.<ref>{{cite news |title=Turkey says Bolton's book 'misleading' on Erdogan-Trump conversations |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-usa-bolton/turkey-says-boltons-book-misleading-on-erdogan-trump-conversations-idUSKBN23V3BI |work=Reuters |date=25 June 2020}}</ref> |
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In August 2020, the former vice president and presidential candidate [[Joe Biden]] called for a new U.S. approach to the "autocrat" President Erdoğan and support for Turkish opposition parties.<ref>{{cite news |title=Turkey slams Biden's past call for U.S. to back Erdogan opponents |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-biden-turkey-idUSKCN25B0XS |work=Reuters |date=15 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=How will a Biden presidency affect Turkey? |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/8/how-would-a-biden-presidency-affect-turkey |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=8 November 2020}}</ref> In September 2020, Biden demanded that Erdoğan "stay out" of the [[Second Nagorno-Karabakh War]] between [[Azerbaijan]] and [[Armenia]], in which Turkey supported the Azeris.<ref name=KellyNagornoKarabakh>Laura Kelly, [https://thehill.com/policy/international/518794-biden-says-turkey-must-stay-out-of-armenia-azerbaijan-conflict Biden says Turkey must stay out of Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict], ''The Hill'' (29 September 2020).</ref> |
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===General elections=== |
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{{Main article|Turkish general election, 2002|Turkish general election, 2007|Turkish general election, 2011}} |
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[[File:RTE seçim pankartı.jpg|thumb|left|An election campaign poster featuring Erdoğan: "Istanbul is Ready, Target 2023", [[Taksim Square]], [[Istanbul]].]] |
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Meanwhile, Erdoğan wants to realize the [[Zangezur corridor]] land route in the southern Caucasus,<ref>{{cite news |title=President Erdogan says Türkiye wants to realize Zengezur corridor 'as soon as possible' |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkiye/president-erdogan-says-turkiye-wants-to-realize-zengezur-corridor-as-soon-as-possible/3001633# |work=Anadolu Ajansi |date=27 September 2023}}</ref> a geopolitical corridor from Europe through Central Asia, all the way to China.<ref>{{cite news |title=We Just Saw What the World Is About to Become |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/09/opinion/nagorno-karabakh-russia-turkey.html |work=The New York Times |date=9 October 2023}}</ref> |
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The elections of 2002 were the first elections in which Erdoğan participated as a party leader. All parties previously elected to parliament failed to win enough votes to re-enter the parliament. The AKP won 34.3% of the national vote and formed the new government. Turkish stocks rose more than 7% on Monday morning. Politicians of the previous generation, such as [[Bülent Ecevit|Ecevit]], [[Devlet Bahçeli|Bahceli]], [[Mesut Yılmaz|Yılmaz]] and [[Tansu Çiller|Çiller]], resigned. The second largest party, the CHP, received 19.4% of the votes. |
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==== Venezuela ==== |
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The stage of the elections of 2007 was set for a fight for legitimacy in the eyes of voters between his government and the CHP. Erdoğan used the event that took place during the ill-fated Presidential elections a few months earlier as a part of the general election campaign of his party. On 22 July 2007, the AKP won an important victory over the opposition, garnering 46.7% of the popular vote. 22 July elections marked only the second time in the Republic of Turkey's history whereby an incumbent governing party won an election by increasing its share of popular support.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mesajı anladık |author=Turan Yılmaz |url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/secim/6942407.asp |newspaper=Hürriyet |language=Turkish|trans-title=Message understood |date=23 July 2007 |place=Ankara |accessdate=30 July 2012}}</ref> |
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{{See also|Turkey–Venezuela relations}} |
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Relations with Venezuela were strengthened with recent developments and high level mutual visits. The first official visit between the two countries at presidential level was in October 2017 when Venezuelan President [[Nicolás Maduro]] visited Turkey. In December 2018, Erdoğan visited Venezuela for the first time and expressed his will to build strong relations with Venezuela and expressed hope that high-level visits "will increasingly continue".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.trtworld.com/turkey/turkey-s-erdogan-visits-venezuela-vows-to-enhance-ties-22171 |access-date=11 January 2020 |title=Turkey's Erdogan visits Venezuela, vows to enhance ties |date=4 December 2018}}</ref> |
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On 14 March 2008, Turkey's Chief Prosecutor asked the country's Constitutional Court to ban Erdoğan's governing party.<ref name="akptrial1">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7482793.stm|title=Turkish ruling party put on trial|work=BBC News|accessdate=1 February 2009|date=1 July 2008}}</ref> The party escaped a ban on 30 July 2008, a year after winning 46.7% of the vote in national elections, although judges did cut the party's public funding by 50%.<ref name="akptrial2">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7533414.stm|title=Turkey's ruling party escapes ban|work=BBC News|accessdate=1 February 2009|date=30 July 2008}}</ref> |
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Reuters reported that in 2018 23 tons of mined gold were taken from Venezuela to Istanbul.<ref name="8tons">{{cite news|last1=Pons|first1=Corina|last2=Armas|first2=Mayela|date=27 February 2019|title=Exclusive: Venezuela removed 8 tons of central bank gold last week – legislator|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-gold-exclusive/exclusive-venezuela-removed-8-tons-of-central-bank-gold-last-week-legislator-idUSKCN1QG2QG|access-date=20 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611003806/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-gold-exclusive/exclusive-venezuela-removed-8-tons-of-central-bank-gold-last-week-legislator-idUSKCN1QG2QG |archive-date=11 June 2022}}</ref> In the first nine months of 2018, Venezuela's gold exports to Turkey rose from zero in the previous year to US$900 million.<ref name="CNBCGold">{{cite news|last1=Rampton|first1=Roberta|last2=Holland|first2=Steve|date=1 November 2018|title=Trump signs sanctions order targeting Venezuela's gold exports|publisher=CNBC|agency=Reuters|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/01/reuters-america-update-1-trump-signs-sanctions-order-targeting-venezuelas-gold-exports.html|access-date=2 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402215414/https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/01/reuters-america-update-1-trump-signs-sanctions-order-targeting-venezuelas-gold-exports.html |archive-date=2 April 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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In the June 2011 elections, Erdoğan's governing party won 327 seats (49.83% of the popular vote) making Erdoğan the only prime minister in Turkey's history to win three consecutive general elections, each time receiving more votes than the previous election. The second party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), received 135 seats (25.94%), the nationalist MHP received 53 seats (13.01%), and the Independents received 35 seats (6.58%).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/116073/turkey-39-s-ruling-ak-party-wins-elections-with-49-83-percent-vote.html|title=Turkey's Ruling AK Party Wins Elections with 49.83 Percent Vote|work=The journal of Turkish Weekly|accessdate=6 December 2014|date=13 June 2011}}</ref> |
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During the [[Venezuelan presidential crisis]], Erdoğan voiced solidarity with [[Venezuela]]'s President [[Nicolás Maduro]] and criticized U.S. sanctions against Venezuela, saying that "political problems cannot be resolved by punishing an entire nation."<ref>{{cite news |title=Turkey's Erdogan slams Venezuela sanctions, Maduro defends gold exports |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-turkey-erdogan/turkeys-erdogan-slams-venezuela-sanctions-maduro-defends-gold-exports-idUSKBN1O22QM |work=Reuters |date=4 December 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Turkey's Erdogan offers support for Venezuela's Maduro |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-turkey/turkeys-erdogan-offers-support-for-venezuelas-maduro-idUSKCN1PI0FJ |work=Reuters |date=24 January 2019}}</ref> |
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===Presidential elections=== |
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{{Main article|Turkish presidential election, 2007|Turkish presidential election, 2014}} |
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[[File:2014 Turkish Presidential Election campaign.jpg|thumb|Posters of Erdoğan and his rival [[Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu]] during [[Turkish presidential election, 2014|2014 presidential election]], [[Istanbul]]]] |
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Following the [[2019 Venezuelan uprising attempt]], Erdoğan condemned the actions of lawmaker [[Juan Guaidó]], tweeting "Those who are in an effort to appoint a postmodern colonial governor to Venezuela, where the President was appointed by elections and where the people rule, should know that only democratic elections can determine how a country is governed".<ref name=Yahoo>{{Cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.com/1-maduro-ally-turkey-berates-183215511.html|title=Maduro ally Turkey berates Venezuelan opposition for uprising call|date=30 April 2019|website=[[Yahoo News]]|access-date=30 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://twitter.com/RTErdogan/status/1123274099965476865 |date= 30 April 2019 |access-date= 30 April 2019 |via= Twitter |title= Recep Tayyip Erdoğan}}</ref> |
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On 14 April 2007, an estimated 300,000 people marched in [[Ankara]] to protest against the possible candidacy of Erdoğan in the 2007 presidential election, afraid that if elected as President, he would alter the secular nature of the Turkish state.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6554851.stm|title=Secular rally targets Turkish PM|publisher=''BBC News''|date=14 April 2007|accessdate=6 December 2014}}</ref> Erdoğan announced on 24 April 2007 that the party had nominated [[Abdullah Gül]] as the AKP candidate in the presidential election.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/articles/139006/turkish-foreign-minister-to-stand-for-presidency|title=Turkish foreign minister to stand for presidency|publisher=''Al-Jazeera''|date=25 April 2007|accessdate=6 December 2014}}</ref> The protests continued over the next several weeks, with over one million people reported to have turned out at a 29 April rally in Istanbul,<ref name= Reuters29>{{cite news|url= http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL2910950920070429|title=One million Turks rally against government|work=[[Reuters]]|accessdate=30 April 2007|date=29 April 2007|last=De Bendern|first=Paul}}</ref> tens of thousands at separate protests on 4 May in [[Manisa]] and [[Çanakkale]],<ref name="Milliyet">{{cite web|url=http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2007/05/04/guncel/axgun01.html|title=Saylan: Manisa mitingi önemli|work=[[Milliyet]]|language=Turkish|trans-title=Saylan: Important rally in Manisa|last=Avci|first=Ümran|accessdate=4 May 2007|date=4 May 2007}}</ref> and one million in [[İzmir]] on 13 May.<ref name="swissinfo">{{cite web|url=http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/international/ticker/detail/Turks_protest_ahead_of_early_elections.html?siteSect=143&sid=7813908&cKey=1179061645000|title=Turks protest ahead of early elections|work=[[Swissinfo]]|date=13 May 2007|accessdate=13 May 2007|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930222218/http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/international/ticker/detail/Turks_protest_ahead_of_early_elections.html?siteSect=143&sid=7813908&cKey=1179061645000|archivedate=30 September 2007|last=De Bendern|first=Paul}}</ref> |
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==== Ukraine and Russian invasion of Ukraine ==== |
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Early parliamentary elections were called after the failure of the parties in parliament to agree on the next Turkish president. The opposition parties boycotted the parliamentary vote and deadlocked the election process. At the same time, Erdoğan spoke of a failure of the Turkish political system and proposed to modify the constitution.{{citation needed|date=December 2014}} Gül was later elected President after the general elections on 22 July 2007 that saw AKP and Erdoğan brought back to power with 46.7% of the vote. Later in 2007, a [[Turkish constitutional referendum, 2007|Turkish constitutional referendum]] was approved with the support of 69% of voters to modify the constitution to allow the people to elect the President.{{citation needed|date=December 2014}} |
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[[File:Signing Ceremony of the Black Sea Grain Initiative in Istanbul.png|thumb|Signing of the [[Black Sea Grain Initiative|grain export deal]] between Turkey, Ukraine, Russia and the UN in Istanbul, 2022]] |
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[[File:Володимир Зеленський у Львові зустрівся з президентом Туреччини та генеральним секретарем ООН 58.jpg|thumb|Erdoğan with Ukrainian President [[Volodymyr Zelenskyi]] and UN Secretary-General [[António Guterres]] in Lviv, Ukraine, on 18 August 2022]] |
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In 2016, Erdoğan told his [[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] counterpart [[Petro Poroshenko]] that Turkey would not recognize the [[2014 Russian annexation of Crimea]]; calling it "Crimea's occupation".<ref>[http://www.rferl.mobi/a/russia-turkey-poroshenko-erdogan-crimea-russia-recognize/27935596.html Erdogan Tells Poroshenko Turkey Won't Recognize Crimea As Russian], [[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]] (20 August 2016)</ref> |
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During the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]], Erdoğan functioned as a mediator and peace broker.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Idiz |first1=Semih |title=Ukraine war boosts Erdogan's 'new Atlanticism,' but for how long? - Al-Monitor: Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle East |url=https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/03/ukraine-war-boosts-erdogans-new-atlanticism-how-long |access-date=22 September 2022 |work=www.al-monitor.com |date=31 March 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Osterlund |first1=Paul Benjamin |title=Turkey, a mediator in Ukraine, mends its own ties with neighbours |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/30/turkey-a-mediator-in-ukraine-mends-its-own-ties-with-neighbours |access-date=22 September 2022 |work=www.aljazeera.com |date=30 March 2022 |language=en}}</ref> On 10 March 2022, Turkey hosted a trilateral meeting with Ukraine and Russia on the margins of [[Antalya Diplomacy Forum]], making it the first high-level talks since the invasion.<ref>{{cite news |title=Turkey hosts first meeting of top Russian, Ukrainian diplomats since invasion |url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/turkey-hosts-first-meeting-of-top-russian-ukrainian-diplomats-since-invasion/ |access-date=22 September 2022 |work=www.euractiv.com |date=10 March 2022}}</ref> Following the [[2022 Russia–Ukraine peace negotiations|peace talks]] in Istanbul on 29 March 2022, Russia decided to leave areas around [[Kyiv]] and [[Chernihiv]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Russia pledges to scale down military activity near Kyiv, Chernihiv—as it happened |url=https://www.dw.com/en/russia-pledges-to-scale-down-military-activity-near-kyiv-chernihiv-as-it-happened/a-61286047 |access-date=22 September 2022 |work=DW.COM |date=29 March 2022}}</ref> On 22 July 2022, together with [[United Nations]], Turkey [[Black Sea Grain Initiative|brokered a deal between Russia and Ukraine]] about clearing the way for the export of grain from Ukrainian ports, following the [[2022 food crises]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wieting |first1=Ayse |title='A beacon of hope': Ukraine, Russia sign grain export deal |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/deal-for-ukraine-grain-exports-due-to-be-sealed-in-istanbul/2022/07/22/6a0329ee-098c-11ed-80b6-43f2bfcc6662_story.html |access-date=2 August 2022 |newspaper=Washington Post |date=22 July 2022}}</ref> On 21 September 2022, a record-high of 215 Ukrainian soldiers, including fighters who led the defence of the [[Azovstal iron and steel works|Azovstal steelworks]] in [[Siege of Mariupol|Mariupol]], had been released in a [[prisoner exchange]] with Russia after mediation by Turkish President Erdoğan.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ukraine Announces Exchange Of 215 Prisoners Of War |url=https://www.barrons.com/news/ukraine-announces-exchange-of-215-prisoners-of-war-01663799406?tesla=y |access-date=22 September 2022 |work=www.barrons.com |agency=AFP}}</ref> As part of the agreement, the freed captives stay in Turkey until the war is over.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Swaminathan |first1=Sneha |title=Ukraine announces the exchange of 215 prisoners of war |url=https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-announces-the-exchange-of-215-prisoners-of-war-518562 |access-date=22 September 2022 |work=WION |date=22 September 2022 |language=en}}</ref> |
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===Local elections=== |
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{{Main article|Turkish local elections, 1994|Turkish local elections, 2004|Turkish local elections, 2009|Turkish local elections, 2014}} |
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In 1994 Erdoğan was elected [[Mayor of Istanbul]], one of the biggest metropolitan areas of the world. He received 25.19% of the popular vote. After the AKP won the 2002 general elections under the leadership of Erdoğan, it has received more votes in the 2004 local elections. The AKP was the biggest party in 12 out of 16 metropolitan municipality.<ref>{{cite news |title=Turkey's AKP wins local elections, but loses strength |author=Zheng Jinfa |url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-03/30/content_11101457.htm |newspaper=''China View'' |date=30 March 2009 |accessdate=30 July 2012}}</ref> |
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While Turkey has closed the [[Bosphorus]] to Russian naval reinforcements, enforced United Nations sanctions<ref>{{cite news |title=International report - Turkey's ambiguous application of United Nations' sanctions on Russia |url=https://www.rfi.fr/en/podcasts/international-report/20220404-turkey-s-ambiguous-application-of-united-nations-sanctions-on-russia |access-date=22 September 2022 |work=RFI |date=4 April 2022 |language=en}}</ref> and supplied Ukraine with military equipment such as [[Baykar Bayraktar TB2|Bayraktar TB2]] drones and [[BMC Kirpi]] vehicles, it didn't participate in certain sanctions like closing the Turkish airspace for Russian civilians and continued the dialogue with Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Erdoğan walks a fine line as the Ukraine war's double agent |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/turkey-recep-tayyip-erdogan-fine-line-ukraine-russia-war/ |access-date=22 September 2022 |work=POLITICO |date=17 August 2022}}</ref> Erdoğan reiterated his stance on Crimea in 2022 saying that [[international law]] requires that Russia must return Crimea to Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite web |first1=Rhea |last1=Mogul |first2=Jack |last2=Guy |first3=Adrienne |last3=Vogt |first4=Aditi |last4=Sangal |date=23 August 2022 |title=Turkey's Erdogan says return of Crimea to Ukraine is a requirement of international law |url=https://edition.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-08-23-22/h_a464f4704f71e89c36e97206e220d32b |access-date=23 August 2022 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> |
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The Turkish local elections of 2009 took place during the [[financial crisis of 2007–2010]]. In these elections the AKP received 39% of the vote, 3% less than in the local elections of 2004. The second party CHP received 23% of the vote and the third party MHP received 16% of the vote.{{citation needed|date=December 2014}} The AKP won in Turkey's two largest cities: [[Ankara]] and [[Istanbul mayoral election, 2009|Istanbul]]. |
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=== Events === |
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===2007 and 2010 Constitutional Referendums=== |
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{{Main article|Turkish constitutional referendum, 2007|Turkish constitutional referendum, 2010}} |
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After the opposition parties deadlocked the 2007 presidential election by boycotting the parliament, the ruling AKP proposed a constitutional reform package. The reform package was first vetoed by president Sezer. Then he applied to the Turkish constitutional court about the reform package, because the president is unable to veto amendments for the second time. The Turkish constituonal court did not find any problems in the packet and 68.95% of the voters supported the constitutional changes.<ref name="official results">{{cite web | title = Official Results – 21 October 2007 Constitutional Referendum | publisher = Supreme Election Board (YSK) | accessdate = 12 September 2010 | url = http://www.ysk.gov.tr/ysk/docs/2007Referandum/Sonuc/sonucgrafik.pdf|language=Turkish}}</ref> |
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The reforms consisted of: electing the president by popular vote instead of by parliament, reducing the presidential term from seven years to five, allowing the president to stand for re-election for a second term, holding general elections every four years instead of five and reducing the quorum of lawmakers needed for parliamentary decisions from 367 to 184. |
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==== Coup d'état attempt ==== |
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Reforming the Constitution was one of the main pledges of the AKP during the 2007 election campaign. The main opposition party CHP was not interested in altering the Constitution on a big scale, making it impossible to form a [[Constitutional Commission]] (''Anayasa Uzlaşma Komisyonu'').<ref>{{cite news|url=http://arsiv.ntvmsnbc.com/news/475685.asp|title=AKP'nin Anayasa hedefi 15 madde|language=Turkish|trans-title=AKP targets article 15 of the Constitution|work=NTVMSNBC|date=17 February 2009|accessdate=17 February 2009}}</ref> The amendments lacked the two-thirds majority needed to instantly become law, but secured 336 votes in the 550 seat parliament – enough to put the proposals to a referendum. The reform package included a number of issues such as the right of individuals to appeal to the highest court, the creation of the [[ombudsman]]'s office, the possibility to negotiate a nationwide labour contract, gender equality, the ability of civilian courts to convict members of the military, the right of civil servants to go on strike, a privacy law, and the structure of the Constitutional Court. The referendum was agreed by a majority of 58%.<ref>{{cite web| author = Government of Turkey, Supreme Election Board (YSK) | title = Official Results – 12 September 2010 Constitutional Referendum | date = 12 September 2010 | url = http://www.ysk.gov.tr/ysk/docs/2010Referandum/KesinSonuc/SonucGrafik.pdf}}</ref> |
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{{Main|2016 Turkish coup attempt}} |
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===2017 Constitutional Referendum vote=== |
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On Sunday, 16 April 2017, a [[Turkish constitutional referendum, 2017|constitutional referendum]] was held, where the voters in Turkey (and Turkish citizens abroad) voted on a set of 18 proposed amendments to the Constitution of Turkey. The amendments include the replacement of the existing [[parliamentary system]] with a [[presidential system]]. The post of [[Prime Minister of Turkey|Prime Minister]] would be abolished, and the presidency would become an [[executive president|executive post]] vested with broad executive powers. Parliament would be increased from 550 seats to 600 seats. The referendum also called for changes to the [[Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38883556 |title=Why is Turkey holding a referendum? |website=www.bbc.com |date=10 February 2017 |accessdate=26 March 2017}}</ref> |
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On 15 July 2016, a coup d'état was attempted by the military, with aims to remove Erdoğan from government. By the next day, Erdoğan's government managed to reassert effective control in the country.<ref name="WSJ-attempted-coup">{{cite news|last1=Levin |first1=Ned |last2=Candemir |first2=Yeliz |title=Turkey's Erdogan Reasserts Control After Attempted Coup |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/turkeys-erdogan-reasserts-control-after-attempted-coup-1468658670 |access-date=16 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160716102935/http://www.wsj.com/articles/turkeys-erdogan-reasserts-control-after-attempted-coup-1468658670 |archive-date=16 July 2016 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date=16 July 2016 |location=Istanbul |url-access=subscription |url-status=dead}}</ref> Reportedly, no government official was arrested or harmed, which, among other factors, raised the suspicion of a [[false flag]] event staged by the government itself.<ref>{{cite web|title=Critics Raise False Flag After Failed Military Coup in Turkey|date=16 July 2016|url=http://www.vocativ.com/341593/critics-raise-false-flag-after-failed-military-coup-in-turkey/|publisher=Vocativ|access-date=16 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Fontanella-Khan |first1=Amana |title=Fethullah Gülen: Turkey coup may have been 'staged' by Erdoğan regime |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/16/fethullah-gulen-turkey-coup-erdogan |access-date=16 July 2016 |newspaper=The Guardian |date=16 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160716221649/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/16/fethullah-gulen-turkey-coup-erdogan |archive-date=16 July 2016 |location=Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania |url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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==Honors and accolades== |
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{{see also|List of honorary doctorates awarded to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan}} |
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[[File:Secretary Kerry Delivers Remarks in Honor of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan (2).jpg|thumb|250px|U.S. Secretary of State [[John Kerry]], with U.S. Vice President [[Joseph Biden]], delivers remarks in honor of Erdoğan, 16 May 2013]] |
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[[File:Thaci-Erdogan2.jpg|thumb|250px|Erdoğan joined by his [[Republic of Kosovo|Kosovo]] counterpart [[Hashim Thaçi]], 3 November 2010]] |
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[[File:160801-D-PB383-016 US-General Joseph F. Dunford Jr. tours parts of the Turkish Grand National Assembly that were destroyed during the failed July 15 coup in Ankara.JPG|thumb|right|The [[Grand National Assembly of Turkey|Turkish parliament]] was bombed by jets during the failed coup of 2016]] |
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===Awards=== |
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Erdoğan, as well as other government officials, has blamed an exiled cleric, and a former ally of Erdoğan, [[Fethullah Gülen]], for staging the coup attempt.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/turkey-military-coup/who-u-s-based-cleric-fethullah-gulen-blamed-turkey-coup-n610681|title=This U.S.-Based Cleric Is Being Blamed for Coup Attempt|date=16 July 2016 |publisher=NBC News}}</ref> [[Süleyman Soylu]], Minister of Labor in Erdoğan's government, accused the US of planning a coup to oust Erdoğan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/215046|title=US government behind Turkish coup attempt, Turkish minister says|date=16 July 2016 |publisher=Arutz Sheva}}</ref> |
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* 18 April 2004: listed in ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine's "[[Time 100|100 most influential people in the world]]" and was called a builder of bridges by the magazine.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1970858,00.html|title=The 2004 Time 100|work=Time|date=18 April 2004|accessdate=6 December 2014}}</ref> |
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* 13 June 2004: Golden Plate award from the [[Academy of Achievement]] during the conference in Chicago.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/pagegen/newsletter/2004/|title=2004 International Summit Highlights|work=Academy of Achievement|date=13 June 2004|accessdate=6 December 2014}}</ref> |
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* 3 October 2004: German [[Quadriga (award)|Quadriga prize]] for improving relationships between different cultures.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3712262.stm|title=Schroeder hails Turkish reforms|work=BBC News|date=3 October 2004|accessdate=6 December 2014 }}</ref> |
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* 1 December 2004: named [[European of the Year (European Voice award)|European of the Year]] by the weekly ''[[European Voice]]'', for having put Turkey on the path to reform.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/481/erdogan-named-european-of-the-year.html|title=Erdogan Named "European of the Year"|date=2 December 2004|accessdate=6 December 2014|work=The journal of Turkish Weekly}}</ref> |
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* 2 September 2005: Mediterranean Award for Institutions ({{lang-it|Premio Mediterraneo Istituzioni}}). This was awarded by the Fondazione Mediterraneo.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.euromedi.org/attivita/dettaglioattivita.asp?idevento=989&lingua=eng|title=The Mediterranean Award for Institutions 2005 to Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan|work=euromedi.com|date=2 September 2005|accessdate=2 September 2005}}</ref> |
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* 1 June 2006: Russian state medal from the President of the Russian Federation [[Vladimir Putin]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/4513893.asp?gid=48|title=Putin'den Tatar madalyası|date=1 June 2006|accessdate=1 June 2006|work=Hürriyet|first=Turan|last=Yilmaz|language=Turkish|trans-title=Putin's Tatar medal}}</ref> |
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* 8 August 2006: Caspian Energy Integration Award from the [[Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline|Caspian Integration Business Club]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.referansgazetesi.com/haber.aspx?HBR_KOD=46966&ForArsiv=1|title=Erdogan to receive Caspian award for 'Reformer of the Year'|date=5 August 2006|accessdate=5 August 2006|work=Refereans}}</ref> |
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* 1 November 2006: Outstanding Service award from the Turkish humanitarian organization [[Turkish Red Crescent|Red Crescent]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zaman.com.tr/politika_kizilaydan-erdogana-ustun-insani-hizmet-nisani_446971.html|title=Kızılay'dan Erdoğan'a 'Üstün İnsani Hizmet Nişanı'|date=2 November 2006|accessdate=6 December 2014|work=Zaman|language=Turkish|trans-title=Erdogan awarded Crescent's outstanding humanitarian service medal}}</ref> |
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* 2 February 2007: Dialogue Between Cultures Award from the President of Tatarstan [[Mintimer Shaimiev]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.haber7.com/haber/20070202/Tatarlardan-Erdogana-odul.php?id=216554|title=Tatarlar'dan Erdoğan'a ödül|language=Turkish|date=15 April 2007|accessdate=15 April 2007|trans-title=Erdogan award from the Tartars|publisher=''Haber''}}</ref> |
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* 12 March 2007: together with Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero, the 2007 RUMI Peace and Dialogue award.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rumiforum.org/rumi-peace-and-dialogue-awards/2007-rumi-peace-and-dialogue-awards.html|title=2007 RUMI Peace and Dialogue Awards|date=12 March 2007|accessdate=6 December 2014|publisher=''RUMI Forum''}}</ref> |
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* 15 April 2007: Crystal Hermes Award from the German Chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] at the opening of the Hannover Industrial Fair.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://foto.aa.com.tr/popUp.do?arcId=668877|title=Başbakan Erdoğan'a kristal hermes ödülü verildi|language=Turkish|date=15 April 2007|accessdate=15 April 2007|work=Anadolu Ajansi}}</ref> |
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* 11 July 2007: highest award of the UN [[Food and Agriculture Organization]], the Agricola Medal, in recognition of his contribution to agricultural and social development in Turkey.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000626/index.html|title=Turkish Prime Minister receives Agricola Medal|date=11 July 2007|accessdate=11 July 2007}}</ref> |
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* 15 January 2008: together with Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero, the Building Bridges Award from the AMSS(UK), for their efforts to unify communities separated by race, culture and religion, for promoting a climate of respect, and peaceful co-existence through launching the [[Alliance of Civilizations]] project.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amssuk.com/pressreleases/20080115amssuk_Press_Release.pdf|title=2006 Building Bridges Award|work=amssuk.com|date=15 January 2008|accessdate=30 October 2011}}</ref> |
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* 11 May 2009: Avicenna award from the [[Avicenna]] Foundation in [[Frankfurt]], Germany.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnnturk.com/2009/dunya/05/11/almanyadan.erdogana.ibni.sina.odulu/526044.0/index.html|title=Almanya'dan Erdoğan'a İbn-i Sina ödülü|language=Turkish|work=CNN Türk|date=11 May 2009|accessdate=11 May 2009}}</ref> |
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* 9 June 2009: guest of honor at the 20th Crans Montana Forum in [[Brussels]] and received the Prix de la Fondation, for democracy and freedom.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/11824866.asp?gid=233|title=Democracy award from the Crans Montana Forum|work=Hürriyet|date=9 June 2009|accessdate=9 June 2009}}</ref> |
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* 25 June 2009: [[Key to the City]] of [[Tirana]] on the occasion of his state visit to [[Albania]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tirana.gov.al/?cid=1,62,2884|title=Kryebashkiaku Rama i dhuron "Çelësin e Qytetit", Kryeministrit turk Erdogan|language=Albanian|work=Tirana.gov.al|date=25 June 2009|accessdate=25 June 2009}}</ref> |
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* 26 October 2009: [[Nishan-e-Pakistan]], the highest civilian award in Pakistan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=88433&Itemid=1 |title=Pakistan, Turkey can together bring peace to region: Erdogan |work=[[Associated Press of Pakistan]] |date=26 October 2009 |accessdate=26 October 2009 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304115422/http://www.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=88433&Itemid=1 |archivedate= 4 March 2012 |df= }}</ref> |
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* 29 December 2009: Award for Contribution to World Peace from the [[Turgut Özal|Turgut Özal Thought and Move Association]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zaman.com.tr/wap.do?method=getSondakikaDetay&haberno=933739&sirano=0&sayfa=|title=Turgut Özal Ödülü aldı, onun gibi konuştu: Allah'ın verdiği ömrü O'ndan başka alacak yoktur|work=[[Zaman (newspaper)|Zaman]]|date=29 December 2009|accessdate=29 December 2009}}</ref> |
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* 12 January 2010: King Faisal International Prize for "service to Islam" from the [[King Faisal Foundation]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kff.com/EN01/KFIP/1430H2010G/KFIPWinners1STI1430H2010G.html |title=King Faisal International Prize |date=12 January 2010 |accessdate=22 January 2010 }}{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=Iambic Pentameter |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> |
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* 23 February 2010: Nodo Culture Award from the mayor of [[Seville]] for his efforts to launch the Alliance of Civilizations initiative.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=54518|title=Turkey's Erdogan awarded for peace efforts in Spain|date=23 February 2010|accessdate=23 February 2010}}</ref> |
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* 1 March 2010: United Nations–[[United Nations Human Settlements Programme|HABITAT]] award in memorial of Rafik Hariri. A seven-member international jury unanimously found Erdoğan deserving of the award because of his "excellent achievement and commendable conduct in the area of leadership, statesmanship and good governance. Erdoğan also initiated the first roundtable of mayors during the Istanbul conference, which led to a global, organized movement of mayors."<ref name="unhabitat3">{{cite web|url=http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=8016&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0|title=Turkish premier is winner of Rafik Hariri Memorial Award|date=1 March 2010|accessdate=1 March 2010}}</ref> |
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* 29 April 2010: listed for the second time in ''Time'' magazine's "100 most influential people in the world".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=erdogan-ranked-17th-most-influential-person-by-time-magazine-2010-04-29|title=Erdoğan ranked 17th most influential person by TIME magazinee|work=Time magazine|date=29 April 2010|accessdate=29 April 2010}}</ref> |
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* 17 May 2010: Georgia's [[Orders, decorations, and medals of Georgia|Order of Golden Fleece]] for his contribution to development of bilateral relations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=22307|title=Saakashvili hails Georgia-Turkish ties as exemplary|work=Civil.ge|date=17 May 2010|accessdate=17 May 2010}}</ref> |
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* 27 May 2010: medal of honor from the Brazilian Federation of Industry for the [[São Paulo (state)|State of São Paulo]] ([[Federação das Indústrias do Estado de São Paulo|FIESP]]) for his contributions to industry<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=59101 |title=Turkey's PM hails "new era" in Brazil ties on first visit |work=worldbulletin.net |date=27 May 2010 |accessdate=27 May 2010 }}{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=Iambic Pentameter |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> |
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* 31 May 2010: [[World Health Organization]] 2010 World No Tobacco Award for "his dedicated leadership on tobacco control in Turkey."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.who.int/tobacco/wntd/2010/awards/en|title=World No Tobacco Day 2010 Awards – the winners|work=World Health Organization|date=31 May 2010|accessdate=31 May 2010}}</ref> |
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* 29 June 2010: 2010 World Family Award from the World Family Organization which operates under the umbrella of the United Nations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldfamilyorganization.org/archive/news/2010/10-07-06-ECOSOC_Full.html|title=ECOSOC High-Level Segment 2010|work=World Family Organization|date=29 June 2010|accessdate=29 June 2010}}</ref> |
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* 4 November 2010: Golden Medal of Independence, an award conferred upon Kosovo citizens and foreigners that have contributed to the independence of Kosovo.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.president-ksgov.net/?page=2,6,1429|title=The Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo Dr. Jakup Krasniqi receives the Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayip Erdogan|work=President of the Republic of Kosovo|date=4 November 2010|accessdate=4 November 2010}}</ref> |
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* 25 November 2010: "Leader of the Year" award presented by the Union of Arab Banks in [[Lebanon]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=66697|title=Turkish PM presented "Leader of the Year" award in Lebanon|work=World Bulletin|date=25 November 2010|accessdate=25 November 2010}}</ref> |
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* 29 November 2010: guest of honor at the 3rd [[EU-Africa Summit]] in Libya and recipient of the [[Al-Gaddafi International Prize for Human Rights]].<ref name="google.com">{{cite news|last=[[Agence France-Presse]]|title=Turkish PM to receive Libyan rights award|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g5aVx0GAIpKInngJGjy6ZsndVG-Q?docId=CNG.25177ec61aed2bd3050d3e2b8bda84d2.6d1|publisher=[[Agence France-Presse]]|date=26 November 2010|accessdate=27 November 2010}}</ref> |
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* 11 January 2011: "Outstanding Personality in the Islamic World Award" of the Sheikh Fahad al-Ahmad International Award for Charity in [[Kuwait]].<ref name="google.com"/> |
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* 2 February 2011: Kyrgyzstan's Danaker Order in [[Bishkek]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=69287|title=Kyrgyzstan decorates Turkish PM with Danaker Order|work=World Bulletin|date=2 February 2011|accessdate=2 February 2011}}</ref> |
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* 25 October 2011: Palestinian International Award for Excellence and Creativity (PIA) 2011 for his support to the Palestinian people and cause.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/news-260972-prime-minister-erdogan-receives-palestinian-excellence-award.html|title=Prime Minister Erdoğan receives Palestinian excellence award|work=Today's Zaman|date=25 October 2011|accessdate=25 October 2011}}</ref> |
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* 21 January 2012: 'Gold Statue 2012 Special Award' by the Polish Business Center Club (BCC). Erdoğan was awarded for his systematic effort to clear barriers on the way to economic growth, striving to build democracy and free market relations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenews.pl/1/12/Artykul/83932,Turkish-PM-receives-Polish-business-award|title=Turkish PM receives Polish business award|work=[[Polskie Radio]]|date=23 January 2012|accessdate=25 January 2012}}</ref> |
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Erdoğan, as well as other high-ranking Turkish government officials, has issued repeated demands to the US to extradite Gülen.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/11/politics/turkey-us-fethullah-gulen-ultimatum/index.html|title=Turkey's Erdogan demands US hand over cleric|author=Euan McKirdy and Hande Atay Alam|publisher=[[CNN]]|date=11 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/28/turkey-fethullah-gulen-extradition-coup-attempt|title=Turkey officials to demand extradition of Fethullah Gülen from US|author=Patrick Wintour |date=28 July 2016|work=The Guardian}}</ref> |
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===Honorary citizenship=== |
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* [[Seoul]], [[South Korea]], February 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.radikal.com.tr/haber.php?haberno=105645|title=Erdoğan: Our efforts are not enough|work=[[Radikal]]|date=10 February 2004|accessdate=10 February 2004}}</ref> |
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Following the coup attempt, there has been a significant deterioration in Turkey-US relations. European and other world leaders have expressed their concerns over the situation in Turkey, with many of them warning Erdoğan not to use the coup attempt as an excuse to crack down on his opponents.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/17/turkey-coup-plot-president-erdogan-rounds-up-thousands-of-soldie/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/17/turkey-coup-plot-president-erdogan-rounds-up-thousands-of-soldie/ |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Turkey coup attempt: World leaders warn President Erdogan not to use uprising as excuse for crackdown as more than 6,000 arrested|first1=Henry|last1=Bodkin|first2=David|last2=Millward|first3=Josie|last3=Ensor|first4=James|last4=Rothwell|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=17 July 2016|access-date=28 October 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref> |
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* [[Tehran]], [[Iran]], February 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=84446§ionid=351020101|title=Erdogan becomes honorary Tehran citizen|work=[[Press TV]]|date=2 February 2009|accessdate=2 February 2009}}</ref> |
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* [[Prizren]], [[Kosovo]], November 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=65932|title=Erdogan in Kosovo vows to protect all historical traces|work=Worldbulletin|date=4 November 2010|accessdate=4 November 2010}}</ref> |
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The rise of ISIS and the collapse of the Kurdish peace process had led to a sharp rise in terror incidents in Turkey until 2016. Erdoğan was accused by his critics of having a 'soft corner' for ISIS.<ref>{{cite news|author=Simon Tisdall |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/29/turkey-pays-price-erdogan-blindness-to-isis-threat |title=Turkey paying a price for Erdoğan's wilful blindness to Isis threat |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=15 July 2016}}</ref> However, after the attempted coup, Erdoğan ordered the Turkish military into Syria to combat ISIS and Kurdish militant groups.<ref>{{cite news|author=Kareem Shaheen |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/24/turkey-launches-major-operation-against-isis-in-key-border-town |title=Turkey sends tanks into Syria in operation aimed at Isis and Kurds |newspaper=The Guardian |date=24 August 2016 |access-date=16 April 2017}}</ref> Erdoğan's critics have decried purges in the education system and judiciary as undermining the rule of law<ref>{{cite news|last=Macdonald |first=Alastair |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-security-eu-mogherini-idUSKCN0ZY0EZ |title='No excuse' for Turkey to abandon rule of law: EU's Mogherini |work=Reuters |date=18 July 2016 |access-date=16 April 2017}}</ref> however Erdoğan supporters argue this is a necessary measure as Gulen-linked schools cheated on entrance exams, requiring a purge in the education system and of the Gulen followers who then entered the judiciary.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/08/05/fethullah-gulen-race-top-over-turkey-erdogan-secularism-schools/ |title=Fethullah Gulen's Race to the Top Is Over |magazine=Foreign Policy |date=5 August 2016 |access-date=16 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailysabah.com/elections/2015/06/15/turkey-21-suspects-detained-in-civil-service-exam-cheating-scandal |title=Turkey: 21 suspects detained in civil service exam cheating scandal |newspaper=Daily Sabah |date=15 June 2015 |access-date=16 April 2017}}</ref> |
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Erdoğan's plan is "to reconstitute Turkey as a presidential system. The plan would create a centralized system that would enable him to better tackle Turkey's internal and external threats. One of the main hurdles allegedly standing in his way is Fethullah Gulen's movement ..."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://asiatimes.com/erdogans-global-anti-gulen-drive-hits-pakistan/|title=Erdogan's global anti-Gulen drive hits Pakistan|last=Salman|first=Rafi|date=20 November 2016 |website=Asia Times |access-date=22 November 2016}}</ref> In the aftermath of the [[2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt]], a groundswell of national unity and consensus emerged for cracking down on the coup plotters with a National Unity rally held in Turkey that included Islamists, secularists, liberals and nationalists.<ref>{{cite web|last=McKirdy |first=Euan |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/08/europe/turkey-coup-unity-rally/ |title=Turkey's Erdogan tells million-strong unity rally: I support death penalty |publisher=CNN|date=8 August 2016 |access-date=16 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/08/turkey-istanbul-pro-democracy-rally-160807095400728.html |title=President Erdogan and opposition unite in Turkey rally |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=7 August 2016 |access-date=16 April 2017}}</ref> Erdoğan has used this consensus to remove Gulen's followers from the bureaucracy, curtail their role in NGOs, Turkey's Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Turkish military, with 149 Generals discharged.<ref>{{cite news|agency=Agence France-Presse |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/28/turkey-purges-military-leaders-in-wake-of-failed-coup |title=Turkish generals resign as government prepares to overhaul armed forces |newspaper=The Guardian |date=28 July 2016 |access-date=16 April 2017}}</ref> In a foreign policy shift Erdoğan ordered the Turkish Armed Forces into battle in Syria and has liberated towns from IS control.<ref>{{cite news|first1=Orhan |last1=Coskun |first2=Nick |last2=Tattersall |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-turkey-dabiq-idUSKBN12G0UK |title=Turkish operations in Syria to continue after Dabiq liberated: Erdogan's spokesman |work=Reuters |date=16 October 2016 |access-date=16 April 2017}}</ref> As relations with Europe soured over in the aftermath of the attempted coup, Erdoğan developed alternative relationships with Russia,<ref>{{cite news|author=Shaun Walker in Moscow and Jennifer Rankin in Brussels |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/09/erdogan-meets-putin-leaders-seek-mend-ties-jet-downing-russia-turkey |title=Erdoğan and Putin discuss closer ties in first meeting since jet downing |newspaper=The Guardian |date=9 August 2016 |access-date=16 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/one-year-halt-in-turkey-russia-ties-over-turkish-pm.aspx?pageID=238&nID=106951&NewsCatID=510 |title=One-year halt in Turkey, Russia ties 'over': Turkish PM |work=Hürriyet Daily News |date=6 December 2016 |access-date=16 April 2017}}</ref> Saudi Arabia<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/954596/saudi-arabia |title=KSA welcomes Erdogan's success against coup attempt |newspaper=Arab News |date=21 November 2016 |access-date=16 April 2017}}</ref> and a "strategic partnership" with [[Pakistan–Turkey relations|Pakistan]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/turkey-pakistan-vow-to-strengthen-ties-further/687871 |title=Turkey, Pakistan vow to strengthen ties further |publisher=Aa.com.tr |date=17 November 2016 |access-date=16 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.radio.gov.pk/27-Nov-2016/pakistan-turkey-reaffirm-commitment-to-intensify-mutual-cooperation |title=Pakistan, Turkey reaffirm commitment to intensify mutual cooperation |publisher=Radio.gov.pk |date=27 November 2016 |access-date=16 April 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170420210758/http://www.radio.gov.pk/27-Nov-2016/pakistan-turkey-reaffirm-commitment-to-intensify-mutual-cooperation |archive-date=20 April 2017}}</ref> with plans to cultivate relations through free trade agreements and deepening military relations for mutual co-operation with Turkey's regional allies.<ref>{{cite web|author=Yusuf Hati̇p |url=http://aa.com.tr/en/todays-headlines/turkey-pakistan-free-trade-deal-to-be-ready-in-dec/685961 |title=Turkey, Pakistan free trade deal to be ready in Dec |publisher=Anadolu Agency |date=15 November 2016 |access-date=16 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=David Rider |url=http://www.marsecreview.com/2016/10/pakisan-turkey-in-navy-drills/ |title=Pakistan, Turkey in navy drills | Maritime Security Review |publisher=Marsecreview.com |date=31 October 2016 |access-date=16 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/167333-Pakistan-to-sell-52-Super-Mushshak-aircraft-to-Turkey |title=Pakistan to sell 52 Super Mushshak aircraft to Turkey | Top Story |work=The News International |date=24 November 2016 |access-date=16 April 2017}}</ref> |
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==== 2023 earthquake ==== |
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{{Main|2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes}} |
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On 6 February 2023, a [[2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes|catastrophic earthquake]] occurred during his administration in southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria,<ref>{{cite news |title=Erdogan's earthquake: how years of bad government made a disaster worse |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/04/turkey-erdogan-earthquake-how-years-of-bad-government-made-a-disaster-worse |work=The Guardian |date=4 May 2023}}</ref> killing more than 50,000 people.<ref>{{cite news |title=Erdogan again? Amid rubble of Turkey's quake, voters demand to be heard |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/erdogan-again-amid-rubble-turkeys-quake-voters-demand-be-heard-2023-05-09/ |work=Reuters |date=9 May 2023}}</ref> |
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== Ideology and public image == |
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{{Main|Public image of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan}} |
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Early during his premiership, Erdoğan was praised as a role model for emerging Middle Eastern nations due to several reform packages initiated by his government which expanded religious freedoms and minority rights as part of [[Accession of Turkey to the European Union|accession negotiations]] with the [[European Union]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/has-recep-tayyip-erdogan-gone-from-model-middle-east-strongman-to-tinpot-dictator-9252366.html|title=Has Recep Tayyip Erdogan gone from model Middle East 'strongman' to tin-pot dictator?|last=Fisk|first=Robert|date=10 April 2014|access-date=5 December 2014|work=The Independent}}</ref> However, his government underwent several crises including the [[Sledgehammer (coup plan)|Sledgehammer coup]] and the [[Ergenekon trials]], corruption scandals, accusations of media intimidation, as well as the pursuit of an increasingly polarizing political agenda; the opposition accused the government of inciting political hatred throughout the country.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gülen acquitted of trying to overthrow secular government |url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/gulen-acquitted-of-trying-to-overthrow-secular-government.aspx?pageID=438&n=gulen-acquitted-of-trying-to-overthrow-secular-government-2006-05-06 |newspaper=[[Hürriyet Daily News]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=6 May 2006 |access-date=22 January 2016}}</ref> He has also been described as having "long championed Islamist causes".<ref>{{cite news |last= Kirby |first= Paul |date= 11 May 2023 |title= Turkey's Erdogan fighting to stay in power after 20 years |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13746679 |work= BBC News |access-date= 12 May 2023 |quote= Mr Erdogan has long championed Islamist causes - and was known to give the four-finger salute of Egypt's repressed Muslim Brotherhood.}}</ref> |
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=== Ziya Gökalp === |
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In 2019, Erdoğan once again publicly recited [[Ziya Gökalp]]'s ''Soldier's Prayer'' poem, as he had done in 1997. According to [[Hans-Lukas Kieser]], these recitations betray Erdoğan's desire to create Gökalp's pre-1923 ideal, that is, "a modern, leader-led Islamic-Turkish state extending beyond the boundaries of the [[Treaty of Lausanne]]".<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kieser |first1=Hans-Lukas|authorlink=Hans-Lukas Kieser |title=Europe's Seminal Proto-Fascist? Historically Approaching Ziya Gökalp, Mentor of Turkish Nationalism |journal=Die Welt des Islams |date=2021 |volume=61 |issue=4 |page=415 |doi=10.1163/15700607-61020008|s2cid=241148959 }}</ref> |
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=== Ottomanism === |
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{{See also|Neo-Ottomanism}} |
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[[File:Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Mahmoud Abbas.jpg|thumb|180px|Erdoğan meeting Palestinian president Abbas in Erdoğan's [[Presidential Compound (Turkey)|Presidential Palace]]]] |
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As President, Erdoğan has overseen a revival of [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] tradition,<ref name="Calian">{{Cite web|last=Calian|first=Florin George|date=25 March 2021|title=The Hagia Sophia and Turkey's Neo-Ottomanism|url=https://armenianweekly.com/2021/03/24/the-hagia-sophia-and-turkeys-neo-ottomanism/|access-date=28 May 2021|website=The Armenian Weekly|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=10 October 2020|title=Europe must wake up to Erdogan's neo-Ottoman ambition|url=https://capx.co/europe-must-wake-up-to-erdogans-neo-ottoman-ambition/|access-date=28 May 2021|website=CapX|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name="Essentials"/> greeting Palestinian president [[Mahmoud Abbas]] with an Ottoman-style ceremony in the [[Presidential Compound (Turkey)|new presidential palace]], with [[Presidential Guard Regiment (Turkey)|guards dressed]] in costumes representing founders of [[16 Great Turkish Empires]] in history.<ref name=Presidency>{{cite web|url=http://www.tccb.gov.tr/sayfa/cumhurbaskanligi/fors/|title=T.C. CUMHURBAŞKANLIĞI : Cumhurbaşkanlığı|author=cumhurbaskanligi@tccb.gov.tr|work=tccb.gov.tr|access-date=26 February 2015|archive-date=4 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004181013/http://www.tccb.gov.tr/sayfa/cumhurbaskanligi/fors/|url-status=dead}}</ref> While Prime Minister of Turkey, Erdoğan's AKP made references to the Ottoman era during election campaigns, such as calling their supporters 'grandsons of Ottomans' ''(Osmanlı torunu).''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.taraf.com.tr/politika/akpnin-sarkisinda-uzun-adam-gitti-osmanli-torunu-geldi/|title=AKP'nin şarkısında 'Uzun adam' gitti 'Osmanlı torunu' geldi ! – Taraf Gazetesi|author=Oktay Özilhan|work=Taraf Gazetesi|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150208184432/http://www.taraf.com.tr/politika/akpnin-sarkisinda-uzun-adam-gitti-osmanli-torunu-geldi/|archive-date=8 February 2015}}</ref> This proved controversial, since it was perceived to be an open attack against the republican nature of modern Turkey founded by [[Mustafa Kemal Atatürk]]. In 2015, Erdoğan made a statement in which he endorsed the old Ottoman term ''külliye'' to refer to university campuses rather than the standard Turkish word ''kampüs''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ilk-kursun.com/haber/212703/erdogan-kampus-degil-kulliye/|title=Erdoğan: Kampus değil, külliye|work=ilk-kursun.com|access-date=4 March 2015|archive-date=3 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603024620/http://www.ilk-kursun.com/haber/212703/erdogan-kampus-degil-kulliye/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Many critics have thus accused Erdoğan of wanting to become an Ottoman [[sultan]] and abandon the secular and democratic credentials of the Republic.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/recep-tayyip-erdogan-the-new-sultan-now-has-a-new-palace--and-it-has-cost-turkish-taxpayers-400m-9841319.html|title=Recep Tayyip Erdogan: The 'new sultan' now has a new palace – and it has cost Turkish taxpayers £400m|work=The Independent|access-date=10 September 2017|archive-date=25 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925191452/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/recep-tayyip-erdogan-the-new-sultan-now-has-a-new-palace--and-it-has-cost-turkish-taxpayers-400m-9841319.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/erdogan-is-turkeys-new-sultan-1407865770|title=Erdogan Is Turkey's New Sultan|work=The Wall Street Journal|date=13 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/news/europe/21612237-recep-tayyip-erdogans-plans-presidency-next-sultan|title=The next sultan?|date=16 August 2014|newspaper=The Economist}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/turkey/11380281/Turkeys-president-is-not-acting-like-the-Queen-he-is-acting-like-a-sultan.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/turkey/11380281/Turkeys-president-is-not-acting-like-the-Queen-he-is-acting-like-a-sultan.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title='Turkey's president is not acting like the Queen – he is acting like a sultan'|date=2 February 2015|work=The Daily Telegraph|last1=Akkoc|first1=Raziye}}{{cbignore}}</ref> |
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When pressed on this issue in January 2015, Erdoğan denied these claims and said that he would aim to be more like [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|Queen]] [[Elizabeth II]] of the United Kingdom rather than like an Ottoman sultan.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/turkey/11380355/Turkish-president-Recep-Tayyip-Erdogan-I-want-to-be-like-Queen-of-UK.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/turkey/11380355/Turkish-president-Recep-Tayyip-Erdogan-I-want-to-be-like-Queen-of-UK.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan: I want to be like Queen of UK|date=30 January 2015|work=The Daily Telegraph|last1=Akkoc|first1=Raziye}}{{cbignore}}</ref> |
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In July 2020, after the [[Council of State (Turkey)|Council of State]] annulled the [[Cabinet of Turkey|Cabinet]]'s 1934 decision to establish the [[Hagia Sophia]] as museum and revoking the monument's status, Erdoğan ordered its reclassification as a mosque.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Bethan McKernan |title=Erdoğan leads first prayers at Hagia Sophia museum reverted to mosque |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/24/erdogan-prayers-hagia-sophia-museum-turned-mosque |website=The Guardian |access-date=2 February 2021 |language=English |date=25 July 2020}}</ref><ref name="iletisim">{{Cite web|date=10 July 2020|title=Presidential Decree on the opening of Hagia Sophia to worship promulgated on the Official Gazette|url=http://wt.iletisim.gov.tr/english/haberler/detay/presidential-decree-on-the-opening-of-hagia-sophia-to-worship-promulgated-on-the-official-gazette-of-the-republic-of-turkey/|access-date=17 July 2020|work=Presidency of the Republic of Turkey: Directorate of Communications|language=en}}</ref> The 1934 decree was ruled to be unlawful under both Ottoman and Turkish law as Hagia Sophia's ''[[waqf]]'', endowed by [[Mehmed the Conqueror|Sultan Mehmed II]], had designated the site a mosque; proponents of the decision argued the Hagia Sophia was the personal property of the sultan.<ref>{{cite news|date=10 July 2020|title=Turkey's Erdogan says Hagia Sophia becomes mosque after court ruling|publisher=CNBC|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/10/turkeys-erdogan-says-hagia-sophia-becomes-mosque-after-court-ruling.html|access-date=24 July 2020}}</ref> This redesignation is controversial, invoking condemnation from the Turkish opposition, [[UNESCO]], the [[World Council of Churches]], the [[Holy See]], and many other international leaders.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news|date=11 July 2020|title=Church body wants Hagia Sophia decision reversed|language=en|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53375739|access-date=13 July 2020}}</ref><ref name="BBC2020">{{cite news|date=12 July 2020|title=Pope 'pained' by Hagia Sophia mosque decision|language=en|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53371341|access-date=13 July 2020}}</ref><ref name="AJ2020">{{cite news|date=10 July 2020|title=World reacts to Turkey reconverting Hagia Sophia into a mosque|language=en|publisher=Al Jazeera|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/07/world-reacts-turkey-reconverting-hagia-sophia-mosque-200710135637861.html|access-date=10 July 2020}}</ref> In August 2020, he also signed the order that transferred the administration of the [[Chora Church]] to the Directorate of Religious Affairs to open it for worship as a mosque.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.sozcu.com.tr/2020/gundem/son-dakika-istanbuldaki-kariye-camii-ibadete-aciliyor-5998871/ | title = Kariye Camii ibadete açılıyor | newspaper = [[Sözcü]] | date = 21 August 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200821084710/https://www.sozcu.com.tr/2020/gundem/son-dakika-istanbuldaki-kariye-camii-ibadete-aciliyor-5998871/ | archive-date = 21 August 2020}}</ref> Initially converted to a mosque by the Ottomans, the building had then been designated as a museum by the government since 1934.<ref name=Yackley>{{cite web |url=https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/court-ruling-converting-turkish-museum-to-mosque-could-set-precedent-for-hagia-sophia |title=Court Ruling Converting Turkish Museum to Mosque Could Set Precedent for Hagia Sophia |last=Yackley |first=Ayla |date=3 December 2019 |publisher=The Art Newspaper |access-date=9 December 2019}}</ref><ref name="Calian" /> |
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In August 2020, Erdoğan gave a speech saying that "in our civilization, conquest is not occupation or looting. It is establishing the dominance of the justice that Allah commanded in the region. First of all, our nation removed the oppression from the areas that it conquered. It established justice. This is why our civilization is one of conquest. Turkey will take what is its right in the Mediterranean Sea, in the Aegean Sea, and in the Black Sea."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://worldisraelnews.com/watch-turkish-conquest-is-spreading-the-justice-of-allah-erdogan-says/#disqus_thread|title=WATCH: Turkish conquest is spreading the justice of Allah, Erdogan says |date=6 September 2020 |publisher=World Israel News|access-date=18 November 2022}}</ref><ref name="Calian"/> In October 2020, he made a statement before the [[Grand National Assembly of Turkey|Grand National Assembly]] that "[[Jerusalem]] is ours", referring to the period of Ottoman rule over the city and the rebuilding of its [[Old City (Jerusalem)|Old City]] by [[Suleiman the Magnificent]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2020-10-09/ty-article/.premium/erdogan-jerusalem-is-ours-what-really-stands-behind-turkey-hagia-sophia-church-of-the-holy-sepulchre/0000017f-e4ad-d7b2-a77f-e7afee730000|last=Bar'el|first=Zvi|title='Jerusalem Is Ours': Behind Erdogan's Remarkable Claim|publisher=Haaretz|date=9 October 2020|access-date=9 May 2023}}</ref> |
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In October 2023 the first church built with government backing in Turkey's 100-year history as a post-Ottoman state was inaugurated.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-08 |title=Erdogan to open modern Turkish state's first new church |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231008-erdogan-to-open-modern-turkish-state-s-first-new-church |access-date=2023-10-08 |website=France 24 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-08 |title=Erdogan eröffnet erste Kirche seit Republiksgründung |url=https://orf.at/stories/3334094/ |access-date=2023-10-08 |website=ORF |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-08 |title=Une nouvelle église pour Istanbul, la première en 100 ans de république |url=https://information.tv5monde.com/international/une-nouvelle-eglise-pour-istanbul-la-premiere-en-100-ans-de-republique-2670528 |access-date=2023-10-08 |website=TV5MONDE |language=fr }}{{Dead link|date=February 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> |
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=== Authoritarianism === |
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Erdoğan has been the [[de facto]] leader of Turkey since 2002.{{Efn|Erdoğan won the elections in 2002, but was prevented from becoming prime minister until the [[2003 Siirt Province by-election|by-election]] in 2003. In the meanwhile, [[Abdullah Gül]] was chairholder.}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/alon-benmeir/how-turkey-became-a-de-fa_b_9932160.html|title=How Turkey Became a De Facto Dictatorship|last=Ben-Meir|first=Alon|date=12 May 2016|website=HuffPost|language=en-US|access-date=22 June 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-13746679|title=Erdogan: Turkey's pugnacious president|date=17 April 2017|work=BBC News|access-date=22 June 2018|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://time.com/4410491/turkey-president-erdogan-history/|title=How Turkey's Erdogan First Came to Power|magazine=Time|language=en|access-date=22 June 2018}}</ref> In the more recent years of Erdoğan's rule, Turkey has experienced increasing [[authoritarianism]], [[democratic backsliding]], and corruption,<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Yildirim |first1=A. Kadir |last2=Lynch |first2=Marc |date=8 December 2016 |title=Is there still hope for Turkish democracy? |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/12/08/is-there-still-hope-for-turkish-democracy/ |access-date=27 June 2018 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Esen |first1=Berk |last2=Gumuscu |first2=Sebnem |year=2016 |title=Rising competitive authoritarianism in Turkey |url=http://repository.bilkent.edu.tr/bitstream/11693/36632/1/Rising%20competitive%20authoritarianism%20in%20Turkey.pdf |journal=Third World Quarterly |volume=37 |issue=9 |pages=1581–1606 |doi=10.1080/01436597.2015.1135732 |s2cid=155983134 |hdl-access=free |hdl=11693/36632}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=5 January 2018 |title=Turkey |url=https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2018/turkey |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707210506/https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2018/turkey |archive-date=7 July 2019 |access-date=27 June 2018 |publisher=Freedom House |language=en}}</ref> as well as [[expansionism]], [[censorship]], and banning of [[political party|parties]] or dissent.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Meakem |first=Allison |date=25 December 2020 |title=Turkey's President Erdogan Spent 2020 Bolstering His Neo-Ottoman Foreign Policy |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/12/25/turkeys-year-of-living-dangerously/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20201227075233/https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/12/25/turkeys-year-of-living-dangerously/ |archive-date=27 December 2020 |website=[[Foreign Policy]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cook |first=Steven A. |title=How Erdogan Got His Groove Back |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/04/08/how-erdogan-got-his-groove-back/ |website=[[Foreign Policy]]|date=8 April 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=25 March 2021 |title=Democratic decay and uncertainty in Turkey |url=https://diem25.org/democratic-decay-and-uncertainty-turkey/ |website=[[Democracy in Europe Movement 2025]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Goodman |first=Peter S. |date=18 August 2018 |title=The West Hoped for Democracy in Turkey. Erdogan Had Other Ideas. |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/18/business/west-democracy-turkey-erdogan-financial-crisis.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Aytaç |first=Selim Erdem |year=2021 |title=Effectiveness of Incumbent's Strategic Communication during Economic Crisis under Electoral Authoritarianism: Evidence from Turkey |journal=American Political Science Review |language=en |volume=115 |issue=4 |pages=1517–1523 |doi=10.1017/S0003055421000587 |issn=0003-0554 |doi-access=free}}</ref> In response to criticism, Erdoğan made a speech in May 2014 denouncing allegations of dictatorship, saying that the leader of the opposition, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who was there at the speech, would not be able to "roam the streets" freely if he were a dictator.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/turkiye/76193/Kilicdaroglu__Uc_gun_sussa_huzur_olur.html|title=Kılıçdaroğlu: Üç gün sussa huzur olur|language=tr|trans-title=Kılıçdaroğlu: Three days peace is suspect|date=27 May 2014|access-date=5 December 2014}}</ref> Kılıçdaroğlu responded that political tensions would cease to exist if Erdoğan stopped making his polarizing speeches for three days.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.chp.org.tr/?p=148819|title=Genel Başkan Kılıçdaroğlu, 'Diktatörlerin ortak özelliği çok korkak olmalarıdır' dedi ve 'Diktatör değilim' diyen Erdoğan'a, o zaman diktatör bozuntususun" diye seslendi|language=tr|trans-title=President to 'The common features of dictators is that they are too cowardly'|date=27 May 2014|access-date=5 December 2014}}</ref> One observer said it was a measure of the state of Turkish democracy that Prime Minister [[Ahmet Davutoğlu]] could openly threaten, on 20 December 2015, that, if his party did not win the election, Turkish Kurds would endure a repeat of the era of the [[Gendarmerie Intelligence Organization|"white Toros"]].<ref name="NYRB CdeB">{{Cite journal |last= de Bellaigue |first= Christopher |author-link= Christopher de Bellaigue |year= 2015 |title= The Sultan of Turkey |url= http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2015/12/17/erdogan-sultan-turkey/ |journal= [[The New York Review of Books]] |volume= 62 |number= 20 |pages= 85–87 |access-date= 28 January 2016 }}</ref> |
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In April 2014, the President of the Constitutional Court, [[Haşim Kılıç]], accused Erdoğan of damaging the credibility of the judiciary, labelling Erdoğan's attempts to increase political control over the courts as 'desperate'.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/1a4b7676-cc7e-11e3-9b5f-00144feabdc0.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/1a4b7676-cc7e-11e3-9b5f-00144feabdc0.html |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Turkey's top judge accuses Erdogan of damaging rule of law|work=Financial Times|date=25 April 2014|access-date=5 December 2014|first=Daniel|last=Dombey}}</ref> During the chaotic [[2007 Turkish presidential election|2007 presidential election]], the military issued an [[E-memorandum]] warning the government to keep within the boundaries of secularism when choosing a candidate. Regardless, Erdoğan's close relations with [[Fethullah Gülen]] and his Cemaat Movement allowed his government to maintain a degree of influence within the judiciary through Gülen's supporters in high judicial and bureaucratic offices.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25885817|publisher=BBC|title=Fethullah Gulen: Powerful but reclusive Turkish cleric|last=Franks|first=Tim|date=27 January 2014|access-date=5 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.yahoo.com/battle-lines-drawn-struggle-influence-over-turkish-judiciary-135714630.html|title=Battle lines drawn in struggle for influence over Turkish judiciary|last1=Ozbilgin|first1=Ozbe|last2=Butler|first2=Daren|date=1 September 2014|access-date=5 December 2014|work=Yahoo News}}</ref> Shortly after, an alleged coup plot codenamed [[Sledgehammer (coup plan)|Sledgehammer]] became public and resulted in the imprisonment of 300 military officers including [[İbrahim Fırtına]], [[Çetin Doğan]] and [[Engin Alan]]. Several opposition politicians, journalists and military officers also [[Ergenekon trials|went on trial]] for allegedly being part of an ultra-nationalist organization called [[Ergenekon (allegation)|Ergenekon]]. |
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[[File:Supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan react to anti-Erdogan supporters outside the White House in Washington 01.jpg|thumb|Erdoğan's supporters outside the White House in [[Washington, D.C.]], 16 May 2017]] |
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Both cases were marred by irregularities and were condemned as a joint attempt by Erdoğan and Gülen to curb opposition to the AKP.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ilkehaber.com/yazdir/haber/yargitay-kosulsuz-kaos-dedi--9772.htm|title=Yargıtay 'koşulsuz kaos' dedi|work=ilkehaber|language=tr|trans-title=Supreme Court in "unconditional chaos"|date=4 December 2014|access-date=5 December 2014}}</ref> The original Sledgehammer document containing the coup plans, allegedly written in 2003, was found to have been written using [[Microsoft Word 2007]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65959|title=Turkey: What happens after the "Sledgehammer" Verdict|first=Yigal|last=Schleifer|date=25 September 2012|access-date=5 December 2014|work=eurasianet}}</ref> Despite both domestic and international calls for these irregularities to be addressed in order to guarantee a fair trial, Erdoğan instead praised his government for bringing the coup plots to light.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ulusalkanal.com.tr/gundem/akpli-mustafa-elitasin-ergenekon-tertibinde-rol-aldigi-ortaya-cikti-ses-kaydiyla-h8460.html|title=AKP'li Mustafa Elitaş'ın Ergenekon tertibinde rol aldığı ortaya çıktı! Ses kaydıyla|language=tr|trans-title=AKP'li Mustafa Elitaş'ın Ergenekon's scheme stars in voice recording|date=25 January 2013|access-date=5 December 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113144228/http://www.ulusalkanal.com.tr/gundem/akpli-mustafa-elitasin-ergenekon-tertibinde-rol-aldigi-ortaya-cikti-ses-kaydiyla-h8460.html|archive-date=13 November 2014}}</ref> When Gülen publicly withdrew support and openly attacked Erdoğan in late 2013, several imprisoned military officers and journalists were released, with the government admitting that the judicial proceedings were unfair.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aa.com.tr/tr/tag/298101--ilker-basbug-tahliye-edildi|title=İlker Başbuğ serbest bırakıldı|language=tr|trans-title=İlker Başbuğ released|date=7 March 2014|access-date=5 December 2014|work=Anadolu Ajansi}}</ref> |
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When Gülen withdrew support from the AKP government in late 2013, a [[2013 corruption scandal in Turkey|government corruption scandal]] broke out, leading to the arrest of several family members of cabinet ministers. Erdoğan accused Gülen of co-ordinating a "[[parallel state]]" within the judiciary in an attempt to topple him from power. He then removed or reassigned several judicial officials in an attempt to remove Gülen's supporters from office. Erdoğan's 'purge' was widely questioned and criticized by the European Union.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/21/brussels-turkey-prime-minister-erdogan-rewrite-law-judiciary-police|title=Brussels urges Turkish PM Erdogan to redraft law purging police and judiciary|last1=Traynor|first1=Ian|last2=Letsch|first2=Constanze|date=22 January 2014|access-date=5 December 2014|work=The Guardian}}</ref> In early 2014, a new law was passed by parliament giving the government greater control over the judiciary, which sparked public protest throughout the country. International organizations perceived the law to be a danger to the [[separation of powers]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://tv.cnnturk.com/video/2014/01/17/programlar/dort-bir-taraf/turkiye-deki-yargi-sistemi-hsyk-yasasinin-gelecegi-ve-17-aralik-sureci-dort-bir-taraf-16-01-2014/2014-01-16T2130/index.html|title=Türkiye'deki yargı sistemi, HSYK 'nın yapısı ve 17 Aralık sürecinde paralel devlet ve yolsuzluk iddiaları masaya yatırıldı.|language=tr|trans-title=The judicial system in Turkey|work=CNN Türk|date=16 January 2014|access-date=5 December 2014}}</ref> |
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Several judicial officials removed from their posts said that they had been removed due to their secularist credentials. The political opposition accused Erdoğan of not only attempting to remove Gülen supporters, but supporters of [[Mustafa Kemal Atatürk]]'s principles as well, in order to pave the way for increased politicization of the judiciary. Several family members of Erdoğan's ministers who had been arrested as a result of the 2013 corruption scandal were released, and a judicial order to question Erdoğan's son Bilal Erdoğan was annulled.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.haberfedai.com/haber/12792/bilal-erdogan-artik-yakalanmayacak|title=Bilal Erdoğan artık 'yakalanmayacak'|language=tr|trans-title=Bilal Erdogan is no longer under arrest|date=16 January 2014|access-date=5 December 2014|work=haberfedai|archive-url=https://archive.today/20141011142209/http://www.haberfedai.com/haber/12792/bilal-erdogan-artik-yakalanmayacak|archive-date=11 October 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> Controversy erupted when it emerged that many of the newly appointed judicial officials were actually AKP supporters.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/siyaset/37959/Hakim_ve_savcilar_AKP_li_cikti_.html|title=Hakim ve savcılar AKP'li çıktı!|language=tr|trans-title=Judges and prosecutors outed as AKP|work=cumhuriyet|date=5 February 2014|access-date=5 December 2014}}</ref> İslam Çiçek, a judge who ejected the cases of five ministers' relatives accused of corruption, was accused of being an AKP supporter and an official investigation was launched into his political affiliations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.samanyoluhaber.com/gundem/Reza-Zarrabi-tahliye-eden-hakimin-Facebook-bilgileri-sasirtti/1042852/|title=Tahliye kararı veren hakim İslam Çiçek, Facebook'ta Uzun Adam hayranı çıktı! |
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|language=tr|trans-title=Judge Islam Çiçek's decisions vacated, Facebook claims links to Uzun Adam|date=1 May 2014|access-date=5 December 2014|work=amanyolu haber}}</ref> On 1 September 2014, the courts dissolved the cases of 96 suspects, which included Bilal Erdoğan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ilkelihaber.com/index.php?id=5589452&ad=%2025%20Aral%FDk%20Yolsuzluk%20Soru%FEturmas%FD%20Kapat%FDld%FD|title= 25 Aralık Yolsuzluk Soruşturması Kapatıldı |language=tr|trans-title=Corruption investigation closed on 25 December|work=ilkelihaber|date=1 September 2014|access-date=5 December 2014}}</ref> |
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==== Suppression of dissent ==== |
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[[File:Ntv-Van Media for sales.png|thumb|An [[NTV (Turkey)|NTV]] news van covered in anti-AKP protest graffiti in response to their initial [[Media censorship and disinformation during the Gezi Park protests in Turkey|lack of coverage]] of the [[Gezi Park protests]] in 2013]] |
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{{See also|Censorship in Turkey|Media freedom in Turkey|Turkey's media purge after the failed July 2016 coup d'état|2016–present purges in Turkey}} |
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Erdoğan has been criticized for his politicization of the media, especially after the 2013 protests. The opposition [[Republican People's Party]] (CHP) alleged that over 1,863 journalists lost their jobs due to their anti-government views in 12 years of [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|AKP]] rule.<ref name="hurriyetdailynews.com">{{cite news|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/1863-turkish-journalists-fired-during-akp-rule-opposition-report-says.aspx?pageID=238&nID=73547&NewsCatID=339|title=1,863 Turkish journalists fired during AKP rule, opposition report says|work=Hürriyet Daily News|date=27 October 2014|access-date=5 December 2014}}</ref> Opposition politicians have also alleged that intimidation in the media is due to the government's attempt to restructure the ownership of private media corporations. Journalists from the [[Cihan News Agency]] and the Gülenist [[Zaman (newspaper)|''Zaman'' newspaper]] were repeatedly barred from attending government press conferences or asking questions.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/yavuz-baydar/barring-coverage-assaults_b_6135640.html|title=Barring Coverage, Assaults and Fear: New Reports Signal SOS for Turkish Media|last=Baydar|first=Yavuz|work=[[HuffPost]]|date=10 November 2014|access-date=5 December 2014}}</ref> Several opposition journalists such as [[Soner Yalçın]] were controversially arrested as part of the [[Ergenekon trials]] and [[Sledgehammer (coup plan)|Sledgehammer coup investigation]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://bianet.org/english/media/143140-soner-yalcin-imprisoned-journalist-released|title=Soner Yalçın, Imprisoned Journalist, Released|work=bianet|date=27 December 2012|access-date=5 December 2014}}</ref> Veli Ağbaba, a [[Republican People's Party|CHP]] politician, has called the AKP the 'biggest media boss in Turkey.'<ref name="hurriyetdailynews.com" /> |
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In 2015, 74 US senators sent a letter to [[United States Secretary of State|US Secretary of State]], [[John Kerry]], to state their concern over what they saw as deviations from the basic principles of democracy in Turkey and oppressions of Erdoğan over media.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/media/print/2015/03/19/U-S-Senators-urge-Kerry-to-speak-against-Turkey-media-crackdown-.html|title=U.S. Senators urge Kerry to speak against Turkey media crackdown |publisher=[[Al Arabiya]]|date=19 March 2015|access-date=19 March 2015}}</ref> |
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Notable cases of media censorship occurred during the 2013 anti-government protests, when the mainstream media did not broadcast any news regarding the demonstrations for three days after they began. The lack of media coverage was symbolised by [[CNN International]] covering the protests while [[CNN Türk]] broadcast a documentary about penguins at the same time.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jun/09/turkey-mainstream-media-penguins-protests|title=Why Turkey's mainstream media chose to show penguins rather than protests|work=The Guardian|first=Kerem|last=Oktem|date=10 June 2013|access-date=5 December 2014}}</ref> The [[RTÜK|Radio and Television Supreme Council]] (RTÜK) controversially issued a fine to pro-opposition news channels including [[Halk TV]] and [[Ulusal Kanal]] for their coverage of the protests, accusing them of broadcasting footage that could be morally, physically and mentally destabilizing to children.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/23486445.asp|title=RTÜK'ten Halk TV ve Ulusal Kanal'a ceza|language=tr|trans-title=Penalties for public TV and national channel RTUK|date=12 June 2013|last=Özgenç|first=Meltem|work=Hürriyet Daily News|access-date=5 December 2014}}</ref> Erdoğan was criticized for not responding to the accusations of media intimidation, and caused international outrage after telling a female journalist ([[Amberin Zaman]] of ''[[The Economist]]'') to know her place and calling her a 'shameless militant' during his [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presidential campaign, 2014|2014 presidential election campaign]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/know-your-place-you-shameless-militant-turkish-prime-minister-tells-female-journalist-9656896.html|title=Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan tells female journalist: 'Know your place, you shameless militant'|date=8 August 2014|last=Dearden|first=Lizzie|work=The Independent|access-date=5 December 2014}}</ref> While the [[2014 Turkish presidential election|2014 presidential election]] was not subject to substantial electoral fraud, Erdoğan was again criticized for receiving disproportionate media attention in comparison to his rivals. The British newspaper ''[[The Times]]'' commented that between 2 and 4 July, the state-owned media channel [[Turkish Radio and Television Corporation|TRT]] gave 204 minutes of coverage to Erdoğan's campaign and less than a total of 3 minutes to both his rivals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/turkce/haberler/2014/07/140731_erdogan_trt_times.shtml |title=Times: TRT'den Erdoğan'a 204, rakiplerine 3 dakika |work=BBC Turkey|date=31 July 2014|language=tr|trans-title=TIMES: TRT gave Erdogan 204, 3 to his opponent|access-date=5 December 2014}}</ref> |
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[[File:Yüksekdağ and Demirtaş.jpg|thumb|Opposition politicians [[Selahattin Demirtas|Selahattin Demirtaş]] and [[Figen Yüksekdağ]] had been arrested on terrorism charges.]] |
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Erdoğan also [[Internet regulation in Turkey|tightened controls over the Internet]], signing into law a bill which allows the government to block websites without prior court order on 12 September 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-internet-idUSKBN0H70N920140912|title=Erdogan approves law tightening Turkey's Internet controls|date=12 September 2014|work=Reuters|access-date=5 December 2014}}</ref> His government blocked [[Twitter]] and [[YouTube]] in late March 2014 following the release of a recording of a conversation between him and his son [[Bilal Erdoğan|Bilal]], where Erdoğan allegedly warned his family to 'nullify' all cash reserves at their home amid the [[2013 corruption scandal in Turkey|2013 corruption scandal]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/27/google-youtube-ban-turkey-erdogan|title=Erdogan approves law tightening Turkey's Internet controls|work=The Guardian|date=28 March 2014|first1=Constanze|last1=Letsch|first2=Dominic|last2=Rushe|access-date=5 December 2014}}</ref> Erdoğan has undertaken a media campaign that attempts to portray the presidential family as frugal and simple-living; their palace electricity-bill is estimated at $500,000 per month.<ref name="AlMon lavish">{{cite web | last = Tremblay | first = Pinar | date = 2 April 2015 | title = The Erdogans' lavish lifestyle | url = http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/04/erdogan-familys-attempt-to-appear-modest-backfire.html | website = [[Al-Monitor]] | access-date = 4 April 2015 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150404233617/http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/04/erdogan-familys-attempt-to-appear-modest-backfire.html | archive-date = 4 April 2015}}</ref> |
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In November 2016, the Turkish government<ref name="japantimes.co.jp" /> blocked access to [[social media]] in all of Turkey<ref name="BanReimposed1">{{cite news |title=Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp blocked in Turkey after arrest of opposition leaders|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/facebook-twitter-whatsapp-turkey-erdogan-blocked-opposition-leaders-arrested-a7396831.html|work=The Independent|date=4 November 2016}}</ref> as well as sought to completely block Internet access for the citizens in the southeast of the country.<ref name="BanReimposed2">{{cite news|title=CHP deputy Tanrıkulu slams internet cuts in eastern, southeastern Turkey|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/chp-deputy-tanrikulu-slams-internet-cuts-in-eastern-southeastern-turkey.aspx?pageID=238&nID=105490&NewsCatID=338|newspaper=Hürriyet Daily News|date=28 October 2016}}</ref> Since the 2016 coup attempt, authorities arrested or imprisoned more than 90,000 Turkish citizens.<ref>{{cite news |title=2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Turkey |url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/turkey/ |work=United States Department of State}}</ref> |
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===== Insulting the President lawsuits ===== |
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In February 2015, a 13-year-old was charged by a prosecutor after allegedly [[Article 299 (Turkish Penal Code)|insulting Erdoğan]] on Facebook.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ilk-kursun.com/haber/218880/13-yasindaki-cocuk-erdogana-hakaretten-ifade-verdi/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402125748/http://www.ilk-kursun.com/haber/218880/13-yasindaki-cocuk-erdogana-hakaretten-ifade-verdi/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 April 2015|title=13 yaşındaki çocuk, Erdoğan'a hakaretten ifade verdi – İlk Kurşun Gazetesi|work=ilk-kursun.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sacitaslan.com/kucuk-cocuk-erdogana-hakaretten-ifade-verdi-haberi-229378|title=Küçük çocuk Erdoğan'a hakaretten ifade verdi..|date=3 January 2015|website=sacitaslan.com }}</ref> In 2016, a waiter was arrested for insulting Erdoğan by allegedly saying "If Erdoğan comes here, I will not even serve tea to him.".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/siyaset/650617/_Erdogan_a_cay_vermem__dedigi_icin_tutuklanan_kantin_sorumlumuz_Senol_Buran_TBMM_gundeminde.html/|title='Erdoğan'a çay vermem' dediği için tutuklanan kantin sorumlumuz Şenol Buran TBMM gündeminde |work=Cumhuriyet|date=26 December 2016 }}</ref> Between 2016<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shaheen |first=Kareem |date=2 December 2015 |title=Turkish court asks 'Gollum experts' if Erdoğan comparison is insult |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/02/turkish-court-asks-gollum-experts-if-erdogan-comparison-insult |access-date=9 February 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> and 2023 there were trials for insulting the president for having [[Erdoğan-Gollum comparison trials|compared Erdogan to Gollum]], a fictional character of [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s [[The Lord of the Rings|''Lord of the Rings'']].<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 January 2023 |title=Verdict for Şansal for 'insulting President with Gollum' overturned by Regional Court |url=https://m.bianet.org/english/migration/272514-verdict-for-sansal-for-insulting-president-with-gollum-overturned-by-regional-court |website=[[Bianet]]}}</ref> In May 2016, former [[Miss Turkey]] model [[Merve Büyüksaraç]] was sentenced to more than a year in prison for allegedly insulting the president.<ref name="twsBBC1">{{cite web | date= 31 May 2016| publisher= BBC| url= https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36419723| title= Ex-Miss Turkey sentenced for insulting Erdogan| access-date= 31 May 2016| quote=...Merve Buyuksarac, 27, was found guilty of insulting a public official for postings she made on social media. She denied insulting Mr Erdogan....}}</ref><ref name="twsFrance24">{{cite web| date= 31 May 2016| publisher= France 24| url= http://www.france24.com/en/20160531-ex-miss-turkey-sentenced-insulting-erdogan| title= Ex-Miss Turkey sentenced 'for insulting Erdogan'| access-date= 31 May 2016| quote= ...The Istanbul court sentenced model Merve Buyuksarac, 27, to one year and two months in prison ...| url-status= dead| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160601125158/http://www.france24.com/en/20160531-ex-miss-turkey-sentenced-insulting-erdogan| archive-date= 1 June 2016}}</ref><ref name="twsGuardian1">{{cite news | author= Agence France-Presse in Ankara| date= 16 June 2015| newspaper= The Guardian| url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/17/turkish-newspaper-editor-sentenced-for-insulting-president-recep-erdogan| title= Turkish newspaper editor sentenced for insulting president Recep Erdoğan: Ankara court hands down 21-month suspended jail sentence to editor of English-language newspaper after convicting him of insulting the president in a tweet| access-date= 31 May 2016| quote=...In another case that has garnered huge attention, model and former Miss Turkey beauty queen Merve Buyuksarac went on trial in May on charges of insulting Erdoğan....}}</ref> Between 2014 and 2019, 128,872 investigations were launched for insulting the president and prosecutors opened 27,717 criminal cases.<ref name=":32">{{Cite web |date=29 March 2021 |title=Nearly 129,000 people probed for "insulting" Erdoğan in 5 years |url=https://www.duvarenglish.com/nearly-129000-people-probed-for-insulting-erdogan-in-5-years-news-56834 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210329085403/https://www.duvarenglish.com/nearly-129000-people-probed-for-insulting-erdogan-in-5-years-news-56834 |archive-date=29 March 2021 |access-date=30 March 2021 |website=www.duvarenglish.com}}</ref> |
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===== Mehmet Aksoy lawsuit ===== |
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In 2009, Turkish sculptor [[Mehmet Aksoy (sculptor)|Mehmet Aksoy]] created the ''[[Statue of Humanity]]'' in [[Kars]] to promote reconciliation between Turkey and [[Armenia]]. When visiting the city in 2011, Erdoğan deemed the statue a "freak", and months later it was demolished.<ref>{{cite news|title=Turkey-Armenia friendship symbol being demolished|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13199787|access-date=5 March 2015|work=BBC News|date=26 April 2011}}</ref> Aksoy sued Erdoğan for "moral indemnities", although his lawyer said that his statement was a critique rather than an insult. In March 2015, a judge ordered Erdoğan to pay 10,000 [[Turkish lira|liras]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Erdem|first1=Umut|title=Artist 'to party with' Erdoğan's money|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/artist-to-party-with-erdogans-money.aspx?pageID=238&nID=79207&NewsCatID=341|access-date=5 March 2015|work=[[Hürriyet Daily News]]|date=5 March 2015}}</ref> |
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=== Erdoğanism === |
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{{Main|Erdoğanism}} |
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The term Erdoğanism first emerged shortly after Erdoğan's [[2011 Turkish general election|2011 general election]] victory, where it was predominantly described as the AKP's [[Economic liberalism|liberal economic]] and [[Conservative democracy|conservative democratic]] ideals fused with Erdoğan's [[demagoguery]] and cult of personality.<ref>{{cite web|last=Awiti |first=Alex |url=http://intpolicydigest.org/2011/10/02/erdoganism-a-word-of-caution/ |title=Erdoganism: A Word of Caution |website=Intpolicydigest.org |date=2 October 2011 |access-date=30 July 2016}}</ref> |
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=== Views on minorities === |
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==== LGBT ==== |
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In 2002, Erdoğan said that "homosexuals must be legally protected within the framework of their rights and freedoms. From time to time, we do not find the treatment they get on some television screens humane", he said.<ref>{{cite news |title=LGBT Initiative from Prime Minister Erdoğan! |url=https://www.kaosgl.org/en/single-news/lgbt-initiative-from-prime-minister-erdogan |access-date=21 May 2020 |work=[[KAOS GL]] |date=28 May 2012 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lepeska |first1=David |title=Turkish officials bash gays to counter rising LGBT support |url=https://ahvalnews.com/turkey-lgbti/turkish-officials-bash-gays-counter-rising-lgbt-support |access-date=21 May 2020 |work=Ahval |date=30 April 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Notaro |first1=Pier Cesare |title=Turkey: What Erdoğan's Homophobia Shows Us about His Power |url=https://www.ilgrandecolibri.com/en/turkey-what-erdogans-homophobia-shows-us-about-its-power/ |access-date=21 May 2020 |work=Il Grande Colibrì |date=16 December 2019}}</ref> However, in 2017 Erdoğan has said that empowering [[LGBT rights in Turkey|LGBT people in Turkey]] was "against the values of our nation".<ref name="The Guardian">{{cite news |title='It's just the start': LGBT community in Turkey fears government crackdown |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/23/its-just-the-start-lgbt-community-in-turkey-fears-government-crackdown |work=The Guardian |date=23 November 2017}}</ref> |
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In 2020, amid the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey|COVID-19 pandemic]], Turkey's top Muslim scholar and President of Religious Affairs, [[Ali Erbaş]], said in a Friday Ramadan announcement that the country condemns [[homosexuality]] because it "brings illness", insinuating that same sex relations are responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name="lgbt">{{cite news|date=12 May 2020|title=With New COVID-19 Outbreak Linked To Gay Man, Homophobia On Rise In South Korea|work=Forbes|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandrasternlicht/2020/05/12/with-new-covid-19-outbreak-linked-to-gay-man-homophobia-on-rise-in-south-korea/|url-status=live|access-date=29 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200625155553/https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandrasternlicht/2020/05/12/with-new-covid-19-outbreak-linked-to-gay-man-homophobia-on-rise-in-south-korea/|archive-date=25 June 2020}}</ref> Recep Tayyip Erdoğan backed Erbaş, saying that what Erbaş "said was totally right."<ref>{{cite news|date=27 April 2020|title=Erdogan defends Turkey religious chief's anti-gay sermon|publisher=France 24|url=https://www.france24.com/en/20200427-erdogan-defends-turkey-religious-chief-s-anti-gay-sermon|url-status=live|access-date=29 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621055152/https://www.france24.com/en/20200427-erdogan-defends-turkey-religious-chief-s-anti-gay-sermon|archive-date=21 June 2020}}</ref> Starting from 2023, Erdoğan began openly speaking against LGBT people, openly saying that his Coalition "are against the LGBT", and accusing the Turkish opposition of being LGBT.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Michaelson |first1=Ruth |last2=Narlı |first2=Deniz Barış |date=12 May 2023 |title='We're against LGBT': Erdoğan targets gay and trans people ahead of critical Turkish election |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/may/12/lgbt-recep-tayyip-erdogan-targets-gay-trans-rights-critical-turkish-election |url-status=live |access-date=13 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230513004241/https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/may/12/lgbt-recep-tayyip-erdogan-targets-gay-trans-rights-critical-turkish-election |archive-date=13 May 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> |
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In 2023, Erdogan blamed LGBTQ+ people for "undermining family values" in Turkey and called his political opponents "gays" in a derogatory manner. Third-party sources have criticized this; seeing it as a bid to distract the public from the ruling party's failings—particularly on the country's economy; according to these sources, by targeting Turkey's minority groups, he rallies his base amid [[2018–2022 Turkish currency and debt crisis|the country's ongoing economic troubles]] to raise the prospects of winning the [[2023 Turkish general election|2023 general elections in his country]], which are seen as critical for his nearly 20-year rule.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2023/05/erdogan-slams-turkeys-lgbtq-community-weaponizes-homophobia-ahead-vote|title=Erdogan slams Turkey's LGBTQ community, weaponizes homophobia ahead of vote|website=Al-Monitor|date=4 May 2023|access-date=18 May 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/turkey-elections-2023-lgbtq-recep-tayyip-erdogan/|title=Erdoğan finds a scapegoat in Turkey's election: LGBTQ+ people|website=Politico.eu|date=13 May 2023|access-date=18 May 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/may/12/lgbt-recep-tayyip-erdogan-targets-gay-trans-rights-critical-turkish-election|title='We're against LGBT': Erdoğan targets gay and trans people ahead of critical Turkish election|website=The Guardian|date=12 May 2023|access-date=18 May 2023}}</ref> |
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==== Jews ==== |
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While Erdoğan has declared several times that he is against [[antisemitism]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Erdoğan: 'Some of the EU member states are not acting honestly' |url=https://www.euronews.com/2010/01/30/erdogan-deflects-reform-criticism-questions-eu-honesty |quote=I am a leader who has wholeheartedly condemned anti-semitism |access-date=21 May 2020 |work=euronews |date=30 January 2010 |language=en |archive-date=3 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203044423/https://www.euronews.com/2010/01/30/erdogan-deflects-reform-criticism-questions-eu-honesty |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="4april2016">{{cite news |title=Erdogan: 'Anti-Semitism is a crime' |url=https://ajn.timesofisrael.com/erdogan-anti-semitism-crime/ |access-date=19 May 2020 |work=The Times of Israel |date=4 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=AKP Government's Policies Toward Anti-Semitism May Not Be Enough |url=https://jamestown.org/program/akp-governments-policies-toward-anti-semitism-may-not-be-enough/ |access-date=21 May 2020 |publisher=The Jamestown Foundation |date=3 February 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/node/3941568|title=Erdogan's travels|quote=Mr Erdogan assured Israel's prime minister, Ariel Sharon, that his Justice and Development (AK) party saw anti-Semitism as 'a crime against humanity'. |newspaper=The Economist|date=5 May 2005|access-date=17 April 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160425125820/http://www.economist.com/node/3941568|archive-date=25 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Congress |title=Erdogan: "No place for anti-Semitism in Turkey" |url=https://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/news/erdogan-quot-no-place-for-anti-semitism-in-turkey-quot |access-date=21 May 2020 |work=World Jewish Congress |date=5 February 2009 |language=EN}}</ref> he has been accused of invoking [[antisemitic canard|antisemitic stereotypes]] in public statements.<ref>{{cite news|title='Spawn of Israel': Erdogan's anti-Semitic obsessions |url=http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.592114 |work=[[Haaretz]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|editor-last1=Rosenfeld|editor-first1=Alvin H.|title=Resurgent antisemitism global perspectives|date=2013|publisher=Indiana Univ. Press|location=Bloomington [u.a.]|isbn=978-0-253-00890-9|page=318|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M3ZJMYiNe0UC&q=%22pronounced%2C+Israel+and+Israel%E2%80%99s+administration%22&pg=PA318}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/1.659931|title=Turkey's Erdogan: 'Jewish Capital' Is Behind New York Times|date=7 June 2015|work=Haaretz}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210518-us-condemns-erdogan-anti-semitic-remarks|title=US condemns Erdogan 'anti-Semitic' remarks|date=19 May 2021|publisher=France24}}</ref> |
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==Personal life== |
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[[File:Recep Tayyip Erdogan family attended TEKNOFEST Azerbaijan festival in Baku 30 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Erdoğan (center) with his spouse [[Emine Erdoğan|Emine]] (center-right), granddaughter Canan Aybüke (center-left), and son-in-law [[Selçuk Bayraktar]] (left) at [[Teknofest]] festival in [[Azerbaijan]] (2022)]] |
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Erdoğan married [[Emine Erdoğan]] (née Gülbaran; b. 1955, [[Siirt]]) on 4 July 1978.<ref name="milliyeterdoganbio">{{cite news|url=http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2007/08/29/son/sonsiy47.asp|title=Bakanlar Kurulu'nun özgeçmişi|newspaper=Milliyet|date=29 August 2007|access-date=22 April 2011|language=tr|trans-title=Ministers of the Board's CV}}</ref> They have two sons, [[Ahmet Burak Erdoğan|Ahmet Burak]] (b. 1979) and [[Bilal Erdoğan|Necmettin Bilal]] (b. 1981), and two daughters, [[Esra Erdoğan|Esra]] (b. 1983) and [[Sümeyye Erdoğan|Sümeyye]] (b. 1985).<ref name="milliyeterdoganbio" /> His father, Ahmet Erdoğan, died in 1988 and his mother, Tenzile Erdoğan, died in 2011 at the age of 87.<ref>{{cite news|title=Erdogan's Mother Tenzile Erdogan Dies of Acute Cholecystitis|url=http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/124664/erdogan-39-s-mother-tenzile-erdogan-dies-of-acute-cholecystitis.html|access-date=21 March 2014|newspaper=Turkish Weekly|date=7 October 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808055103/http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/124664/erdogan-39-s-mother-tenzile-erdogan-dies-of-acute-cholecystitis.html|archive-date=8 August 2014}}</ref> |
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Erdoğan has a brother, Mustafa (b. 1958), and a sister, Vesile (b. 1965).<ref name="İşte Ahmet Kaptan'ın bilinmeyen hikayesi">{{cite web|language=tr|url=http://odatv.com/iste-ahmet-kaptanin-bilinmeyen-hikayesi-0412161200_m.html|title=İşte Ahmet Kaptan'ın bilinmeyen hikayesi|publisher=Odatv|date=4 December 2016|access-date=22 September 2017|archive-date=11 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220111102551/http://odatv.com/iste-ahmet-kaptanin-bilinmeyen-hikayesi-0412161200_m.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> From his father's first marriage to Havuli Erdoğan (d. 1980), he had two half-brothers: Mehmet (1926–1988) and Hasan (1929–2006).<ref>{{cite book |title=Kayıp Sicil: Erdoğan'ın Çalınan Dosyası |first=Soner |last=Yalçın |author-link=Soner Yalçın |date=June 2014 |publisher=Kırmızı Kedi Publishing House |volume=1 |location=Istanbul |isbn=978-605-4927-40-1 |page=19}}</ref> |
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== Electoral history == |
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{{Main|Electoral history of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan}} |
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{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%; text-align:center;" |
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! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" rowspan=2 | Year |
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! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" rowspan=2 | Office |
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! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" rowspan=2 | Type |
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! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Party |
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! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" rowspan=2 | Main opponent |
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! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Party |
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! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" colspan=4 | Votes for Erdoğan or his party |
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! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" rowspan=2 | Result |
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|- |
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! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | Total |
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! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | % |
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! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | {{abbr|2=Position|P}}. |
|||
! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | {{tooltip|2=Change in percentage value since previous election|±%}} |
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|- |
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! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | [[1983 Turkish general election|1984]] |
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| style="text-align:left;" | [[Member of Parliament]] |
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| style="text-align:left;" | National |
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| style="background-color:{{party color|Welfare Party}};" | |
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| [[Welfare Party|RP]] |
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| [[Hüsnü Doğan]] |
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| style="background-color:{{party color|Motherland Party (Turkey)}};" | |
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| [[Motherland Party (Turkey)|ANAP]] |
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| 31,247 |
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| 8.57 |
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| 5th |
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| N/A |
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| style="background-color:#ffccc9;" | Lost |
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|- |
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! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | [[1989 Turkish local elections|1989]] |
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| style="text-align:left;" | [[Beyoğlu|Mayor of Beyoğlu]] |
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| style="text-align:left;" | Local |
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| style="background-color:{{party color|Welfare Party}};" | |
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| [[Welfare Party|RP]] |
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| [[Hüseyin Aslan]] |
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| style="background-color:{{party color|Social Democratic Populist Party (Turkey)}};" | |
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| [[Social Democratic Populist Party (Turkey)|SHP]] |
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| 21,706 |
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| 22.83 |
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| 2nd |
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| +17.71 |
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| style="background-color:#ffccc9;" | Lost |
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|- |
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! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | [[1991 Turkish general election|1991]] |
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| style="text-align:left;" | [[Member of Parliament]] |
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| style="text-align:left;" | National |
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| style="background-color:{{party color|Welfare Party}};" | |
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| [[Welfare Party|RP]] |
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| [[Bahattin Yücel]] |
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| style="background-color:{{party color|Motherland Party (Turkey)}};" | |
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| [[Motherland Party (Turkey)|ANAP]] |
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| 70,555 |
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| 20.01 |
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| 5th |
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| +12.69 |
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| style="background-color:#ffccc9;" | Lost |
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|- |
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! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | [[1994 Turkish local elections|1994]] |
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| style="text-align:left;" | [[Mayor of Istanbul]] |
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| style="text-align:left;" | Local |
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| style="background-color:{{party color|Welfare Party}};" | |
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| [[Welfare Party|RP]] |
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| [[İlhan Kesici]] |
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| style="background-color:{{party color|Motherland Party (Turkey)}};" | |
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| [[Motherland Party (Turkey)|ANAP]] |
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| 973,704 |
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| 25.19 |
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| 1st |
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| +14.74 |
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| style="background-color:#9aff99;" | Won |
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|- |
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! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | [[2002 Turkish general election|2002]] |
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| style="text-align:left;" | [[Member of Parliament]] |
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| style="text-align:left;" | National |
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| style="background-color:{{party color|Justice and Development Party (Turkey)}};" | |
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| [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|AK Party]] |
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| [[Deniz Baykal]] |
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| style="background-color:{{party color|Republican People's Party (Turkey)}};" | |
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| [[Republican People's Party|CHP]] |
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| 10,808,229 |
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| 34.28 |
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| 1st |
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| +34.28 |
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| style="background-color:#9aff99;" | Won |
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|- |
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! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | [[2004 Turkish local elections|2004]] |
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| style="text-align:left;" | [[Party leader]] |
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| style="text-align:left;" | Local |
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| style="background-color:{{party color|Justice and Development Party (Turkey)}};" | |
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| [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|AK Party]] |
|||
| [[Deniz Baykal]] |
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| style="background-color:{{party color|Republican People's Party (Turkey)}};" | |
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| [[Republican People's Party|CHP]] |
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| 13,448,587 |
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| 41.67 |
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| 1st |
|||
| +41.67 |
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| style="background-color:#9aff99;" | Won |
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|- |
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! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | [[2007 Turkish general election|2007]] |
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| style="text-align:left;" | [[Member of Parliament]] |
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| style="text-align:left;" | National |
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| style="background-color:{{party color|Justice and Development Party (Turkey)}};" | |
|||
| [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|AK Party]] |
|||
| [[Deniz Baykal]] |
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| style="background-color:{{party color|Republican People's Party (Turkey)}};" | |
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| [[Republican People's Party|CHP]] |
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| 16,327,291 |
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| 46.58 |
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| 1st |
|||
| +12.30 |
|||
| style="background-color:#9aff99;" | Won |
|||
|- |
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! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | [[2009 Turkish local elections|2009]] |
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| style="text-align:left;" | [[Party leader]] |
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| style="text-align:left;" | Local |
|||
| style="background-color:{{party color|Justice and Development Party (Turkey)}};" | |
|||
| [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|AK Party]] |
|||
| [[Deniz Baykal]] |
|||
| style="background-color:{{party color|Republican People's Party (Turkey)}};" | |
|||
| [[Republican People's Party|CHP]] |
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| 15,353,553 |
|||
| 38.39 |
|||
| 1st |
|||
| {{hyphen}}3.28 |
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| style="background-color:#9aff99;" | Won |
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|- |
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! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | [[2011 Turkish general election|2011]] |
|||
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Member of Parliament]] |
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| style="text-align:left;" | National |
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| style="background-color:{{party color|Justice and Development Party (Turkey)}};" | |
|||
| [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|AK Party]] |
|||
| [[Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu]] |
|||
| style="background-color:{{party color|Republican People's Party (Turkey)}};" | |
|||
| [[Republican People's Party|CHP]] |
|||
| 21,399,082 |
|||
| 49.83 |
|||
| 1st |
|||
| +3.25 |
|||
| style="background-color:#9aff99;" | Won |
|||
|- |
|||
! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | [[2014 Turkish local elections|2014]] |
|||
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Party leader]] |
|||
| style="text-align:left;" | Local |
|||
| style="background-color:{{party color|Justice and Development Party (Turkey)}};" | |
|||
| [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|AK Party]] |
|||
| [[Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu]] |
|||
| style="background-color:{{party color|Republican People's Party (Turkey)}};" | |
|||
| [[Republican People's Party|CHP]] |
|||
| 17,802,976 |
|||
| 42.87 |
|||
| 1st |
|||
| +4.48 |
|||
| style="background-color:#9aff99;" | Won |
|||
|- |
|||
! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | [[2014 Turkish presidential election|2014]] |
|||
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:left;" | [[President of Turkey|President]] |
|||
| style="text-align:left;" | National |
|||
| style="background-color:{{party color|Independent}};" | |
|||
| [[Independent politician|Ind.]] |
|||
| [[Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu]] |
|||
| style="background-color:{{party color|Independent}};" | |
|||
| [[Independent politician|Ind.]] |
|||
| 21,000,143 |
|||
| 51.79 |
|||
| 1st |
|||
| N/A |
|||
| style="background-color:#9aff99;" | Won |
|||
|- |
|||
! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | [[2018 Turkish presidential election|2018]] |
|||
| style="text-align:left;" | National |
|||
| style="background-color:{{party color|Justice and Development Party (Turkey)}};" | |
|||
| [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|AK Party]] |
|||
| [[Muharrem İnce]] |
|||
| style="background-color:{{party color|Republican People's Party (Turkey)}};" | |
|||
| [[Republican People's Party|CHP]] |
|||
| 26,330,823 |
|||
| 52.59 |
|||
| 1st |
|||
| +0.80 |
|||
| style="background-color:#9aff99;" | Won |
|||
|- |
|||
! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | [[2019 Turkish local elections|2019]] |
|||
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Party leader]] |
|||
| style="text-align:left;" | Local |
|||
| style="background-color:{{party color|Justice and Development Party (Turkey)}};" | |
|||
| [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|AK Party]] |
|||
| [[Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu]] |
|||
| style="background-color:{{party color|Republican People's Party (Turkey)}};" | |
|||
| [[Republican People's Party|CHP]] |
|||
| 19,766,640 |
|||
| 42.55 |
|||
| 1st |
|||
| {{hyphen}}0.32 |
|||
| style="background-color:#9aff99;" | Won |
|||
|- |
|||
! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | [[2023 Turkish presidential election|2023]] |
|||
| style="text-align:left;" | [[President of Turkey|President]] |
|||
| style="text-align:left;" | National |
|||
| style="background-color:{{party color|Justice and Development Party (Turkey)}};" | |
|||
| [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|AK Party]] |
|||
| [[Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu]] |
|||
| style="background-color:{{party color|Republican People's Party (Turkey)}};" | |
|||
| [[Republican People's Party|CHP]] |
|||
| 27,725,131 |
|||
| 52.16 |
|||
| 1st |
|||
| -0.43 |
|||
| style="background-color:#9aff99;" | Won |
|||
|- |
|||
! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | [[2024 Turkish local elections|2024]] |
|||
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Party leader]] |
|||
| style="text-align:left;" | Local |
|||
| style="background-color:{{party color|Justice and Development Party (Turkey)}};" | |
|||
| [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|AK Party]] |
|||
| [[Özgür Özel]] |
|||
| style="background-color:{{party color|Republican People's Party (Turkey)}};" | |
|||
| [[Republican People's Party|CHP]] |
|||
| 16,339,771 |
|||
| 35.49 |
|||
| 2nd |
|||
| {{hyphen}}7.06 |
|||
| style="background-color:#ffccc9;" | Lost |
|||
|- |
|||
! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" colspan=13 | |
|||
|} |
|||
== Honours and accolades == |
|||
{{See also|List of honorary doctorates awarded to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan}} |
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=== Foreign honours === |
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[[File:Secretary Kerry Delivers Remarks in Honor of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan (2).jpg|thumb|U.S. Secretary of State [[John Kerry]], with U.S. Vice President [[Joseph Biden]], delivers remarks in honour of Erdoğan, 16 May 2013]] |
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[[File:Робочий візит Президента України до Турецької Республіки 06.jpg|thumb|Erdoğan receiving the [[Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise]] from [[Volodymyr Zelensky]], 2020]] |
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[[File:Thaci-Erdogan2.jpg|thumb|Erdoğan joined by his [[Republic of Kosovo|Kosovo]] counterpart [[Hashim Thaçi]], 3 November 2010]] |
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* {{flagicon|Russia}} '''Russia''': [[Medal "In Commemoration of the 1000th Anniversary of Kazan"]] (1 June 2006)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/4513893.asp?gid=48|title=Putin'den Tatar madalyası|date=1 June 2006|access-date=1 June 2006|work=Hürriyet Daily News|first=Turan|last=Yilmaz|language=tr|trans-title=Putin's Tatar medal}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Pakistan}} '''Pakistan''': [[Nishan-e-Pakistan]], the highest civilian award in Pakistan (26 October 2009)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=88433&Itemid=1 |title=Pakistan, Turkey can together bring peace to region: Erdogan |work=[[Associated Press of Pakistan]] |date=26 October 2009 |access-date=26 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304115422/http://www.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=88433&Itemid=1 |archive-date= 4 March 2012 }}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Georgia}} '''Georgia''': Recipient of the [[Order of the Golden Fleece (Georgia)|Order of Golden Fleece]], awarded for his contribution to development of bilateral relations (17 May 2010)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=22307|title=Saakashvili hails Georgia-Turkish ties as exemplary|work=Civil.ge|date=17 May 2010|access-date=17 May 2010}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Kosovo}} '''Kosovo''': Golden Medal of the [[Orders, decorations, and medals of Kosovo|Order of Independence]] (4 November 2010)<ref>{{cite news |title=The Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo Dr. Jakup Krasniqi receives the Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayip Erdogan |url=https://president-ksgov.net/?page=2,6,1429 |access-date=12 October 2022 |work=President of the Republic of Kosovo |date=4 November 2010}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Kyrgyzstan}} '''Kyrgyzstan''': Recipient of the Danaker Order in [[Bishkek]] (2 February 2011)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=69287|title=Kyrgyzstan decorates Turkish PM with Danaker Order|work=World Bulletin|date=2 February 2011|access-date=2 February 2011}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Kazakhstan}} '''Kazakhstan''': Recipient of the [[Order of the Golden Eagle]] (11 October 2012)<ref>{{cite news |title=Erdoğan'a 'Altın Kıran Nişanı' verildi |url=https://www.yenisafak.com/gundem/erdogana-altin-kiran-nisani-verildi-414748 |access-date=31 March 2022 |work=Yeni Şafak |date=11 October 2012 |language=tr-TR}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Niger}} '''Niger''': Grand Commander of the [[Order of the Federal Republic]] (9 January 2013)<ref>{{cite news |title=Niger President: Turkey a role model |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/niger-president-turkey-a-role-model/287711 |access-date=31 March 2022 |work=www.aa.com.tr |date=9 January 2013}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Azerbaijan}} '''Azerbaijan''': Recipient of the [[Heydar Aliyev Order]] (3 September 2014)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apa.az/en/xeber/domestic-news/xeber_azerbaijani_president_awarded_turkish_co_-215831|title=Azerbaijani President awards Turkish counterpart with the 'Heydar Aliyev' Order|date=3 September 2014}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Afghanistan|2004}} '''Afghanistan''': [[Amir Amanullah Khan Award]] (18 October 2014)<ref>{{cite news |title=Afghanistan's contribution to the birth of Turkey in 1920 is unforgettable |url=https://www.tccb.gov.tr/en/news/542/3322/afghanistans-contribution-to-the-birth-of-turkey-in-1920-is-unforgettable |access-date=31 March 2022 |work=Presidency Of The Republic Of Turkey |issue=18 October 2014}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Somalia}} '''Somalia''': Recipient of the [[Order of the Somali Star]], awarded for his contributions to Somalia (25 January 2015).<ref>{{cite news |title=We have served our Somali brothers as required by our brotherhood; our solidarity will continue |url=https://www.tccb.gov.tr/en/news/542/3392/we-have-served-our-somali-brothers-as-required-by-our-brotherhood-our-solidarity-will-continue |access-date=31 March 2022 |work=Presidency Of The Republic Of Turkey |date=25 January 2015}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Albania}} '''Albania''': [[National Flag Decoration]] (13 May 2015)<ref>{{cite news |title=Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan'a Arnavutluk'ta Ulusal Bayrak Nişanı Tevcih Edildi |url=https://www.tccb.gov.tr/haberler/410/32294/cumhurbaskani-erdogana-arnavutlukta-ulusal-bayrak-nisani-tevcih-edildi |access-date=31 March 2022 |work=www.tccb.gov.tr |date=13 May 2015}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Belgium}} '''Belgium''': Grand Cordon of the [[Order of Leopold (Belgium)|Order of Leopold]] (5 October 2015)<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tccb.gov.tr/en/news/542/35590/king-philippe-of-belgium-presents-order-of-leopold-to-president-erdogan.html|title=King Philippe of Belgium presents Order of Leopold to President Erdogan|date=5 October 2015|publisher=Presidency of the Republic of Turkey|access-date=26 October 2015}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Ivory Coast}} '''Ivory Coast''': Grand Cordon of the [[National Order of the Ivory Coast]] (29 February 2016)<ref>{{cite news |title=Le président Tayyip Erdogan, Grand-croix de l'Ordre national ivoirien - Abidjan.net News |url=https://news.abidjan.net/articles/583343/le-president-tayyip-erdogan-grand-croix-de-lordre-national-ivoirien |access-date=12 October 2022 |work=news.abidjan.net |agency=AIP |date=29 February 2016 |language=fr}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Guinea}} '''Guinea''': Grand Cross of the [[National Order of Merit (Guinea)|National Order of Merit]] (3 March 2016)<ref>{{cite news |title=Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan'a şeref madalyası verildi |url=https://www.ensonhaber.com/ic-haber/cumhurbaskani-erdogana-seref-madalyasi-verildi-2016-03-03 |access-date=12 October 2022 |work=Ensonhaber |date=3 March 2016 |language=tr}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Madagascar}} '''Madagascar''': Grand Cross of the [[National Order of Madagascar]] (25 January 2017)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tccb.gov.tr/en/news/542/70833/president-erdogan-decorated-with-national-order-of-madagascar.html |title=Presidency of the Republic of Turkey : President Erdoğan Decorated with National Order of Madagascar |author=cumhurbaskanligi@tccb.gov.tr |website=tccb.gov.tr}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Bahrain}} '''Bahrain''': Member Exceptional Class of the [[Order of Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa]] (12 February 2017)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tccb.gov.tr/en/news/542/71008/turkey-will-continue-to-stand-by-bahrain-in-its-good-and-bad-days|title=Turkey will Continue to Stand By Bahrain in Its Good and Bad Days|date=12 February 2017}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Kuwait}} '''Kuwait''': Collar of the [[Order of Mubarak the Great]] (21 March 2017)<ref>{{cite news |last1=Guder |first1=Ilkay |title=Erdogan confers Kuwaiti emir with Order of State |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/todays-headlines/erdogan-confers-kuwaiti-emir-with-order-of-state/776674 |access-date=12 October 2022 |work=www.aa.com.tr |date=21 March 2017}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Sudan}} '''Sudan''': [[Collar of Honour]] of Sudan (24 December 2017)<ref>{{cite news |title=Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan Sudan'da |url=https://www.ntv.com.tr/galeri/turkiye/cumhurbaskani-erdogan-sudanda,1PQww7tBdUSNYc0hfoNolw |access-date=12 October 2022 |work=www.ntv.com.tr |date=24 December 2017 |language=tr}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Tunisia}} '''Tunisia''': Grand Cordon of the [[Order of the Republic (Tunisia)|Order of the Republic]] (27 December 2017)<ref>{{cite news |title=Erdoğan'a Tunus'ta devlet nişanı takdim edildi |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/dunya/cumhurbaskani-erdogana-tunusta-devlet-nisani-takdim-edildi-/1016454 |access-date=31 March 2022 |work=www.aa.com.tr |date=27 December 2017}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Senegal}} '''Senegal''': Grand Cross of the [[National Order of the Lion]] (1 March 2018)<ref>{{cite web |title=Senegal is a valuable friend and a strategic partner of ours |url=https://tccb.gov.tr/en/news/542/90614/senegal-is-a-valuable-friend-and-a-strategic-partner-of-ours |website=tccb.gov.tr |publisher=Presidency Of The Republic Of Turkey |access-date=31 March 2022 |ref=1 March 2018}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Mali}} '''Mali''': Grand Cordon of the [[National Order of Mali]] (2 March 2018)<ref>{{cite news |title=Primary targets of organizations such as DAESH, Al-Qaeda and Boko Haram have always been Muslims |url=https://www.tccb.gov.tr/en/news/542/90622/primary-targets-of-organizations-such-as-daesh-al-qaeda-and-boko-haram-have-always-been-muslims |access-date=31 March 2022 |work=Presidency Of The Republic Of Turkey |issue=2 March 2018}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Gagauzia}} '''Gagauzia''': Recipient of the Order of Gagauz-Yeri in [[Comrat]] (17 October 2018)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tccb.gov.tr/haberler/410/99218/-kulturel-irkcilik-dunyanin-dort-bir-ucunda-veba-salgini-gibi-yayiliyor-|title=Kültürel ırkçılık, dünyanın dört bir ucunda veba salgını gibi yayılıyor|publisher=Presidency of Turkey}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Moldova}} '''Moldova''': Recipient of the [[Order of the Republic (Moldova)|Order of the Republic]] (18 October 2018)<ref>{{cite news |last1=Livadari |first1=Arina |title=President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, decorated by Igor Dodon with "The Order of the Republic" |url=https://www.moldova.org/en/president-recep-tayyip-erdogan-decorated-igor-dodon-order-republic/ |access-date=12 October 2022 |work=Moldova.org |date=18 October 2018}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Paraguay}} '''Paraguay''': Recipient of the Order of State (2 December 2018)<ref>{{cite news |title=Presidency Of The Republic Of Turkey : President Erdoğan at the Lopez Palace in Paraguay |url=https://www.tccb.gov.tr/en/news/542/99927/president-erdogan-at-the-lopez-palace-in-paraguay |access-date=19 March 2022 |work=www.tccb.gov.tr |date=2 December 2018}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Venezuela}} '''Venezuela''': Grand Cordon of the [[Order of the Liberator]] (3 December 2018)<ref>{{Cite news|last=Güldoğan|first=Diyar|date=4 December 2018|title=Turkey determined to enhance ties with Venezuela|publisher=Anadolu Agency|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/turkey-determined-to-enhance-ties-with-venezuela/1328738|quote=Maduro also conferred the country's highest distinction, the Order of the Liberator, on Erdogan, who said it was a symbol of the friendship between Ankara and Caracas.}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Ukraine}} '''Ukraine''': Member 1st Degree of the [[Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise]] (16 October 2020)<ref>{{in lang|uk}} [https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2020/10/16/7270175/ Zelensky awarded the President of Turkey a state order], [[Ukrayinska Pravda]] (16 October 2020)</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Turkmenistan}} '''Turkmenistan''': Recipient of the Order for Contribution to the Development of Cooperation (27 November 2021)<ref>{{cite news |title=The President of Turkey was awarded the Order of Turkmenistan |url=https://turkmenportal.com/en/blog/41944/the-president-of-turkey-was-awarded-the-order-of-turkmenistan-for-contribution-to-the-development-of-cooperation |access-date=19 March 2022 |work=Turkmenistan, an Internet portal on cultural, business and entertainment life in Turkmenistan |language=en}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Malaysia}} '''Malaysia''': Recipient of the [[Order of the Crown of the Realm]] (16 August 2022)<ref>{{cite news |title=Malezya Kralı Sultan Abdullah Şah'a Devlet Nişanı tevcih edildi |url=https://www.tccb.gov.tr/haberler/410/139120/malezya-krali-sultan-abdullah-sah-a-devlet-nisani-tevcih-edildi |access-date=12 October 2022 |work=www.tccb.gov.tr |date=16 August 2022}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Kazakhstan}} '''Kazakhstan''': Member 1st Class of the [[Order of Friendship (Kazakhstan)|Order of Friendship]] (12 October 2022)<ref>{{cite news |last1=Guldogan |first1=Diyar |title=Türkiye continues to support Kazakhstan's territorial integrity: President Erdogan |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/turkiye-continues-to-support-kazakhstans-territorial-integrity-president-erdogan/2709685 |access-date=12 October 2022 |work=Anadolu Agency |date=12 October 2022}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|United Arab Emirates}} '''United Arab Emirates''': Collar of the [[Order of Zayed]] (19 July 2023)<ref>{{cite news |author1=Khitam Al Amir |title=UAE President awards Order of Zayed to Turkish President Erdogan |url=https://gulfnews.com/uae/government/uae-president-awards-order-of-zayed-to-turkish-president-erdogan-1.1689787692425 |access-date=20 July 2023 |publisher=[[Gulf News]] |date=19 July 2023}}</ref> |
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* {{flagicon|Oman}} '''Oman''': [[Order of Al-Said]] (28 November 2024)<ref>{{cite news |author1=The Stories of Arabia |title=His Majesty Sultan Haitham, President of Turkey exchange orders |url=https://www.thearabianstories.com/2024/11/28/his-majesty-sultan-haitham-president-of-turkey-exchange-orders/|access-date=29 November 2024 |publisher=[[The Stories of Arabia]] |date=29 November 2024}}</ref> |
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==== Supranational ==== |
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* {{flagicon image|Flag of the Organization of Turkic States.svg}} '''Organization of Turkic States''': [[Supreme Order of Turkic World]] (11 November 2022)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.trtworld.com/turkey/erdogan-receives-supreme-order-of-turkic-world-in-uzbekistan-62458 |title=Türkiye's president receives Supreme Order of Turkic World in Uzbekistan|date=11 November 2022|publisher=Anadolu Agency}}</ref> |
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=== Other awards === |
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* 29 January 2004: Profile of Courage Award from the [[American Jewish Congress]], for promoting peace between cultures.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrmea.org/2004-april/erdogan-s-third-u.s.-visit-comes-closest-to-being-a-charm.html|title=Erdogan's Third U.S. Visit Comes Closest To Being a Charm|work=[[Washington Report on Middle East Affairs]]|date=9 April 2004|access-date=6 December 2014|first=Jon|last=Gorvett}}</ref> ''Returned at the request of the A.J.C. in July 2014.''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28544391|title=Turkey PM Erdogan returns US Jewish award in Israel row|work=BBC News|date=29 July 2014|access-date=30 July 2014}}</ref> |
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* 13 June 2004: Golden Plate award from the [[Academy of Achievement]] during the conference in Chicago.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/pagegen/newsletter/2004/|title=2004 International Summit Highlights|work=Academy of Achievement|date=13 June 2004|access-date=6 December 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205083324/http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/pagegen/newsletter/2004/|archive-date=5 December 2014}}</ref> |
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* 3 October 2004: German [[Quadriga (award)|Quadriga prize]] for improving relationships between different cultures.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3712262.stm|title=Schroeder hails Turkish reforms|work=BBC News|date=3 October 2004|access-date=6 December 2014 }}</ref> |
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* 2 September 2005: Mediterranean Award for Institutions ({{langx|it|Premio Mediterraneo Istituzioni}}). This was awarded by the Fondazione Mediterraneo.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.euromedi.org/attivita/dettaglioattivita.asp?idevento=989&lingua=eng|title=The Mediterranean Award for Institutions 2005 to Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan|work=euromedi.com|date=2 September 2005|access-date=2 September 2005}}</ref> |
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* 8 August 2006: Caspian Energy Integration Award from the [[Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline|Caspian Integration Business Club]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.referansgazetesi.com/haber.aspx?HBR_KOD=46966&ForArsiv=1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127175500/http://www.referansgazetesi.com/haber.aspx?HBR_KOD=46966&ForArsiv=1|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 November 2013|title=Erdogan to receive Caspian award for 'Reformer of the Year'|date=5 August 2006|access-date=5 August 2006|work=Refereans}}</ref> |
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* 1 November 2006: Outstanding Service award from the Turkish humanitarian organization [[Turkish Red Crescent|Red Crescent]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zaman.com.tr/politika_kizilaydan-erdogana-ustun-insani-hizmet-nisani_446971.html|title=Kızılay'dan Erdoğan'a 'Üstün İnsani Hizmet Nişanı'|date=2 November 2006|access-date=6 December 2014|work=Zaman|language=tr|trans-title=Erdogan awarded Crescent's outstanding humanitarian service medal|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141208161146/http://www.zaman.com.tr/politika_kizilaydan-erdogana-ustun-insani-hizmet-nisani_446971.html|archive-date=8 December 2014}}</ref> |
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* 2 February 2007: Dialogue Between Cultures Award from the President of Tatarstan [[Mintimer Shaimiev]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.haber7.com/haber/20070202/Tatarlardan-Erdogana-odul.php?id=216554|title=Tatarlar'dan Erdoğan'a ödül|language=tr|date=15 April 2007|access-date=15 April 2007|trans-title=Erdogan award from the Tartars|publisher=Haber}}</ref> |
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* 15 April 2007: Crystal Hermes Award from the German Chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] at the opening of the Hannover Industrial Fair.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://foto.aa.com.tr/popUp.do?arcId=668877|title=Başbakan Erdoğan'a kristal hermes ödülü verildi|language=tr|date=15 April 2007|access-date=15 April 2007|work=Anadolu Ajansi|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223023025/http://foto.aa.com.tr/popUp.do?arcId=668877|archive-date=23 December 2011}}</ref> |
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* 11 July 2007: Agricola Medal, the highest award of the UN [[Food and Agriculture Organization]], in recognition of his contribution to agricultural and social development in Turkey.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000626/index.html|title=Turkish Prime Minister receives Agricola Medal|date=11 July 2007|access-date=11 July 2007|archive-date=16 July 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070716055848/http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000626/index.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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* 11 May 2009: Avicenna award from the [[Avicenna]] Foundation in [[Frankfurt]], Germany.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnnturk.com/2009/dunya/05/11/almanyadan.erdogana.ibni.sina.odulu/526044.0/index.html|title=Almanya'dan Erdoğan'a İbn-i Sina ödülü|language=tr|work=CNN Türk|date=11 May 2009|access-date=11 May 2009}}</ref> |
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* 9 June 2009: Prix de la Fondation and guest of honour at the 20th Crans Montana Forum in [[Brussels]], for democracy and freedom.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/11824866.asp?gid=233|title=Democracy award from the Crans Montana Forum|work=Hürriyet Daily News|date=9 June 2009|access-date=9 June 2009}}</ref> |
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* 25 June 2009: [[Key to the City]] of [[Tirana]] on the occasion of his state visit to [[Albania]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tirana.gov.al/?cid=1,62,2884|title=Kryebashkiaku Rama i dhuron "Çelësin e Qytetit", Kryeministrit turk Erdogan|language=sq|work=Tirana.gov.al|date=25 June 2009|access-date=25 June 2009|archive-date=6 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406065204/http://www.tirana.gov.al/?cid=1,62,2884|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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* 29 December 2009: Award for Contribution to World Peace from the [[Turgut Özal|Turgut Özal Thought and Move Association]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zaman.com.tr/wap.do?method=getSondakikaDetay&haberno=933739&sirano=0&sayfa=|title=Turgut Özal Ödülü aldı, onun gibi konuştu: Allah'ın verdiği ömrü O'ndan başka alacak yoktur|work=[[Zaman (newspaper)|Zaman]]|date=29 December 2009|access-date=29 December 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314014823/http://www.zaman.com.tr/wap.do?method=getSondakikaDetay&haberno=933739&sirano=0&sayfa=|archive-date=14 March 2012}}</ref> |
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* 12 January 2010: King Faisal International Prize for "service to Islam" from the [[King Faisal Foundation]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kff.com/EN01/KFIP/1430H2010G/KFIPWinners1STI1430H2010G.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20100115181653/http://www.kff.com/EN01/KFIP/1430H2010G/KFIPWinners1STI1430H2010G.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 January 2010 |title=King Faisal International Prize |date=12 January 2010 |access-date=22 January 2010 }}</ref> |
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* 23 February 2010: Nodo Culture Award from the mayor of [[Seville]] for his efforts to launch the Alliance of Civilizations initiative.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=54518|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130222101301/http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=54518|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 February 2013|title=Turkey's Erdogan awarded for peace efforts in Spain|date=23 February 2010|access-date=23 February 2010}}</ref> |
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* 1 March 2010: United Nations–[[United Nations Human Settlements Programme|HABITAT]] award in memorial of Rafik Hariri. A seven-member international jury unanimously found Erdoğan deserving of the award because of his "excellent achievement and commendable conduct in the area of leadership, statesmanship and good governance. Erdoğan also initiated the first roundtable of mayors during the Istanbul conference, which led to a global, organized movement of mayors."<ref name="unhabitat3">{{cite web|url=http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=8016&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0|title=Turkish premier is winner of Rafik Hariri Memorial Award|date=1 March 2010|access-date=1 March 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100308235302/http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=8016&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0|archive-date=8 March 2010}}</ref> |
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* 27 May 2010: Medal of honour from the Brazilian Federation of Industry for the [[São Paulo (state)|State of São Paulo]] ([[Federação das Indústrias do Estado de São Paulo|FIESP]]) for his contributions to industry<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=59101 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503102114/http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=59101 |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 May 2012 |title=Turkey's PM hails "new era" in Brazil ties on first visit |work=worldbulletin.net |date=27 May 2010 |access-date=27 May 2010 }}</ref> |
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* 31 May 2010: [[World Health Organization]] 2010 World No Tobacco Award for "his dedicated leadership on tobacco control in Turkey."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.who.int/tobacco/wntd/2010/awards/en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023125142/http://www.who.int/tobacco/wntd/2010/awards/en/|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 October 2012|title=World No Tobacco Day 2010 Awards – the winners|work=World Health Organization|date=31 May 2010|access-date=31 May 2010}}</ref> |
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* 29 June 2010: 2010 World Family Award from the World Family Organization which operates under the umbrella of the United Nations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldfamilyorganization.org/archive/news/2010/10-07-06-ECOSOC_Full.html|title=ECOSOC High-Level Segment 2010|work=World Family Organization|date=29 June 2010|access-date=29 June 2010|archive-date=9 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009022556/http://www.worldfamilyorganization.org/archive/news/2010/10-07-06-ECOSOC_Full.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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* 4 November 2010: Golden Medal of Independence, an award conferred upon Kosovo citizens and foreigners that have contributed to the independence of Kosovo.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.president-ksgov.net/?page=2,6,1429|title=The Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo Dr. Jakup Krasniqi receives the Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayip Erdogan|work=President of the Republic of Kosovo|date=4 November 2010|access-date=4 November 2010}}</ref> |
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* 25 November 2010: Leader of the Year award presented by the Union of Arab Banks in [[Lebanon]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=66697|title=Turkish PM presented 'Leader of the Year' award in Lebanon|work=World Bulletin|date=25 November 2010|access-date=25 November 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101126081028/http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=66697|archive-date=26 November 2010}}</ref> |
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* 11 January 2011: Outstanding Personality in the Islamic World Award of the Sheikh Fahad al-Ahmad International Award for Charity in [[Kuwait]].<ref name="google.com">{{cite news |title=Turkish PM to receive Libyan rights award|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g5aVx0GAIpKInngJGjy6ZsndVG-Q?docId=CNG.25177ec61aed2bd3050d3e2b8bda84d2.6d1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101206120327/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g5aVx0GAIpKInngJGjy6ZsndVG-Q?docId=CNG.25177ec61aed2bd3050d3e2b8bda84d2.6d1|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 December 2010|agency=[[Agence France-Presse]]|date=26 November 2010|access-date=27 November 2010}}</ref> |
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* 25 October 2011: Palestinian International Award for Excellence and Creativity (PIA) 2011 for his support to the Palestinian people and cause.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/news-260972-prime-minister-erdogan-receives-palestinian-excellence-award.html|title=Prime Minister Erdoğan receives Palestinian excellence award|work=Today's Zaman|date=25 October 2011|access-date=25 October 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111025215042/http://www.todayszaman.com/news-260972-prime-minister-erdogan-receives-palestinian-excellence-award.html|archive-date=25 October 2011}}</ref> |
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* 21 January 2012: Gold Statue 2012 Special Award by the Polish Business Center Club (BCC). Erdoğan was awarded for his systematic effort to clear barriers on the way to economic growth, striving to build democracy and free market relations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenews.pl/1/12/Artykul/83932,Turkish-PM-receives-Polish-business-award|title=Turkish PM receives Polish business award|work=[[Polskie Radio]]|date=23 January 2012|access-date=25 January 2012}}</ref> |
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== Bibliography == |
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{{refbegin}} |
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=== Books === |
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* {{cite book |last1=Erdoğan |first1=Recep Tayyip |title=Küresel barış vizyonu |date=17 November 2012 |publisher=Medeniyetler İttifakı Enstitüsü |url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HC9RFE0/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2 |isbn=978-6055952389}} |
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* {{cite book |last1=Erdoğan |first1=Recep Tayyip |title=A Fairer World is Possible: A Proposed Model for a United Nations Reform |date=27 October 2021 |publisher=Turkuvaz Kitap |url=https://www.amazon.com/Fairer-World-Possible-Proposed-Nations-ebook/dp/B09KM5C7Z2 |language=English}} |
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===Articles=== |
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* {{cite journal |last1=Erdogan |first1=Recep Tayyip |title=The Tears of Somalia |journal=[[Foreign Policy]] |date=10 October 2011 |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2011/10/10/the-tears-of-somalia/}} |
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* {{cite journal |last1=Erdogan |first1=Recep Tayyip |author-mask=7 |title=How to Fix the U.N.—and Why We Should |journal=[[Foreign Policy]] |date=26 September 2018 |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/09/26/how-to-fix-the-u-n-and-why-we-should/}} |
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* {{cite journal |last1=Erdogan |first1=Recep Tayyip |author-mask=7 |title=À l'heure du centenaire de l'Armistice, la Turquie continue à oeuvrer pour la paix et la stabilité |journal=[[Le Figaro]] |date=10 November 2018 |url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/vox/monde/2018/11/10/31002-20181110ARTFIG00082--l-heure-du-centenaire-de-l-armistice-la-turquie-continue-a-oeuvrer-pour-la-paix-et-la-stabilite.php |language=fr}} |
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* {{cite magazine |last1=Erdogan |first1=Recep Tayyip |author-mask=7 |title=Turkey will continue its efforts to shed light on the Khashoggi murder |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/09/30/recep-tayyip-erdogan-turkey-will-continue-its-efforts-shed-light-khashoggi-murder/ |magazine=[[Washington Post]] |date=29 September 2019 |language=en}} |
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* {{cite news|last1=Erdoğan |first1=Recep Tayyip |author-mask=7 |title=Turkey Is Stepping Up Where Others Fail to Act |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=14 October 2019 |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/turkey-is-stepping-up-where-others-fail-to-act-11571093850 |issn=0099-9660}} |
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* {{cite magazine |last1=Erdogan |first1=Recep Tayyip |author-mask=7 |title=Road to peace in Libya goes through Turkey |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/road-to-peace-in-libya-goes-through-turkey-khalifa-haftar/ |magazine=[[Politico]] |date=18 January 2020}} |
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* {{cite magazine|last1=Erdoğan |first1=Recep Tayyip |author-mask=7 |title=The West Should Help Turkey End Syria's Civil War |department=Opinion |journal=[[Bloomberg News|Bloomberg]] |date=14 March 2021 |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2021-03-15/erdogan-the-west-should-help-turkey-end-syria-s-civil-war}} |
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* {{cite journal |last1=Erdoğan |first1=Recep Tayyip |author-mask=7 |title=Relations between Turkey and Albania |journal=[[Panorama (Albania)|Panorama]] |date=15 January 2022 |url=http://www.panorama.com.al/marredheniet-midis-turqise-dhe-shqiperise/ |language=sq}} |
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{{refend}} |
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== See also == |
== See also == |
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{{Portal|Biography|Turkey|Politics}} |
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* [[Reis (film)|''Reis'']] |
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* [[List of international prime ministerial trips made by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]] |
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* [[List of international presidential trips made by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]] |
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== |
== Notes == |
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{{notelist}} |
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{{reflist|colwidth=30em}} |
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== |
== References == |
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{{reflist}} |
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(in German) |
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* Çiğdem Akyol: ''Generation Erdogan. Die Türkei – ein zerrissenes Land im 21. Jahrhundert.'' Kremayr & Scheriau, Wien 2015, ISBN 978-3-218-00969-0 |
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* Çiğdem Akyol: ''Erdoğan. Die Biografie''. Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 2016, ISBN 978-3-451-32886-2. |
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== Further reading == |
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==External links== |
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* {{cite book |last1=Akyol |first1=Çiğdem |title=Generation Erdoğan |year=2015 |publisher=Kremayr & Scheriau |isbn=978-3-218-00969-0 |edition=1.}} |
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{{Commons}} |
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* {{cite book |last1=Akdoğan |first1=Yalçın |title=Political leadership and Erdoğan |year=2018 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |isbn=978-1-5275-0627-5}} |
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{{Wikiquote}} |
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* {{cite book |last1=Bechev |first1=Dimitar |title=Turkey Under Erdogan |date=2022 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=978-0-300-26501-9 |language=en}} |
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* [http://www.tccb.gov.tr/en/ Official Website of the President of Turkey] {{en icon}} |
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* Cagaptay, Soner. ''The new sultan: Erdogan and the crisis of modern Turkey'' (2nd ed. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020). [https://muse.jhu.edu/article/693096/summary online review] |
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100810120759/http://rte.com.tr/ Erdoğan's personal website] {{tr icon}} |
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* Cagaptay, Soner. "Making Turkey Great Again." ''Fletcher Forum of World Affairs'' 43 (2019): 169–78. [https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/opeds/Cagaptay20190206-FletcherForum.pdf online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200712080342/https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/opeds/Cagaptay20190206-FletcherForum.pdf |date=12 July 2020 }} |
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110825221621/http://eng.akparti.org.tr/english/lifestory.html Profile] at [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|Justice and Development Party]] |
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* Kirişci, Kemal, and Amanda Sloat. "The rise and fall of liberal democracy in Turkey: Implications for the West" ''Foreign Policy at Brookings'' (2019) [https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/FP_20190226_turkey_kirisci_sloat.pdf online] |
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* [http://www.newsweek.com/authors/recep-tayyip-erdogan.html Column archive] at ''[[Newsweek]]'' |
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* Tziarras, Zenonas. "Erdoganist authoritarianism and the 'new' Turkey." ''Southeast European and Black Sea Studies'' 18.4 (2018): 593–598. [http://www.academia.edu/download/58131132/Erdoganist_authoritarianism_and_the_new_Turkey.pdf online]{{dead link|date=November 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} |
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* [http://www.project-syndicate.org/contributor/1514 Column archive] at [[Project Syndicate]] |
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* Yavuz, M. Hakan. "A framework for understanding the Intra-Islamist conflict between the AK party and the Gülen movement." ''Politics, Religion & Ideology'' 19.1 (2018): 11–32. [http://www.academia.edu/download/56556625/A_Framework_for_Understanding_the_Intra_Islamist_Conflict_Between_the_AK_Party_and_the_G_len_Movement.pdf online]{{dead link|date=November 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} |
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* https://twitter.com/RT_Erdogan |
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* Yesil, Bilge. '' Media in New Turkey: The Origins of an Authoritarian Neoliberal State'' (University of Illinois Press, 2016) [https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/viewFile/8371/2230 online review] |
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* https://twitter.com/trpresidency |
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* https://twitter.com/tcbestepe |
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== External links == |
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;Media coverage |
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=== Official === |
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* {{Aljazeeratopic|person/recep-tayyip-erdogan}} |
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* {{official website|https://www.tccb.gov.tr/en/receptayyiperdogan/}} of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan |
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* [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/30/welcome-to-demokrasi-how-erdogan-got-more-popular-than-ever Welcome to demokrasi: how Erdoğan got more popular than ever] by ''[[The Guardian]]'' |
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* {{WSJ topic}} |
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* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6900616.stm Profile: Recep Tayyip Erdogan], ''[[BBC News]]'', 18 July 2007 |
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Latest revision as of 07:34, 20 December 2024
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan | |
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12th President of Turkey | |
Assumed office 28 August 2014 | |
Prime Minister | |
Vice President |
|
Preceded by | Abdullah Gül |
25th Prime Minister of Turkey | |
In office 14 March 2003 – 28 August 2014 | |
President |
|
Deputy | |
Preceded by | Abdullah Gül |
Succeeded by | Ahmet Davutoğlu |
Leader of the Justice and Development Party | |
Assumed office 21 May 2017 | |
Preceded by | Binali Yıldırım |
In office 14 August 2001 – 27 August 2014 | |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | Ahmet Davutoğlu |
Member of the Grand National Assembly | |
In office 9 March 2003 – 28 August 2014 | |
Constituency | |
23rd Mayor of Istanbul | |
In office 27 March 1994 – 6 November 1998 | |
Preceded by | Nurettin Sözen |
Succeeded by | Ali Müfit Gürtuna |
Chairman of the Organization of Turkic States | |
In office 12 November 2021 – 11 November 2022 | |
Preceded by | Ilham Aliyev |
Succeeded by | Shavkat Mirziyoyev |
Personal details | |
Born | Istanbul, Turkey | 26 February 1954
Political party | Justice and Development (2001–2014; 2017–present) |
Other political affiliations |
|
Spouse | |
Children | |
Relatives | (sons-in-law) |
Residence(s) | Presidential Complex, Ankara |
Alma mater | Marmara University[a] |
Signature | |
Website | Government website |
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Gallery: Picture, Sound, Video |
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Recep Tayyip Erdoğan[b] (born 26 February 1954) is a Turkish politician who is the 12th and current president of Turkey since 2014. He previously served as the 25th prime minister from 2003 to 2014 as part of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), which he co-founded in 2001. He also served as mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998.
Erdoğan was born in Beyoğlu, Istanbul, and studied at the Aksaray Academy of Economic and Commercial Sciences, before working as a consultant and senior manager in the private sector. Becoming active in local politics, he was elected Welfare Party's Beyoğlu district chair in 1984 and Istanbul chair in 1985. Following the 1994 local elections, Erdoğan was elected mayor of Istanbul. In 1998 he was convicted for inciting religious hatred and banned from politics after reciting a poem by Ziya Gökalp that compared mosques to barracks and the faithful to an army. Erdoğan was released from prison in 1999 and formed the AKP, abandoning openly Islamist policies.
Erdoğan led the AKP to a landslide victory in the election for the Grand National Assembly in 2002, and became prime minister after winning a by-election in Siirt in 2003. Erdoğan led the AKP to two more election victories in 2007 and 2011. His tenure consisted of economic recovery from the economic crisis of 2001, the start of EU membership negotiations, and the reduction of military influence on politics. In late 2012, his government began peace negotiations with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) to end the Kurdish–Turkish conflict, negotiations which ended three years later.
In 2014, Erdoğan became the country's first directly elected president. Erdoğan's presidency has been marked by democratic backsliding and a shift towards a more authoritarian style of government. His economic policies have led to high inflation rates and the depreciation of the value of the Turkish lira. He has intervened in the ongoing conflicts in Syria and Libya, launched operations against the Islamic State, Syrian Democratic Forces and Assad's forces, and has made threats against Greece. He oversaw the transformation of Turkey's parliamentary system into a presidential system, introducing term limits and expanding executive powers, and Turkey's migrant crisis. Erdoğan responded to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine by closing the Bosphorus to Russian naval reinforcements, brokering a deal between Russia and Ukraine regarding the export of grain, and mediating a prisoner exchange.[4]
Early life and education
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was born on 26 February 1954 in a poor conservative Muslim family.[5][6] Erdoğan's family is originally from Adjara, a region in Georgia.[7] Although Erdoğan was reported to have said in 2003 that he was of Georgian origin and that his origins were in Batumi,[6][8] he later denied this.[6] His parents were Ahmet Erdoğan (1905–1988) and Tenzile Erdoğan (née Mutlu; 1924–2011).[9]
While Erdoğan attended school in Istanbul, his summer holidays were mostly spent in Güneysu, Rize, where his family originates from. Throughout his life he often returned to this spiritual home, and in 2015 he opened a vast mosque on a mountaintop near this village.[10] The family returned to Istanbul when Erdoğan was 13 years old.[11]
As a teenager, Erdoğan's father provided him with a weekly allowance of 2.5 Turkish lira, less than a dollar. With it, Erdoğan bought postcards and resold them on the street. He sold bottles of water to drivers stuck in traffic. Erdoğan also worked as a street vendor selling simit (sesame bread rings), wearing a white gown and selling the simit from a red three-wheel cart with the rolls stacked behind glass.[11] In his youth, Erdoğan played semi-professional football in Camialtıspor FC, a local club.[12][1][13][14] Fenerbahçe wanted him to transfer to the club[clarification needed] but his father prevented it.[15] The stadium of the local football club in the district where he grew up, Kasımpaşa S.K. is named after him.[16][17]
Erdoğan is a member of the Community of İskenderpaşa, a Turkish Sufistic community of Naqshbandi tariqah.[18][19]
Education
Erdoğan graduated from Kasımpaşa Piyale Primary School in 1965, and the Istanbul İmam Hatip High School, a religious vocational high school, in 1973.[20] The same educational path was followed by other co-founders of the AK Party.[21] One quarter of the curriculum of İmam Hatip schools involves study of the Quran, the life of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and the Arabic language. Erdoğan studied the Quran at the İmam Hatip, where his classmates began calling him hoca ("teacher" or "religious official").
Erdoğan attended a meeting of the nationalist student group National Turkish Student Union (Milli Türk Talebe Birliği), who sought to raise a conservative cohort of young people to counter the rising movement of leftists in Turkey. Within the group, Erdoğan was distinguished by his oratorical skills, developing a penchant for public speaking and excelling in front of an audience. He won first place in a poetry-reading competition organized by the Community of Turkish Technical Painters, and began preparing for speeches through reading and research. Erdoğan would later comment on these competitions as "enhancing our courage to speak in front of the masses".[22]
Erdoğan wanted to pursue advanced studies at the Ankara University Faculty of Political Science, commonly known as Mülkiye, but only students with regular high school diplomas were eligible to apply, thereby excluding Imam Hatip graduates. Mülkiye was known for its political science department, which trained many statesmen and politicians in Turkey. Erdoğan was then admitted to Eyüp High School, a regular state school. That he eventually received a high school diploma from this school is a subject of debate.[23][24]
According to his official biography, Erdoğan subsequently studied business administration at the Aksaray School of Economics and Commercial Sciences (Turkish: Aksaray İktisat ve Ticaret Yüksekokulu), now known as Marmara University's Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences.[1] Both the authenticity and status of his degree have been the subject of disputes and controversy over whether the diploma is legitimate and ought to be considered sufficient to make him eligible as a candidate for the presidency.[25]
Early political career
In 1976, Erdoğan engaged in politics by joining the National Turkish Student Union, an anti-communist action group. In the same year, he became head of the Beyoğlu youth branch of the Islamist National Salvation Party (MSP),[26] and was later promoted to chair of the Istanbul youth branch.[20] He held this position until the 1980 military coup which dissolved all major political parties. He went on to be a consultant and senior executive in the private sector in the aftermath of the coup.
Three years later, in 1983, Erdoğan followed most of Necmettin Erbakan's followers into the newly founded Welfare Party (RP). The new party, like its predecessors subscribed to Erbakan's strain of Islamism, the National view. He became the party's Beyoğlu district chair in 1984, and head of its Istanbul branch in 1985. Erdoğan entered the parliamentary by-elections of 1986 as a candidate in Istanbul's 6th electoral district, but failed to get elected. Three years later, Erdoğan ran for the district mayoralty of Beyoğlu, finishing in second place with 22.8% of the vote.[27]
In the 1991 general election, the Welfare Party more than doubled its share of the vote in Istanbul compared to four years prior, reaching 16.7%. At first, Erdoğan, who led his party's district list, was thought to have been elected to parliament. However, as a product of the open-list proportional representation system adopted during the previous term, after all votes expressing a candidate preference were tabulated, it was instead Mustafa Baş who earned the seat allocated to the Welfare Party. A difference of about 4,000 preferential votes separated the two, with Baş's ~13,000 to Erdoğan's ~9,000.[28]
Mayor of Istanbul (1994–1998)
In the local elections of 1994, Erdoğan ran as a candidate for Mayor of Istanbul. He was a young, dark horse candidate in a crowded field. Over the course of the campaign, he was mocked by the mainstream media and treated as a country bumpkin by his opponents.[29] In an upset, he won with 25.19% of the popular vote, making it the first time a mayor of Istanbul got elected from his political party. His win coincided with a wave of Welfare Party victories nationwide, as they won 28 provincial mayoralties - most out of any party - and numerous metropolitan seats, including the capital, Ankara. He said at the time: "Democracy is like a train: when we reach our destination, we get off".[30]
Erdoğan governed pragmatically, focusing on bread-and-butter issues. He aimed to tackle the chronic problems plaguing the metropolis, such as water shortage, pollution – waste collection issues in particular – and severely congested traffic. He undertook an infrastructure overhaul: expanding and modernizing the water grid with hundreds of kilometers of new water pipes being laid, and constructing more than fifty bridges, viaducts, and stretches of highway to mitigate traffic. State-of-the-art recycling facilities were built and air pollution was reduced through a plan to switch to natural gas. He changed the public buses to environmentally friendly ones. He took precautions to prevent corruption, using measures to ensure that municipal funds were used prudently. He paid back a major portion of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality's two-billion-dollar debt and invested four billion dollars in the city.[31] He also opened up City Hall to the people, gave out his e-mail address and established municipal hot lines.[32]
Erdoğan initiated the first roundtable of mayors during the Istanbul conference, which led to a global, organized movement of mayors. A seven-member international jury from the United Nations unanimously awarded Erdoğan the UN-Habitat award.[33]
Imprisonment
In December 1997 in Siirt, Erdoğan recited a modified version of the "Soldier's prayer" poem written by Ziya Gökalp, a pan-Turkish activist of the early 20th century.[34] This version included an additional stanza in the beginning, its first two verses reading "The mosques are our barracks, the domes our helmets / The minarets our bayonets and the faithful our soldiers...."[11] Under article 312/2 of the Turkish penal code his recitation was regarded by the judge as an incitement to violence and religious or racial hatred.[35][36][34] In his defense, Erdoğan said that the poem was published in state-approved books.[32] How this version of the poem ended up in a book published by the Turkish Standards Institution remained a topic of discussion.[37]
Erdoğan was given a ten-month prison sentence.[36] He was forced to give up his mayoral position due to his conviction. The conviction also stipulated a political ban, which prevented him from participating in elections.[38] He had appealed for the sentence to be converted to a monetary fine, but it was reduced to four months instead (24 March 1999 to 27 July 1999).[39]
He was transferred to Pınarhisar prison in Kırklareli. The day Erdoğan went to prison, he released an album called This Song Doesn't End Here.[40] The album features a tracklist of seven poems and became the best-selling album of Turkey in 1999, selling over one million copies.[41] In 2013, Erdoğan visited the Pınarhisar prison again for the first time in fourteen years. After the visit, he said "For me, Pınarhisar is a symbol of rebirth, where we prepared the establishment of the Justice and Development Party".[42]
Justice and Development Party
Erdoğan was member of political parties that kept getting banned by the army or judges. Within his Virtue Party, there was a dispute about the appropriate discourse of the party between traditional politicians and pro-reform politicians. The latter envisioned a party that could operate within the limits of the system, and thus not getting banned as its predecessors like National Order Party, National Salvation Party and Welfare Party. They wanted to give the group the character of an ordinary conservative party with its members being Muslim Democrats following the example of the Europe's Christian Democrats.[32]
When the Virtue Party was also banned in 2001, a definitive split took place: the followers of Necmettin Erbakan founded the Felicity Party (SP) and the reformers founded the Justice and Development Party (AKP) under the leadership of Abdullah Gül and Erdoğan. The pro-reform politicians realized that a strictly Islamic party would never be accepted as a governing party by the state apparatus and they believed that an Islamic party did not appeal to more than about 20 percent of the Turkish electorate. The AK party emphatically placed itself as a broad democratic conservative party with new politicians from the political center (like Ali Babacan and Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu), while respecting Islamic norms and values, but without an explicit religious program. This turned out to be successful as the new party won 34% of the vote in the general elections of 2002. Erdoğan became prime minister in March 2003 after the Gül government ended his political ban.[43]
Premiership
General elections
The elections of 2002 were the first elections in which Erdoğan participated as a party leader. All parties previously elected to parliament failed to win enough votes to re-enter the parliament. The AKP won 34.3% of the national vote and formed the new government. Turkish stocks rose more than 7% on Monday morning. Politicians of the previous generation, such as Ecevit, Bahceli, Yılmaz and Çiller, resigned. The second largest party, the CHP, received 19.4% of the votes. The AKP won a landslide victory in the parliament, taking nearly two-thirds of the seats. Erdoğan could not become Prime Minister as he was still banned from politics by the judiciary for his speech in Siirt. Gül became the Prime Minister instead. In December 2002, the Supreme Election Board canceled the general election results from Siirt due to voting irregularities and scheduled a new election for 9 February 2003. By this time, party leader Erdoğan was able to run for parliament due to a legal change made possible by the opposition Republican People's Party. The AKP duly listed Erdoğan as a candidate for the rescheduled election, which he won, becoming Prime Minister after Gül handed over the post.[44]
On 14 April 2007, an estimated 300,000 people marched in Ankara to protest against the possible candidacy of Erdoğan in the 2007 presidential election, afraid that if elected as president, he would alter the secular nature of the Turkish state.[45] Erdoğan announced on 24 April 2007 that the party had nominated Abdullah Gül as the AKP candidate in the presidential election.[46][47] The protests continued over the next several weeks, with over one million people reported to have turned out at a 29 April rally in Istanbul,[48] tens of thousands at separate protests on 4 May in Manisa and Çanakkale,[49] and one million in İzmir on 13 May.[50]
The stage of the elections of 2007 was set for a fight for legitimacy in the eyes of voters between his government and the CHP. Erdoğan used the event that took place during the ill-fated Presidential elections a few months earlier as a part of the general election campaign of his party. On 22 July 2007, the AKP won an important victory over the opposition, garnering 46.7% of the popular vote. 22 July elections marked only the second time in the Republic of Turkey's history whereby an incumbent governing party won an election by increasing its share of popular support.[51] On 14 March 2008, Turkey's Chief Prosecutor asked the country's Constitutional Court to ban Erdoğan's governing party.[52] The party escaped a ban on 30 July 2008, a year after winning 46.7% of the vote in national elections, although judges did cut the party's public funding by 50%.[53]
In the June 2011 elections, Erdoğan's governing party won 327 seats (49.83% of the popular vote) making Erdoğan the only prime minister in Turkey's history to win three consecutive general elections, each time receiving more votes than the previous election. The second party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), received 135 seats (25.94%), the nationalist MHP received 53 seats (13.01%), and the Independents received 35 seats (6.58%).[54]
A US$100 billion corruption scandal in 2013 led to the arrests of Erdoğan's close allies, and incriminated Erdoğan.[55][56][57]
Referendums
After the opposition parties deadlocked the 2007 presidential election by boycotting the parliament, the ruling AKP proposed a constitutional reform package. The reform package was first vetoed by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. Then he applied to the Turkish constitutional court about the reform package, because the president is unable to veto amendments for the second time. The Turkish constitutional court did not find any problems in the packet and 68.95% of the voters supported the constitutional changes.[58] The reforms consisted of electing the president by popular vote instead of by parliament; reducing the presidential term from seven years to five; allowing the president to stand for re-election for a second term; holding general elections every four years instead of five; and reducing from 367 to 184 the quorum of lawmakers needed for parliamentary decisions.
Reforming the Constitution was one of the main pledges of the AKP during the 2007 election campaign. The main opposition party CHP was not interested in altering the Constitution on a big scale, making it impossible to form a Constitutional Commission (Anayasa Uzlaşma Komisyonu).[59] The amendments lacked the two-thirds majority needed to become law instantly, but secured 336 votes in the 550-seat parliament – enough to put the proposals to a referendum. The reform package included a number of issues such as the right of individuals to appeal to the highest court, the creation of the ombudsman's office; the possibility to negotiate a nationwide labour contract; gender equality; the ability of civilian courts to convict members of the military; the right of civil servants to go on strike; a privacy law; and the structure of the Constitutional Court. The referendum was agreed by a majority of 58%.[60]
Domestic policy
Kurdish issue
In 2009, Prime Minister Erdoğan's government announced a plan to help end the quarter-century-long Turkey–Kurdistan Workers' Party conflict that had cost more than 40,000 lives. The government's plan, supported by the European Union, intended to allow the Kurdish language to be used in all broadcast media and political campaigns, and restored Kurdish names to cities and towns that had been given Turkish ones.[61] Erdoğan said, "We took a courageous step to resolve chronic issues that constitute an obstacle along Turkey's development, progression and empowerment."[61] Erdoğan passed a partial amnesty to reduce penalties faced by many members of the Kurdish guerrilla movement PKK who had surrendered to the government.[62] On 23 November 2011, during a televised meeting of his party in Ankara, he apologized on behalf of the state for the Dersim massacre, where many Alevis and Zazas were killed.[63] In 2013 the government of Erdoğan began a peace process between the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Turkish Government,[64] mediated by parliamentarians of the Peoples' Democratic party (HDP).[65]
In 2015, following AKP electoral defeat, the rise of a social democrat, pro-Kurdish rights opposition party, and the minor Ceylanpınar incident, he decided that the peace process was over and supported the revocation of the parliamentary immunity of the HDP parliamentarians.[66] Violent confrontation resumed in 2015–2017, mainly in the South East of Turkey, resulting in higher death tolls and several external operations on the part of the Turkish military. Representatives and elected HDP have been systematically arrested, removed, and replaced in their offices, this tendency being confirmed after the 2016 Turkish coup attempt and the following purges. Six thousand additional deaths occurred in Turkey alone for 2015–2022. Yet, as of 2022 the intensity of the PKK-Turkey conflict did decrease in recent years.[67] In the previous decade, Erdogan and the AKP government used anti-PKK, martial rhetoric and external operations to raise Turkish nationalist votes before elections.[68][69][70]
Armenian genocide
Erdoğan has said multiple times that Turkey would acknowledge the mass killings of Armenians during World War I as genocide only after a thorough investigation by a joint Turkish-Armenian commission consisting of historians, archaeologists, political scientists and other experts.[71][72][73] In 2005, Erdoğan and the main opposition party leader Deniz Baykal wrote a letter to President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan, proposing the creation of a joint Turkish-Armenian commission.[74] Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian rejected the offer because he asserted that the proposal itself was "insincere and not serious". He added: "This issue cannot be considered at historical level with Turks, who themselves politicized the problem."[75][76]
In December 2008, Erdoğan criticized the I Apologize campaign by Turkish intellectuals to recognize the Armenian genocide, saying, "I neither accept nor support this campaign. We did not commit a crime, therefore we do not need to apologise ... It will not have any benefit other than stirring up trouble, disturbing our peace and undoing the steps which have been taken."[77]
In 2011, Erdoğan ordered the tearing-down of the 33-meter-tall (108 ft) Monument to Humanity, a Turkish–Armenian friendship monument in Kars, which was commissioned in 2006 and represented a metaphor of the rapprochement of the two countries after many years of dispute over the events of 1915. Erdoğan justified the removal by stating that the monument was offensively close to the tomb of an 11th-century Islamic scholar, and that its shadow ruined the view of that site, while Kars municipality officials said it was illegally erected in a protected area. However, the former mayor of Kars who approved the original construction of the monument said the municipality was destroying not just a "monument to humanity" but "humanity itself". The demolition was not unopposed; among its detractors were several Turkish artists. Two of them, the painter Bedri Baykam and his associate, Pyramid Art Gallery general coordinator Tugba Kurtulmus, were stabbed after a meeting with other artists at the Istanbul Akatlar cultural center.[78]
On 23 April 2014, Erdoğan's office issued a statement in nine languages (including two dialects of Armenian), offering condolences for the mass killings of Armenians and stating that the events of 1915 had inhumane consequences. The statement described the mass killings as the two nations' shared pain and said: "Having experienced events which had inhumane consequences – such as relocation – during the First World War, (it) should not prevent Turks and Armenians from establishing compassion and mutually humane attitudes among one another."[79]
Pope Francis in April 2015, at a special mass in St. Peter's Basilica marking the centenary of the events, described atrocities against Armenian civilians in 1915–1922 as "the first genocide of the 20th century". In protest, Erdoğan recalled the Turkish ambassador from the Vatican, and summoned the Vatican's ambassador, to express "disappointment" at what he called a discriminatory message. He later stated "we don't carry a stain or a shadow like genocide". US President Barack Obama called for a "full, frank and just acknowledgement of the facts", but again stopped short of labelling it "genocide", despite his campaign promise to do so.[80][81][82]
Human rights
During Erdoğan's time as Prime Minister, the far-reaching powers of the 1991 Anti-Terror Law were reduced. In 2004, the death penalty was abolished for all circumstances.[83] The Democratic initiative process was initiated, with the goal to improve democratic standards in general and the rights of ethnic and religious minorities in particular. In 2012, the Human Rights and Equality Institution of Turkey and the Ombudsman Institution were established. The UN Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture was ratified. Children are no longer prosecuted under terrorism legislation.[84] The Jewish community were allowed to celebrate Hanukkah publicly for the first time in modern Turkish history in 2015.[85] The Turkish government approved a law in 2008 to return properties confiscated in the past by the state to non-Muslim foundations.[86] It also paved the way for the free allocation of worship places such as synagogues and churches to non-Muslim foundations.[87] However, European officials noted a return to more authoritarian ways after the stalling of Turkey's bid to join the European Union[88] notably on freedom of speech,[89][90][91] freedom of the press[92][93][94] and Kurdish minority rights.[95][96][97][98] Demands by activists for the recognition of LGBT rights were publicly rejected by government members.[99][100]
Reporters Without Borders reported a continuous decrease in Freedom of the Press during Erdoğan's later terms, with a rank of around 100 on its Press Freedom Index during his first term and a rank of 153 out of a total of 179 countries in 2021.[101] Freedom House reported a slight recovery in later years and awarded Turkey a Press Freedom Score of 55/100 in 2012 after a low point of 48/100 in 2006.[102][103][104][105]
In 2011, Erdoğan's government made legal reforms to return properties of Christian and Jewish minorities which were seized by the Turkish government in the 1930s.[106] The total value of the properties returned reached $2 billion (USD).[107]
Under Erdoğan, the Turkish government tightened the laws on the sale and consumption of alcohol, banning all advertising and increasing the tax on alcoholic beverages.[108]
Economy
In 2002, Erdoğan inherited a Turkish economy that was beginning to recover from a recession as a result of reforms implemented by Kemal Derviş.[109] Erdoğan supported Finance Minister Ali Babacan in enforcing macro-economic policies. Erdoğan tried to attract more foreign investors to Turkey and lifted many government regulations. The cash-flow into the Turkish economy between 2002 and 2012 caused a growth of 64% in real GDP and a 43% increase in GDP per capita; considerably higher numbers were commonly advertised but these did not account for the inflation of the US dollar between 2002 and 2012.[110] The average annual growth in GDP per capita was 3.6%. The growth in real GDP between 2002 and 2012 was higher than the values from developed countries, but was close to average when developing countries are also taken into account. The ranking of the Turkish economy in terms of GDP moved slightly from 17 to 16 during this decade. A major consequence of the policies between 2002 and 2012 was the widening of the current account deficit from US$600 million to US$58 billion (2013 est.)[111]
Since 1961, Turkey has signed 19 IMF loan accords. Erdoğan's government satisfied the budgetary and market requirements of the two during his administration and received every loan installment, the only time any Turkish government has done so.[112] Erdoğan inherited a debt of $23.5 billion to the IMF, which was reduced to $0.9 billion in 2012. He decided not to sign a new deal. Turkey's debt to the IMF was thus declared to be completely paid and he announced that the IMF could borrow from Turkey.[113] In 2010, five-year credit default swaps for Turkey's sovereign debt were trading at a record low of 1.17%, below those of nine EU member countries and Russia. In 2002, the Turkish Central Bank had $26.5 billion in reserves. This amount reached $92.2 billion in 2011. During Erdoğan's leadership, inflation fell from 32% to 9.0% in 2004. Since then, Turkish inflation has continued to fluctuate around 9% and is still one of the highest inflation rates in the world.[114] The Turkish public debt as a percentage of annual GDP declined from 74% in 2002 to 39% in 2009. In 2012, Turkey had a lower ratio of public debt to GDP than 21 of 27 members of the European Union and a lower budget deficit to GDP ratio than 23 of them.[115]
In 2003, Erdoğan's government pushed through the Labor Act, a comprehensive reform of Turkey's labor laws. The law greatly expanded the rights of employees, establishing a 45-hour workweek and limiting overtime work to 270 hours a year, provided legal protection against discrimination due to sex, religion, or political affiliation, prohibited discrimination between permanent and temporary workers, entitled employees terminated without "valid cause" to compensation, and mandated written contracts for employment arrangements lasting a year or more.[116][117]
Education
Erdoğan increased the budget of the Ministry of Education from 7.5 billion lira in 2002 to 34 billion lira in 2011, the highest share of the national budget given to one ministry.[118] Before his prime ministership the military received the highest share of the national budget. Compulsory education was increased from eight years to twelve.[119] In 2003, the Turkish government, together with UNICEF, initiated a campaign called "Come on girls, [let's go] to school!" (Turkish: Haydi Kızlar Okula!). The goal of this campaign was to close the gender gap in primary school enrollment through the provision of a quality basic education for all girls, especially in southeast Turkey.[120]
In 2005, the parliament granted amnesty to students expelled from universities before 2003. The amnesty applied to students dismissed on academic or disciplinary grounds.[121] In 2004, textbooks became free of charge and since 2008 every province in Turkey has its own university.[122] During Erdoğan's Premiership, the number of universities in Turkey nearly doubled, from 98 in 2002 to 186 in October 2012.[123]
The Prime Minister kept his campaign promises by starting the Fatih project in which all state schools, from preschool to high school level, received a total of 620,000 smart boards, while tablet computers were distributed to 17 million students and approximately one million teachers and administrators.[124]
In June 2017 a draft proposal by the ministry of education was approved by Erdoğan, in which the curriculum for schools excluded the teaching of the theory of evolution of Charles Darwin by 2019. From then on the teaching will be postponed and start at undergraduate level.[125]
Infrastructure
Under Erdoğan's government, the number of airports in Turkey increased from 26 to 50 in the period of 10 years.[128] Between the founding of the Republic of Turkey in 1923 and 2002, there had been 6,000 km of dual carriageway roads created. Between 2002 and 2011, another 13,500 km of expressway were built. Due to these measures, the number of motor accidents fell by 50 percent.[129] For the first time in Turkish history, high speed railway lines were constructed, and the country's high-speed train service began in 2009.[130] In 8 years, 1,076 km of railway were built and 5,449 km of railway renewed. The construction of Marmaray, an undersea rail tunnel under the Bosphorus strait, started in 2004. It was inaugurated on the 90th anniversary of the Turkish Republic 29 October 2013.[131] The inauguration of the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, the third bridge over the Bosphorus, was on 26 August 2016.[132]
Justice
In March 2006, the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) held a press conference to publicly protest the obstruction of the appointment of judges to the high courts for over 10 months. The HSYK said Erdoğan wanted to fill the vacant posts with his own appointees. Erdoğan was accused of creating a rift with Turkey's highest court of appeal, the Yargıtay, and high administrative court, the Danıştay. Erdoğan stated that the constitution gave the power to assign these posts to his elected party.[133]
In May 2007, the head of Turkey's High Court asked prosecutors to consider whether Erdoğan should be charged over critical comments regarding the election of Abdullah Gül as president.[133] Erdoğan said the ruling was "a disgrace to the justice system", and criticized the Constitutional Court which had invalidated a presidential vote because a boycott by other parties meant there was no quorum. Prosecutors investigated his earlier comments, including saying it had fired a "bullet at democracy". Tülay Tuğcu, head of the Constitutional Court, condemned Erdoğan for "threats, insults and hostility" towards the justice system.[134]
Civil–military relations
The Turkish military has had a record of intervening in politics, having removed elected governments four times in the past. During the Erdoğan government, civil–military relationship moved towards normalization in which the influence of the military in politics was significantly reduced.[135] The ruling Justice and Development Party has often faced off against the military, gaining political power by challenging a pillar of the country's laicistic establishment.
The most significant issue that caused deep fissures between the army and the government was the midnight e-memorandum posted on the military's website objecting to the selection of Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül as the ruling party's candidate for the Presidency in 2007. The military argued that the election of Gül, whose wife wears an Islamic headscarf, could undermine the laicistic order of the country. Contrary to expectations, the government responded harshly to former Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaşar Büyükanıt's e-memorandum, stating the military had nothing to do with the selection of the presidential candidate.[136]
Health care
After assuming power in 2003, Erdoğan's government embarked on a sweeping reform program of the Turkish healthcare system, called the Health Transformation Program (HTP), to greatly increase the quality of healthcare and protect all citizens from financial risks. Its introduction coincided with the period of sustained economic growth, allowing the Turkish government to put greater investments into the healthcare system. As part of the reforms, the "Green Card" program, which provides health benefits to the poor, was expanded in 2004.[137] The reform program aimed at increasing the ratio of private to state-run healthcare, which, along with long queues in state-run hospitals, resulted in the rise of private medical care in Turkey, forcing state-run hospitals to compete by increasing quality.
In April 2006, Erdoğan unveiled a social security reform package demanded by the International Monetary Fund under a loan deal. The move, which Erdoğan called one of the most radical reforms ever, was passed with fierce opposition. Turkey's three social security bodies were united under one roof, bringing equal health services and retirement benefits for members of all three bodies. The previous system had been criticized for reserving the best healthcare for civil servants and relegating others to wait in long queues. Under the second bill, everyone under the age of 18 years was entitled to free health services, irrespective of whether they pay premiums to any social security organization. The bill also envisages a gradual increase in the retirement age: starting from 2036, the retirement age will increase to 65 by 2048 for both women and men.[138]
In January 2008, the Turkish Parliament adopted a law to prohibit smoking in most public places. Erdoğan is outspokenly anti-smoking.[139]
Foreign policy
Turkish foreign policy during Erdoğan's tenure as prime minister has been associated with the name of Ahmet Davutoğlu. Davutoğlu was the chief foreign policy advisor of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan before he was appointed foreign minister in 2009. The basis of Erdoğan's foreign policy is based on the principle of "don't make enemies, make friends"[140] and the pursuit of "zero problems" with neighboring countries.[141]
Erdoğan is co-founder of United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (AOC). The initiative seeks to galvanize international action against extremism through the forging of international, intercultural and inter-religious dialogue and cooperation.
European Union
When Erdoğan came to power, he continued Turkey's long ambition of joining the European Union. Turkey, under Erdoğan, made many strides in its laws that would qualify for EU membership.[142] On 3 October 2005 negotiations began for Turkey's accession to the European Union.[143][144] Erdoğan was named "The European of the Year 2004" by the newspaper European Voice for the reforms in his country in order to accomplish the accession of Turkey to the European Union. He said in a comment that "Turkey's accession shows that Europe is a continent where civilisations reconcile and not clash."[145] On 3 October 2005, the negotiations for Turkey's accession to the EU formally started during Erdoğan's tenure as Prime Minister.[143]
The European Commission generally supports Erdoğan's reforms, but it remains critical of his policies. Negotiations about a possible EU membership came to a standstill in 2009 and 2010, when Turkish ports were closed to Cypriot ships. The Turkish government continues its refusal to recognize EU member state Cyprus.
Greece and Cyprus dispute
Relations between Greece and Turkey were normalized during Erdoğan's tenure as prime minister. In May 2004, Erdoğan became the first Turkish Prime Minister to visit Greece since 1988, and the first to visit the Turkish minority of Thrace since 1952. In 2007, Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis inaugurated the Greek-Turkish natural gas pipeline giving Caspian gas its first direct Western outlet.[146] Turkey and Greece signed an agreement to create a Combined Joint Operational Unit within the framework of NATO to participate in Peace Support Operations.[147] Erdoğan and his party strongly supported the EU-backed referendum to reunify Cyprus in 2004.[148] Negotiations about a possible EU membership came to a standstill in 2009 and 2010, when Turkish ports were closed to Cypriot ships as a consequence of the economic isolation of the internationally unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the failure of the EU to end the isolation, as it had promised in 2004.[149] The Turkish government continues its refusal to recognize the Republic of Cyprus.[150]
Armenia
Armenia is Turkey's only neighbor which Erdoğan has not visited during his premiership. The Turkish-Armenian border has been closed since 1993 because of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Turkey's close ally Azerbaijan.
Diplomatic efforts resulted in the signing of protocols between Turkish and Armenian Foreign Ministers in Switzerland to improve relations between the two countries. One of the points of the agreement was the creation of a joint commission on the issue. The Armenian Constitutional Court decided that the commission contradicts the Armenian constitution. Turkey responded saying that Armenian court's ruling on the protocols is not acceptable, resulting in a suspension of the rectification process by the Turkish side.[151]
Erdoğan has said that Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan should apologize for calling on school children to re-occupy eastern Turkey. When asked by a student at a literature contest ceremony if Armenians will be able to get back their "western territories" along with Mt. Ararat, Sarksyan said, "This is the task of your generation".[152]
Russia
In December 2004, President Putin visited Turkey, making it the first presidential visit in the history of Turkish-Russian relations besides that of the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Nikolai Podgorny in 1972. In November 2005, Putin attended the inauguration of a jointly constructed Blue Stream natural gas pipeline in Turkey. This sequence of top-level visits has brought several important bilateral issues to the forefront. The two countries consider it their strategic goal to achieve "multidimensional co-operation", especially in the fields of energy, transport and the military. Specifically, Russia aims to invest in Turkey's fuel and energy industries, and it also expects to participate in tenders for the modernization of Turkey's military.[153] The relations during this time are described by President Medvedev as "Turkey is one of our most important partners with respect to regional and international issues. We can confidently say that Russian-Turkish relations have advanced to the level of a multidimensional strategic partnership".[154]
In May 2010, Turkey and Russia signed 17 agreements to enhance cooperation in energy and other fields, including pacts to build Turkey's first nuclear power plant and further plans for an oil pipeline from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. The leaders of both countries also signed an agreement on visa-free travel, enabling tourists to get into the other country for free and stay there for up to 30 days.[citation needed]
United States
When Barack Obama became President of United States, he made his first overseas bilateral meeting to Turkey in April 2009.
At a joint news conference in Turkey, Obama said: "I'm trying to make a statement about the importance of Turkey, not just to the United States but to the world. I think that where there's the most promise of building stronger U.S.-Turkish relations is in the recognition that Turkey and the United States can build a model partnership in which a predominantly Christian nation, a predominantly Muslim nation – a Western nation and a nation that straddles two continents," he continued, "that we can create a modern international community that is respectful, that is secure, that is prosperous, that there are not tensions – inevitable tensions between cultures – which I think is extraordinarily important."[155]
Iraq
Turkey under Erdoğan was named by the Bush Administration as a part of the "coalition of the willing" that was central to the 2003 invasion of Iraq.[156] On 1 March 2003, a motion allowing Turkish military to participate in the U.S-led coalition's invasion of Iraq, along with the permission for foreign troops to be stationed in Turkey for this purpose, was overruled by the Turkish Parliament.[157]
After the fall of Saddam Hussein, Iraq and Turkey signed 48 trade agreements on issues including security, energy, and water. The Turkish government attempted to mend relations with Iraqi Kurdistan by opening a Turkish university in Erbil, and a Turkish consulate in Mosul.[158] Erdoğan's government fostered economic and political relations with Irbil, and Turkey began to consider the Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq as an ally against Maliki's government.[159]
Israel
Erdoğan visited Israel on 1 May 2005, a gesture unusual for a leader of a Muslim majority country.[160] During his trip, Erdoğan visited the Yad Vashem, Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust.[160] The President of Israel Shimon Peres addressed the Turkish parliament during a visit in 2007, the first time an Israeli leader had addressed the legislature of a predominantly Muslim nation.[161]
Their relationship worsened at the 2009 World Economic Forum conference over Israel's actions during the Gaza War.[162] Erdoğan was interrupted by the moderator while he was responding to Peres. Erdoğan stated: "Mister Peres, you are older than I am. Maybe you are feeling guilty and that is why you are raising your voice. When it comes to killing you know it too well. I remember how you killed the children on beaches..." Upon the moderator's reminder that they needed to adjourn for dinner, Erdoğan left the panel, accusing the moderator of giving Peres more time than all the other panelists combined.[163]
Tensions increased further following the Gaza flotilla raid in May 2010. Erdoğan strongly condemned the raid, describing it as "state terrorism", and demanded an Israeli apology.[164] In February 2013, Erdoğan called Zionism a "crime against humanity", comparing it to Islamophobia, antisemitism, and fascism.[165] He later retracted the statement, saying he had been misinterpreted. He said "everyone should know" that his comments were directed at "Israeli policies", especially as regards to "Gaza and the settlements".[166][167] Erdoğan's statements were criticized by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, among others.[168][169] In August 2013, the Hürriyet reported that Erdoğan had claimed to have evidence of Israel's responsibility for the removal of Morsi from office in Egypt.[170] The Israeli and Egyptian governments dismissed the suggestion.[171]
In response to the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict, Erdoğan accused Israel of conducting "state terrorism" and a "genocide attempt" against the Palestinians.[172] He also stated that "If Israel continues with this attitude, it will definitely be tried at international courts."[173]
Syria
During Erdoğan's term of office, diplomatic relations between Turkey and Syria significantly deteriorated. In 2004, President Bashar al-Assad arrived in Turkey for the first official visit by a Syrian President in 57 years. In late 2004, Erdoğan signed a free trade agreement with Syria. Visa restrictions between the two countries were lifted in 2009, which caused an economic boom in the regions near the Syrian border.[174] However, in 2011 the relationship between the two countries was strained following the outbreak of conflict in Syria. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he was trying to "cultivate a favorable relationship with whatever government would take the place of Assad".[175] However, he began to support the opposition in Syria, after demonstrations turned violent, creating a serious Syrian refugee problem in Turkey.[176] Erdoğan's policy of providing military training for anti-Damascus fighters has also created conflict with Syria's ally and a neighbour of Turkey, Iran.[177]
Saudi Arabia
In August 2006, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz as-Saud made a visit to Turkey. This was the first visit by a Saudi monarch to Turkey in the last four decades. The monarch made a second visit, on 9 November 2007. Turk-Saudi trade volume has exceeded US$ 3.2 billion in 2006, almost double the figure achieved in 2003. In 2009, this amount reached US$ 5.5 billion and the goal for the year 2010 was US$ 10 billion.[178]
Erdoğan condemned the Saudi-led intervention in Bahrain and characterized the Saudi movement as "a new Karbala". He demanded withdrawal of Saudi forces from Bahrain.[179]
Egypt
Erdoğan had made his first official visit to Egypt on 12 September 2011, accompanied by six ministers and 200 businessmen.[180] This visit was made very soon after Turkey had ejected Israeli ambassadors, cutting off all diplomatic relations with Israel because Israel refused to apologize for the Gaza flotilla raid which killed eight Turkish and one Turco-American.[180]
Erdoğan's visit to Egypt was met with much enthusiasm by Egyptians. CNN reported some Egyptians saying "We consider him as the Islamic leader in the Middle East", while others were appreciative of his role in supporting Gaza.[180] Erdoğan was later honoured in Tahrir Square by members of the Egyptian Revolution Youth Union, and members of the Turkish embassy were presented with a coat of arms in acknowledgment of the Prime Minister's support of the Egyptian Revolution.[181]
Erdoğan stated in a 2011 interview that he supported secularism for Egypt, which generated an angry reaction among Islamic movements, especially the Freedom and Justice Party, which was the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood.[181] However, commentators suggest that by forming an alliance with the military junta during Egypt's transition to democracy, Erdoğan may have tipped the balance in favor of an authoritarian government.[181]
Erdoğan condemned the sit-in dispersals conducted by Egyptian police on 14 August 2013 at the Rabaa al-Adawiya and al-Nahda squares, where violent clashes between police officers and pro-Morsi Islamist protesters led to hundreds of deaths, mostly protesters.[182] In July 2014, one year after the removal of Mohamed Morsi from office, Erdoğan described Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as an "illegitimate tyrant".[183]
Somalia
Erdoğan's administration maintains strong ties with the Somali government. During the drought of 2011, Erdoğan's government contributed over $201 million to humanitarian relief efforts in the impacted parts of Somalia.[184] Following a greatly improved security situation in Mogadishu in mid-2011, the Turkish government also re-opened its foreign embassy with the intention of more effectively assisting in the post-conflict development process.[185] It was among the first foreign governments to resume formal diplomatic relations with Somalia after the civil war.[186]
In May 2010, the Turkish and Somali governments signed a military training agreement, in keeping with the provisions outlined in the Djibouti Peace Process.[187] Turkish Airlines became the first long-distance international commercial airline in two decades to resume flights to and from Mogadishu's Aden Adde International Airport.[186] Turkey also launched various development and infrastructure projects in Somalia including building several hospitals and helping renovate the National Assembly building.[186]
Protests
The 2013 Gezi Park protests were held against the perceived authoritarianism of Erdoğan and his policies, starting from a small sit-in in Istanbul in defense of a city park.[188] After the police's intense reaction with tear gas, the protests grew each day. Faced by the largest mass protest in a decade, Erdoğan made this controversial remark in a televised speech: "The police were there yesterday, they are there today, and they will be there tomorrow". After weeks of clashes in the streets of Istanbul, his government at first apologized to the protestors[189] and called for a plebiscite, but then ordered a crackdown on the protesters.[188][190]
Presidency
Erdoğan took the oath of office on 28 August 2014 and became the 12th president of Turkey.[191] He administered the new Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu's oath on 29 August. When asked about his lower-than-expected 51.79% share of the vote, he allegedly responded, "there were even those who did not like the Prophet. I, however, won 52%".[192] Assuming the role of President, Erdoğan was criticized for openly stating that he would not maintain the tradition of presidential neutrality.[193] Erdoğan has also stated his intention to pursue a more active role as president, such as utilizing the President's rarely used cabinet-calling powers.[194] The political opposition has argued that Erdoğan will continue to pursue his own political agenda, controlling the government, while his new Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu would be docile and submissive.[195] Furthermore, the domination of loyal Erdoğan supporters in Davutoğlu's cabinet fuelled speculation that Erdoğan intended to exercise substantial control over the government.[196]
Presidential elections
On 1 July 2014, Erdoğan was named the AKP's presidential candidate in the Turkish presidential election. His candidacy was announced by the Deputy President of the AKP, Mehmet Ali Şahin.
Erdoğan made a speech after the announcement and used the 'Erdoğan logo' for the first time. The logo was criticized because it was very similar to the logo that U.S. President Barack Obama used in the 2008 presidential election.[197]
Erdoğan was elected as the President of Turkey in the first round of the election with 51.79% of the vote, obviating the need for a run-off by winning over 50%. The joint candidate of the CHP, MHP and 13 other opposition parties, former Organisation of Islamic Co-operation general secretary Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu won 38.44% of the vote. The pro-Kurdish HDP candidate Selahattin Demirtaş won 9.76%.[198]
The 2018 Turkish presidential election took place as part of the 2018 general election, alongside parliamentary elections on the same day. Following the approval of constitutional changes in a referendum held in 2017, the elected President will be both the head of state and head of government of Turkey, taking over the latter role from the to-be-abolished office of the Prime Minister.[199]
Incumbent president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared his candidacy for the People's Alliance (Turkish: Cumhur İttifakı) on 27 April 2018,[citation needed] being supported by the MHP.[200] Erdoğan's main opposition, the Republican People's Party, nominated Muharrem İnce, a member of the parliament known for his combative opposition and spirited speeches against Erdoğan.[201] Besides these candidates, Meral Akşener, the founder and leader of Good Party,[202] Temel Karamollaoğlu, the leader of the Felicity Party and Doğu Perinçek, the leader of the Patriotic Party, have announced their candidacies and collected the 100,000 signatures required for nomination. The alliance which Erdoğan was candidate for won 52.59% of the popular vote.
For the presidential election 2023 his candidacy is in dispute as he has launched his campaign in June 2022,[203] but the opposition contends a third presidential term would violate the constitution.[204] During the first round of ballots in the 2023 Presidential Election, Erdoğan failed to cross the 50% threshold, resulting in a second runoff election against Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.[205] On 28 May 2023 Erdoğan won the second round with 52.14% of the vote, with over 99% of the total vote counted.[206]
On March 8, 2024, he declared that he would retire once his presidential term ended in 2028.[207]
Referendum
In April 2017, a constitutional referendum was held, where the voters in Turkey (and Turkish citizens abroad) approved a set of 18 proposed amendments to the Constitution of Turkey.[208] The amendments included the replacement of the existing parliamentary system with a presidential system. The post of Prime Minister would be abolished, and the presidency would become an executive post vested with broad executive powers. The parliament seats would be increased from 550 to 600 and the age of candidacy to the parliament was lowered from 25 to 18. The referendum also called for changes to the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors.[209]
Local elections
In the 2019 local elections, the ruling party AKP lost control of Istanbul and Ankara for the first time in 25 years, as well as 5 of Turkey's 6 largest cities. The loss has been widely attributed to Erdoğan's mismanagement of the Turkish economic crisis, rising authoritarianism as well as the alleged government inaction on the Syrian refugee crisis.[210] Soon after the elections, Supreme Electoral Council of Turkey ordered a re-election in Istanbul, cancelling Ekrem İmamoğlu's mayoral certificate. The decision led to a significant decrease of Erdoğan's and AKP's popularity and his party lost the elections again in June with a greater margin.[211][212][213][214] The result was seen as a huge blow to Erdoğan, who had once said that if his party 'lost Istanbul, we would lose Turkey. The opposition's victory was characterised as 'the beginning of the end' for Erdoğan',[215][216][217] with international commentators calling the re-run a huge government miscalculation that led to a potential İmamoğlu candidacy in the next scheduled presidential election.[215][217] It is suspected that the scale of the government's defeat could provoke a cabinet reshuffle and early general elections, currently scheduled for June 2023.[218][219]
The New Zealand and Australian governments and opposition CHP party have criticized Erdoğan after he repeatedly showed video taken by the Christchurch mosque shooter to his supporters at campaign rallies for 31 March local elections and said Australians and New Zealanders who came to Turkey with anti-Muslim sentiments "would be sent back in coffins like their grandfathers" at Gallipoli.[220][221]
Domestic policy
Presidential palace
Erdoğan has also received criticism for the construction of a new official residence called the Presidential Complex, which takes up approximately 50 acres of Atatürk Forest Farm (AOÇ) in Ankara.[222][223] Since the AOÇ is protected land, several court orders were issued to halt the construction of the new palace, though building work went on nonetheless.[224] The opposition described the move as a clear disregard for the rule of law.[225] The project was subject to heavy criticism and allegations were made; of corruption during the construction process, wildlife destruction and the complete obliteration of the zoo in the AOÇ in order to make way for the new compound.[226] The fact that the palace is technically illegal has led to it being branded as the 'Kaç-Ak Saray', the word kaçak in Turkish meaning 'illegal'.[227]
Ak Saray was originally designed as a new office for the Prime Minister. However, upon assuming the presidency, Erdoğan announced that the palace would become the new Presidential Palace, while the Çankaya Mansion will be used by the Prime Minister instead. The move was seen as a historic change since the Çankaya Mansion had been used as the iconic office of the presidency ever since its inception. The Presidential Complex has almost 1,000 rooms and cost $350 million (€270 million), leading to strong criticism at a time when mining accidents and workers' rights had been dominating the agenda.[228][229]
On 29 October 2014, Erdoğan was due to hold a Republic Day reception in the new palace to commemorate the 91st anniversary of the Republic of Turkey and to officially inaugurate the Presidential Palace. However, after most invited participants announced that they would boycott the event and a mining accident occurred in the district of Ermenek in Karaman, the reception was cancelled.[230]
The media
President Erdoğan and his government continue to press for court action against the remaining free press in Turkey. The latest newspaper that has been seized is Zaman, in March 2016.[231] After the seizure Morton Abramowitz and Eric Edelman, former U.S. ambassadors to Turkey, condemned President Erdoğan's actions in an opinion piece published by The Washington Post: "Clearly, democracy cannot flourish under Erdoğan now".[232] "The overall pace of reforms in Turkey has not only slowed down but in some key areas, such as freedom of expression and the independence of the judiciary, there has been a regression, which is particularly worrying", rapporteur Kati Piri said in April 2016 after the European Parliament passed its annual progress report on Turkey.[233]
On 22 June 2016, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that he considered himself successful in "destroying" Turkish civil groups "working against the state",[234] a conclusion that had been confirmed some days earlier by Sedat Laçiner, Professor of International Relations and rector of the Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University: "Outlawing unarmed and peaceful opposition, sentencing people to unfair punishment under erroneous terror accusations, will feed genuine terrorism in Erdoğan's Turkey. Guns and violence will become the sole alternative for legally expressing free thought".[235]
After the coup attempt, over 200 journalists were arrested and over 120 media outlets were closed. Cumhuriyet journalists were detained in November 2016 after a long-standing crackdown on the newspaper. Subsequently, Reporters Without Borders called Erdoğan an "enemy of press freedom" and said that he "hides his aggressive dictatorship under a veneer of democracy".[236]
In 2014, Turkey temporarily blocked access to Twitter.[237] In April 2017, Turkey blocked all access to Wikipedia over a content dispute.[238] The Turkish government lifted a two-and-a-half-year ban on Wikipedia on 15 January 2020, restoring access to the online encyclopedia a month after Turkey's top court ruled that blocking Wikipedia was unconstitutional.
On 1 July 2020, in a statement made to his party members, Erdoğan announced that the government would introduce new measures and regulations to control or shut down social media platforms such as YouTube, Twitter and Netflix. Through these new measures, each company would be required to appoint an official representative in the country to respond to legal concerns. The decision came after a number of Twitter users insulted his daughter Esra after she gave birth to her fourth child.[239]
State of emergency and purges
On 20 July 2016, President Erdoğan declared the state of emergency, citing the coup d'état attempt as justification.[240] It was first scheduled to last three months. The Turkish parliament approved this measure.[241] The state of emergency was later continuously extended until 2018[242][243] amidst the ongoing 2016 Turkish purges including comprehensive purges of independent media and detention of tens of thousands of Turkish citizens politically opposed to Erdoğan.[244] More than 50,000 people have been arrested and over 160,000 fired from their jobs by March 2018.[245][242]
In August 2016, Erdoğan began rounding up journalists who had been publishing, or who were about to publish articles questioning corruption within the Erdoğan administration, and incarcerating them.[246] The number of Turkish journalists jailed by Turkey is higher than any other country, including all of those journalists currently jailed in North Korea, Cuba, Russia, and China combined.[247] In the wake of the coup attempt of July 2016 the Erdoğan administration began rounding up tens of thousands of individuals, both from within the government, and from the public sector, and incarcerating them on charges of alleged "terrorism".[248][249][250] As a result of these arrests, many in the international community complained about the lack of proper judicial process in the incarceration of Erdoğan's opposition.[251]
In April 2017 Erdoğan successfully sponsored legislation effectively making it illegal for the Turkish legislative branch to investigate his executive branch of government.[252] Without the checks and balances of freedom of speech, and the freedom of the Turkish legislature to hold him accountable for his actions, many have likened Turkey's current form of government to a dictatorship with only nominal forms of democracy in practice.[253][254] At the time of Erdoğan's successful passing of the most recent legislation silencing his opposition, United States President Donald Trump called Erdoğan to congratulate him for his "recent referendum victory".[255]
On 29 April 2017 Erdoğan's administration began an internal Internet block of all of the Wikipedia online encyclopedia site via Turkey's domestic Internet filtering system. This blocking action took place after the government had first made a request for Wikipedia to remove what it referred to as "offensive content". In response, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales replied via a post on Twitter stating, "Access to information is a fundamental human right. Turkish people, I will always stand with you and fight for this right."[256][257]
In January 2016, more than a thousand academics signed a petition criticizing Turkey's military crackdown on ethnic Kurdish towns and neighborhoods in the east of the country, such as Sur (a district of Diyarbakır), Silvan, Nusaybin, Cizre and Silopi, and asking an end to violence.[258] Erdoğan accused those who signed the petition of "terrorist propaganda", calling them "the darkest of people". He called for action by institutions and universities, stating, "Everyone who benefits from this state but is now an enemy of the state must be punished without further delay".[259] Within days, over 30 of the signatories were arrested, many in dawn-time raids on their homes. Although all were quickly released, nearly half were fired from their jobs, eliciting a denunciation from Turkey's Science Academy for such "wrong and disturbing" treatment.[260] Erdoğan vowed that the academics would pay the price for "falling into a pit of treachery".[261]
On 8 July 2018, Erdoğan sacked 18,000 officials for alleged ties to US based cleric Fethullah Gülen, shortly before renewing his term as an executive president. Of those removed, 9000 were police officers with 5000 from the armed forces with the addition of hundreds of academics.[262]
Economic policy
Under his presidency, Erdoğan has decreased the independence of the Central Bank and pushed it to pursue a highly unorthodox monetary policy, decreasing interest rates even with high inflation.[263] He has pushed the theory that inflation is caused by high interest rates, an idea universally rejected by economists.[263][264] This, along with other factors such as excessive current account deficit and foreign-currency debt,[265] in combination with Erdoğan's increasing authoritarianism, caused an economic crisis starting from 2018, leading to large depreciation of the Turkish lira and very high inflation.[266][267][268][269] Economist Paul Krugman described the unfolding crisis as "a classic currency-and-debt crisis, of a kind we've seen many times", adding: "At such a time, the quality of leadership suddenly matters a great deal. You need officials who understand what's happening, can devise a response and have enough credibility that markets give them the benefit of the doubt. Some emerging markets have those things, and they are riding out the turmoil fairly well. The Erdoğan regime has none of that".[270]
Foreign policy
Europe
In February 2016, Erdoğan threatened to send the millions of refugees in Turkey to EU member states,[271] saying: "We can open the doors to Greece and Bulgaria anytime and we can put the refugees on buses ... So how will you deal with refugees if you don't get a deal?"[272]
In an interview to the news magazine Der Spiegel, German minister of defence Ursula von der Leyen said on 11 March 2016 that the refugee crisis had made good cooperation between EU and Turkey an "existentially important" issue. "Therefore it is right to advance now negotiations on Turkey's EU accession".[273]
In its resolution "The functioning of democratic institutions in Turkey" from 22 June 2016, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe warned that "recent developments in Turkey pertaining to freedom of the media and of expression, erosion of the rule of law and the human rights violations in relation to anti-terrorism security operations in south-east Turkey have ... raised serious questions about the functioning of its democratic institutions".[274][275]
In January 2017, Erdoğan said that the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Northern Cyprus is "out of the question" and Turkey will be in Cyprus "forever".[276]
In September 2020, Erdoğan declared his government's support for Azerbaijan following a major conflict between Armenian and Azeri forces over a disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.[277] He dismissed demands for a ceasefire.[278] In 2022, Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin planned for Turkey to become an energy hub for all of Europe through the TurkStream and Blue Stream gas pipelines.[279][280] In October 2023 Erdoğan canceled attendance at the third European Political Community (EPC) meeting.[281][282]
Finnish and Swedish NATO accession
In May 2022, Erdoğan voiced his opposition to Finland and Sweden joining NATO, accusing the two countries of tolerating groups which Turkey classifies as terrorist organizations,[283] including the Kurdish militant groups PKK, PYD and YPG and the supporters of Fethullah Gülen.[284] Following a protest in Sweden where a Quran was burned, Erdogan re-iterated that he would not support Sweden's bid to join NATO.[285] President of Finland Sauli Niinistö visited Erdogan in Istanbul and Ankara in March 2023. During the visit, Erdogan confirmed that he supported Finnish NATO membership and declared that the Turkish parliament would confirm Finnish membership before the Turkish Presidential elections in May 2023.[286] On 23 March 2023, the Turkish parliament's foreign relations committee confirmed the Finnish NATO membership application and sent the process to the Turkish Parliament's plenary session.[287] On 1 April 2023, Erdoğan confirmed and signed the Turkish Grand National Assembly's ratification of Finnish NATO membership.[288] This decision sealed Finland's entry to NATO. In June 2023, Erdoğan again voiced his opposition to Sweden joining NATO.[289] Just prior to the NATO summit in Vilnius in July 2023, Erdoğan linked Sweden's accession to NATO membership to Turkey's application for EU membership. Turkey had applied for EU membership in 1999, but talks made little progress since 2016.[290][291] In September 2023, Erdoğan announced that the European Union was well into a rupture in its relations with Turkey and that they would part ways during Turkey's European Union membership process.[292] However, on 23 October 2023, Erdoğan approved Sweden's pending NATO membership bid and sent the accession protocol to the Turkish Parliament for ratification.[293] Two days later, Turkey's parliamentary speaker, Numan Kurtulmuş, sent a bill approving Sweden's NATO membership bid to parliament's foreign affairs committee.[294] The committee discussed the ratification on 16 November 2023, but a decision was deferred,[295] with a request for Sweden to produce a written roadmap to implement its anti-terrorism commitments.[296][297] On 26 December 2023, the Turkish parliament's foreign relations committee confirmed the Swedish NATO membership application and sent the process to the Turkish Parliament's plenary session.[298] On 25 January 2024, Erdoğan formally signed and approved the Turkish parliament's decision to ratify Swedish NATO membership.[299]
Greece
There is a long-standing dispute between Turkey and Greece in the Aegean Sea. Erdoğan warned that Greece will pay a "heavy price" if Turkey's gas exploration vessel – in what Turkey said are disputed waters – is attacked.[300] He deemed the readmission of Greece into the military alliance NATO a mistake, claiming they were collaborating with terrorists.[301]
Diaspora
In March 2017, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated to the Turks in Europe, "Make not three, but five children. Because you are the future of Europe. That will be the best response to the injustices against you." This has been interpreted as an imperialist call for demographic warfare.[302]
According to The Economist, Erdoğan is the first Turkish leader to take the Turkish diaspora seriously, which has created friction within these diaspora communities and between the Turkish government and several of its European counterparts.[303]
The Balkans
In February 2018, President Erdoğan expressed Turkish support of the Republic of Macedonia's position during negotiations over the Macedonia naming dispute saying that Greece's position is wrong.[304]
In March 2018, President Erdoğan criticized the Kosovan Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj for dismissing his Interior Minister and Intelligence Chief for failing to inform him of an unauthorized and illegal secret operation conducted by the National Intelligence Organization of Turkey on Kosovo's territory that led to the arrest of six people allegedly associated with the Gülen movement.[305][306]
On 26 November 2019, an earthquake struck the Durrës region of Albania. President Erdoğan expressed his condolences.[307] and citing close Albanian-Turkish relations, he committed Turkey to reconstructing 500 earthquake destroyed homes and other civic structures in Laç, Albania.[308][309][310] In Istanbul, Erdoğan organised and attended a donors conference (8 December) to assist Albania that included Turkish businessmen, investors and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.[311]
Azerbaijan
In September 2023, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale military offensive to recapture the Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Erdoğan stated "As everyone now acknowledges, Karabakh is Azerbaijani territory. Imposition of another status [to the region] will never be accepted," and that "[Turkey] support[s] the steps taken by Azerbaijan—with whom we act together with the motto of one nation, two states—to defend its territorial integrity."[312] Erdoğan also met with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.[313]
United Kingdom
In May 2018, British Prime Minister Theresa May welcomed Erdoğan to the United Kingdom for a three-day state visit. Erdoğan declared that the United Kingdom is "an ally and a strategic partner, but also a real friend. The cooperation we have is well beyond any mechanism that we have established with other partners."[314]
Israel
Relations between Turkey and Israel began to normalize after Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu officially apologized for the death of the nine Turkish activists during the Gaza flotilla raid.[315] However, in response to the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict, Erdoğan accused Israel of being "more barbaric than Hitler",[316] and conducting "state terrorism" and a "genocide attempt" against the Palestinians.[317]
In December 2017, President Erdoğan issued a warning to Donald Trump, after the U.S. President acknowledged Jerusalem as Israel's capital.[318] Erdoğan stated, "Jerusalem is a red line for Muslims", indicating that naming Jerusalem as Israel's capital would alienate Palestinians and other Muslims from the city, undermining hopes at a future capital of a Palestinian State.[319] Erdoğan called Israel a "terrorist state".[320] Naftali Bennett dismissed the threats, claiming "Erdoğan does not miss an opportunity to attack Israel".[319]
In April 2019, Erdoğan said the West Bank belongs to Palestinians, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would annex Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories if he is re-elected.[321]
Erdoğan condemned the Israel–UAE peace agreement, stating that Turkey was considering suspending or cutting off diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates in retaliation.[322]
The relations shifted back to normality since 2021, when the two countries started improving relations.[323] In March 2022, Israeli president Isaac Herzog visited Turkey, meeting Erdoğan.[324] The two countries agreed to restore diplomatic relations in August 2022.[325]
Erdoğan condemned the Israeli attacks in the Gaza strip during 2023 Israel–Hamas war, saying they are a violation of human rights, which led to accusations of hypocrisy as Turkey itself severely bombed Kurdish areas at the same time, including many civilian targets.[326] Erdoğan said that Israel's bombing and blockade of the Gaza Strip in retaliation for Hamas’ attack was a disproportionate response amounting to a "massacre."[327] On 25 October 2023, Erdoğan said that Hamas was not a terrorist organisation but a liberation group fighting to protect Palestinian lands and people.[328] On 15 November 2023, he condemned Israel as a "terrorist state" and accused it of committing genocide against the Palestinians.[329]
Syrian Civil War
Diplomatic relations between Turkey and Syria significantly deteriorated due to the Syrian civil war. Initially, while tens of thousand of Syrian refugees already crossed the border to Turkey, Turkish officials tried to convince Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to make significant reforms to alleviate the conflict and calm down the protests.[330] The last of such meetings happened on 9 August 2011, during a seven-hour meeting between Assad and Turkey's Ahmet Davutoğlu, giving the latter the title of 'the last European leader who visited Assad'.[331]
Turkey got involved in a violent conflict with Islamic State (IS) as part of the spillover of the Syrian Civil War. IS executed a series of attacks against Turkish soldiers and civilians. In an ISIS-video, where two Turkish soldiers were burned alive, Turkish President Erdoğan was verbally attacked by ISIS and threatened with the destruction of Turkey.[332] Turkey joined the international military intervention against the Islamic State in 2015. The Turkish Armed Forces' Operation Euphrates Shield was aimed at IS, and areas around Jarabulus and al-Bab were conquered from IS.[333]
In January 2018, the Turkish military and its allies Syrian National Army and Sham Legion began Operation Olive Branch in Afrin in Northern Syria, against the Kurdish armed group YPG.[334][335] In October 2019, the United States gave the go-ahead to the 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, despite recently agreeing to a Northern Syria Buffer Zone. U.S. troops in northern Syria were withdrawn from the border to avoid interference with the Turkish operation.[336] After the U.S. pullout, Turkey proceeded to attack the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria.[337] Rejecting criticism of the invasion, Erdoğan claimed that NATO and European Union countries "sided with terrorists, and all of them attacked us".[338] Erdoğan then filed a criminal complaint against French magazine Le Point after it accused him of conducting ethnic cleansing in the area.[339][340] With Erdogan's control of the media fanning local nationalism,[341] a poll by Metropoll Research found that 79% of Turkish respondents expressed support for the operation.[342]
China
Bilateral trade between Turkey and China increased from $1 billion a year in 2002 to $27 billion annually in 2017.[343] Erdoğan has stated that Turkey might consider joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation instead of the European Union.[344]
In 2009, Erdoğan accused China of "genocide" against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang.[345] In 2019, the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning what it described as China's "reintroduction of concentration camps in the 21st century" and "a great cause of shame for humanity".[346][347] Later that year, while visiting China, Erdoğan said that there were those who "exploited" the Uyghur issue to strain relations between China and Turkey.[348] Since then the Turkish government has largely toned down its criticisms of China's treatment of Uyghurs, and cracked down on Uyghur activists at China's behest, and has expanded deportations of Uyghurs to China.[349][350][351]
Japan
Qatar blockade
In June 2017 during a speech, Erdoğan called the isolation of Qatar as "inhumane and against Islamic values" and that "victimising Qatar through smear campaigns serves no purpose".[352]
Myanmar
In September 2017, Erdoğan condemned the persecution of Muslims in Myanmar and accused Myanmar of "genocide" against the Muslim minority.[353]
United States
Over time, Turkey began to look for ways to buy its own missile defense system and also to use that procurement to build up its own capacity to manufacture and sell an air and missile defense system. Turkey got serious about acquiring a missile defense system early in the first Obama administration when it opened a competition between the Raytheon Patriot PAC 2 system and systems from Europe, Russia, and even China.[354]
Taking advantage of the new low in U.S.-Turkish relations, Putin saw his chance to use an S-400 sale to Turkey, so in July 2017, he offered the air defense system to Turkey. In the months that followed, the United States warned Turkey that a S-400 purchase jeopardized Turkey's F-35 purchase. Integration of the Russian system into the NATO air defense net was also out of the question. Administration officials, including Mark Esper, warned that Turkey had to choose between the S-400 and the F-35, that they could not have both.
The S-400 deliveries to Turkey began on 12 July. On 16 July, Trump mentioned to reporters that withholding the F-35 from Turkey was unfair. Said the president, "So what happens is we have a situation where Turkey is very good with us, very good, and we are now telling Turkey that because you have really been forced to buy another missile system, we're not going to sell you the F-35 fighter jets".[355]
The U.S. Congress made clear on a bipartisan basis that it expected the president to sanction Turkey for buying Russian equipment.[356] Out of the F-35, Turkey considered buying Russian fifth-generation jet fighter Su-57.
On 1 August 2018, the U.S. Department of Treasury sanctioned two senior Turkish government ministers who were involved in the detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson.[357] Erdoğan said that U.S. behavior would force Turkey to look for new friends and allies.[358] The U.S.–Turkey tensions appeared to be the most serious diplomatic crisis between the NATO allies in years.[359][360]
Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton claimed that President Donald Trump told Erdoğan he would 'take care' of the investigation against Turkey's state-owned bank Halkbank, accused of bank fraud charges and laundering up to $20 billion on behalf of Iranian entities.[361] Turkey criticized Bolton's book, saying it included misleading accounts of conversations between Trump and Erdoğan.[362]
In August 2020, the former vice president and presidential candidate Joe Biden called for a new U.S. approach to the "autocrat" President Erdoğan and support for Turkish opposition parties.[363][364] In September 2020, Biden demanded that Erdoğan "stay out" of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War between Azerbaijan and Armenia, in which Turkey supported the Azeris.[365]
Meanwhile, Erdoğan wants to realize the Zangezur corridor land route in the southern Caucasus,[366] a geopolitical corridor from Europe through Central Asia, all the way to China.[367]
Venezuela
Relations with Venezuela were strengthened with recent developments and high level mutual visits. The first official visit between the two countries at presidential level was in October 2017 when Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro visited Turkey. In December 2018, Erdoğan visited Venezuela for the first time and expressed his will to build strong relations with Venezuela and expressed hope that high-level visits "will increasingly continue".[368]
Reuters reported that in 2018 23 tons of mined gold were taken from Venezuela to Istanbul.[369] In the first nine months of 2018, Venezuela's gold exports to Turkey rose from zero in the previous year to US$900 million.[370]
During the Venezuelan presidential crisis, Erdoğan voiced solidarity with Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro and criticized U.S. sanctions against Venezuela, saying that "political problems cannot be resolved by punishing an entire nation."[371][372]
Following the 2019 Venezuelan uprising attempt, Erdoğan condemned the actions of lawmaker Juan Guaidó, tweeting "Those who are in an effort to appoint a postmodern colonial governor to Venezuela, where the President was appointed by elections and where the people rule, should know that only democratic elections can determine how a country is governed".[373][374]
Ukraine and Russian invasion of Ukraine
In 2016, Erdoğan told his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko that Turkey would not recognize the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea; calling it "Crimea's occupation".[375]
During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Erdoğan functioned as a mediator and peace broker.[376][377] On 10 March 2022, Turkey hosted a trilateral meeting with Ukraine and Russia on the margins of Antalya Diplomacy Forum, making it the first high-level talks since the invasion.[378] Following the peace talks in Istanbul on 29 March 2022, Russia decided to leave areas around Kyiv and Chernihiv.[379] On 22 July 2022, together with United Nations, Turkey brokered a deal between Russia and Ukraine about clearing the way for the export of grain from Ukrainian ports, following the 2022 food crises.[380] On 21 September 2022, a record-high of 215 Ukrainian soldiers, including fighters who led the defence of the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol, had been released in a prisoner exchange with Russia after mediation by Turkish President Erdoğan.[381] As part of the agreement, the freed captives stay in Turkey until the war is over.[382]
While Turkey has closed the Bosphorus to Russian naval reinforcements, enforced United Nations sanctions[383] and supplied Ukraine with military equipment such as Bayraktar TB2 drones and BMC Kirpi vehicles, it didn't participate in certain sanctions like closing the Turkish airspace for Russian civilians and continued the dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin.[384] Erdoğan reiterated his stance on Crimea in 2022 saying that international law requires that Russia must return Crimea to Ukraine.[385]
Events
Coup d'état attempt
On 15 July 2016, a coup d'état was attempted by the military, with aims to remove Erdoğan from government. By the next day, Erdoğan's government managed to reassert effective control in the country.[386] Reportedly, no government official was arrested or harmed, which, among other factors, raised the suspicion of a false flag event staged by the government itself.[387][388]
Erdoğan, as well as other government officials, has blamed an exiled cleric, and a former ally of Erdoğan, Fethullah Gülen, for staging the coup attempt.[389] Süleyman Soylu, Minister of Labor in Erdoğan's government, accused the US of planning a coup to oust Erdoğan.[390]
Erdoğan, as well as other high-ranking Turkish government officials, has issued repeated demands to the US to extradite Gülen.[391][392]
Following the coup attempt, there has been a significant deterioration in Turkey-US relations. European and other world leaders have expressed their concerns over the situation in Turkey, with many of them warning Erdoğan not to use the coup attempt as an excuse to crack down on his opponents.[393]
The rise of ISIS and the collapse of the Kurdish peace process had led to a sharp rise in terror incidents in Turkey until 2016. Erdoğan was accused by his critics of having a 'soft corner' for ISIS.[394] However, after the attempted coup, Erdoğan ordered the Turkish military into Syria to combat ISIS and Kurdish militant groups.[395] Erdoğan's critics have decried purges in the education system and judiciary as undermining the rule of law[396] however Erdoğan supporters argue this is a necessary measure as Gulen-linked schools cheated on entrance exams, requiring a purge in the education system and of the Gulen followers who then entered the judiciary.[397][398]
Erdoğan's plan is "to reconstitute Turkey as a presidential system. The plan would create a centralized system that would enable him to better tackle Turkey's internal and external threats. One of the main hurdles allegedly standing in his way is Fethullah Gulen's movement ..."[399] In the aftermath of the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt, a groundswell of national unity and consensus emerged for cracking down on the coup plotters with a National Unity rally held in Turkey that included Islamists, secularists, liberals and nationalists.[400][401] Erdoğan has used this consensus to remove Gulen's followers from the bureaucracy, curtail their role in NGOs, Turkey's Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Turkish military, with 149 Generals discharged.[402] In a foreign policy shift Erdoğan ordered the Turkish Armed Forces into battle in Syria and has liberated towns from IS control.[403] As relations with Europe soured over in the aftermath of the attempted coup, Erdoğan developed alternative relationships with Russia,[404][405] Saudi Arabia[406] and a "strategic partnership" with Pakistan,[407][408] with plans to cultivate relations through free trade agreements and deepening military relations for mutual co-operation with Turkey's regional allies.[409][410][411]
2023 earthquake
On 6 February 2023, a catastrophic earthquake occurred during his administration in southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria,[412] killing more than 50,000 people.[413]
Ideology and public image
Early during his premiership, Erdoğan was praised as a role model for emerging Middle Eastern nations due to several reform packages initiated by his government which expanded religious freedoms and minority rights as part of accession negotiations with the European Union.[414] However, his government underwent several crises including the Sledgehammer coup and the Ergenekon trials, corruption scandals, accusations of media intimidation, as well as the pursuit of an increasingly polarizing political agenda; the opposition accused the government of inciting political hatred throughout the country.[415] He has also been described as having "long championed Islamist causes".[416]
Ziya Gökalp
In 2019, Erdoğan once again publicly recited Ziya Gökalp's Soldier's Prayer poem, as he had done in 1997. According to Hans-Lukas Kieser, these recitations betray Erdoğan's desire to create Gökalp's pre-1923 ideal, that is, "a modern, leader-led Islamic-Turkish state extending beyond the boundaries of the Treaty of Lausanne".[417]
Ottomanism
As President, Erdoğan has overseen a revival of Ottoman tradition,[418][419][99] greeting Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas with an Ottoman-style ceremony in the new presidential palace, with guards dressed in costumes representing founders of 16 Great Turkish Empires in history.[420] While Prime Minister of Turkey, Erdoğan's AKP made references to the Ottoman era during election campaigns, such as calling their supporters 'grandsons of Ottomans' (Osmanlı torunu).[421] This proved controversial, since it was perceived to be an open attack against the republican nature of modern Turkey founded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. In 2015, Erdoğan made a statement in which he endorsed the old Ottoman term külliye to refer to university campuses rather than the standard Turkish word kampüs.[422] Many critics have thus accused Erdoğan of wanting to become an Ottoman sultan and abandon the secular and democratic credentials of the Republic.[423][424][425][426]
When pressed on this issue in January 2015, Erdoğan denied these claims and said that he would aim to be more like Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom rather than like an Ottoman sultan.[427]
In July 2020, after the Council of State annulled the Cabinet's 1934 decision to establish the Hagia Sophia as museum and revoking the monument's status, Erdoğan ordered its reclassification as a mosque.[428][429] The 1934 decree was ruled to be unlawful under both Ottoman and Turkish law as Hagia Sophia's waqf, endowed by Sultan Mehmed II, had designated the site a mosque; proponents of the decision argued the Hagia Sophia was the personal property of the sultan.[430] This redesignation is controversial, invoking condemnation from the Turkish opposition, UNESCO, the World Council of Churches, the Holy See, and many other international leaders.[431][432][433] In August 2020, he also signed the order that transferred the administration of the Chora Church to the Directorate of Religious Affairs to open it for worship as a mosque.[434] Initially converted to a mosque by the Ottomans, the building had then been designated as a museum by the government since 1934.[435][418]
In August 2020, Erdoğan gave a speech saying that "in our civilization, conquest is not occupation or looting. It is establishing the dominance of the justice that Allah commanded in the region. First of all, our nation removed the oppression from the areas that it conquered. It established justice. This is why our civilization is one of conquest. Turkey will take what is its right in the Mediterranean Sea, in the Aegean Sea, and in the Black Sea."[436][418] In October 2020, he made a statement before the Grand National Assembly that "Jerusalem is ours", referring to the period of Ottoman rule over the city and the rebuilding of its Old City by Suleiman the Magnificent.[437]
In October 2023 the first church built with government backing in Turkey's 100-year history as a post-Ottoman state was inaugurated.[438][439][440]
Authoritarianism
Erdoğan has been the de facto leader of Turkey since 2002.[c][441][442][443] In the more recent years of Erdoğan's rule, Turkey has experienced increasing authoritarianism, democratic backsliding, and corruption,[444][445][446] as well as expansionism, censorship, and banning of parties or dissent.[447][448][449][450][451] In response to criticism, Erdoğan made a speech in May 2014 denouncing allegations of dictatorship, saying that the leader of the opposition, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who was there at the speech, would not be able to "roam the streets" freely if he were a dictator.[452] Kılıçdaroğlu responded that political tensions would cease to exist if Erdoğan stopped making his polarizing speeches for three days.[453] One observer said it was a measure of the state of Turkish democracy that Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu could openly threaten, on 20 December 2015, that, if his party did not win the election, Turkish Kurds would endure a repeat of the era of the "white Toros".[454]
In April 2014, the President of the Constitutional Court, Haşim Kılıç, accused Erdoğan of damaging the credibility of the judiciary, labelling Erdoğan's attempts to increase political control over the courts as 'desperate'.[455] During the chaotic 2007 presidential election, the military issued an E-memorandum warning the government to keep within the boundaries of secularism when choosing a candidate. Regardless, Erdoğan's close relations with Fethullah Gülen and his Cemaat Movement allowed his government to maintain a degree of influence within the judiciary through Gülen's supporters in high judicial and bureaucratic offices.[456][457] Shortly after, an alleged coup plot codenamed Sledgehammer became public and resulted in the imprisonment of 300 military officers including İbrahim Fırtına, Çetin Doğan and Engin Alan. Several opposition politicians, journalists and military officers also went on trial for allegedly being part of an ultra-nationalist organization called Ergenekon.
Both cases were marred by irregularities and were condemned as a joint attempt by Erdoğan and Gülen to curb opposition to the AKP.[458] The original Sledgehammer document containing the coup plans, allegedly written in 2003, was found to have been written using Microsoft Word 2007.[459] Despite both domestic and international calls for these irregularities to be addressed in order to guarantee a fair trial, Erdoğan instead praised his government for bringing the coup plots to light.[460] When Gülen publicly withdrew support and openly attacked Erdoğan in late 2013, several imprisoned military officers and journalists were released, with the government admitting that the judicial proceedings were unfair.[461]
When Gülen withdrew support from the AKP government in late 2013, a government corruption scandal broke out, leading to the arrest of several family members of cabinet ministers. Erdoğan accused Gülen of co-ordinating a "parallel state" within the judiciary in an attempt to topple him from power. He then removed or reassigned several judicial officials in an attempt to remove Gülen's supporters from office. Erdoğan's 'purge' was widely questioned and criticized by the European Union.[462] In early 2014, a new law was passed by parliament giving the government greater control over the judiciary, which sparked public protest throughout the country. International organizations perceived the law to be a danger to the separation of powers.[463]
Several judicial officials removed from their posts said that they had been removed due to their secularist credentials. The political opposition accused Erdoğan of not only attempting to remove Gülen supporters, but supporters of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's principles as well, in order to pave the way for increased politicization of the judiciary. Several family members of Erdoğan's ministers who had been arrested as a result of the 2013 corruption scandal were released, and a judicial order to question Erdoğan's son Bilal Erdoğan was annulled.[464] Controversy erupted when it emerged that many of the newly appointed judicial officials were actually AKP supporters.[465] İslam Çiçek, a judge who ejected the cases of five ministers' relatives accused of corruption, was accused of being an AKP supporter and an official investigation was launched into his political affiliations.[466] On 1 September 2014, the courts dissolved the cases of 96 suspects, which included Bilal Erdoğan.[467]
Suppression of dissent
Erdoğan has been criticized for his politicization of the media, especially after the 2013 protests. The opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) alleged that over 1,863 journalists lost their jobs due to their anti-government views in 12 years of AKP rule.[468] Opposition politicians have also alleged that intimidation in the media is due to the government's attempt to restructure the ownership of private media corporations. Journalists from the Cihan News Agency and the Gülenist Zaman newspaper were repeatedly barred from attending government press conferences or asking questions.[469] Several opposition journalists such as Soner Yalçın were controversially arrested as part of the Ergenekon trials and Sledgehammer coup investigation.[470] Veli Ağbaba, a CHP politician, has called the AKP the 'biggest media boss in Turkey.'[468]
In 2015, 74 US senators sent a letter to US Secretary of State, John Kerry, to state their concern over what they saw as deviations from the basic principles of democracy in Turkey and oppressions of Erdoğan over media.[471]
Notable cases of media censorship occurred during the 2013 anti-government protests, when the mainstream media did not broadcast any news regarding the demonstrations for three days after they began. The lack of media coverage was symbolised by CNN International covering the protests while CNN Türk broadcast a documentary about penguins at the same time.[472] The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) controversially issued a fine to pro-opposition news channels including Halk TV and Ulusal Kanal for their coverage of the protests, accusing them of broadcasting footage that could be morally, physically and mentally destabilizing to children.[473] Erdoğan was criticized for not responding to the accusations of media intimidation, and caused international outrage after telling a female journalist (Amberin Zaman of The Economist) to know her place and calling her a 'shameless militant' during his 2014 presidential election campaign.[474] While the 2014 presidential election was not subject to substantial electoral fraud, Erdoğan was again criticized for receiving disproportionate media attention in comparison to his rivals. The British newspaper The Times commented that between 2 and 4 July, the state-owned media channel TRT gave 204 minutes of coverage to Erdoğan's campaign and less than a total of 3 minutes to both his rivals.[475]
Erdoğan also tightened controls over the Internet, signing into law a bill which allows the government to block websites without prior court order on 12 September 2014.[476] His government blocked Twitter and YouTube in late March 2014 following the release of a recording of a conversation between him and his son Bilal, where Erdoğan allegedly warned his family to 'nullify' all cash reserves at their home amid the 2013 corruption scandal.[477] Erdoğan has undertaken a media campaign that attempts to portray the presidential family as frugal and simple-living; their palace electricity-bill is estimated at $500,000 per month.[478]
In November 2016, the Turkish government[244] blocked access to social media in all of Turkey[479] as well as sought to completely block Internet access for the citizens in the southeast of the country.[480] Since the 2016 coup attempt, authorities arrested or imprisoned more than 90,000 Turkish citizens.[481]
Insulting the President lawsuits
In February 2015, a 13-year-old was charged by a prosecutor after allegedly insulting Erdoğan on Facebook.[482][483] In 2016, a waiter was arrested for insulting Erdoğan by allegedly saying "If Erdoğan comes here, I will not even serve tea to him.".[484] Between 2016[485] and 2023 there were trials for insulting the president for having compared Erdogan to Gollum, a fictional character of J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.[486] In May 2016, former Miss Turkey model Merve Büyüksaraç was sentenced to more than a year in prison for allegedly insulting the president.[487][488][489] Between 2014 and 2019, 128,872 investigations were launched for insulting the president and prosecutors opened 27,717 criminal cases.[490]
Mehmet Aksoy lawsuit
In 2009, Turkish sculptor Mehmet Aksoy created the Statue of Humanity in Kars to promote reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia. When visiting the city in 2011, Erdoğan deemed the statue a "freak", and months later it was demolished.[491] Aksoy sued Erdoğan for "moral indemnities", although his lawyer said that his statement was a critique rather than an insult. In March 2015, a judge ordered Erdoğan to pay 10,000 liras.[492]
Erdoğanism
The term Erdoğanism first emerged shortly after Erdoğan's 2011 general election victory, where it was predominantly described as the AKP's liberal economic and conservative democratic ideals fused with Erdoğan's demagoguery and cult of personality.[493]
Views on minorities
LGBT
In 2002, Erdoğan said that "homosexuals must be legally protected within the framework of their rights and freedoms. From time to time, we do not find the treatment they get on some television screens humane", he said.[494][495][496] However, in 2017 Erdoğan has said that empowering LGBT people in Turkey was "against the values of our nation".[497]
In 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Turkey's top Muslim scholar and President of Religious Affairs, Ali Erbaş, said in a Friday Ramadan announcement that the country condemns homosexuality because it "brings illness", insinuating that same sex relations are responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.[498] Recep Tayyip Erdoğan backed Erbaş, saying that what Erbaş "said was totally right."[499] Starting from 2023, Erdoğan began openly speaking against LGBT people, openly saying that his Coalition "are against the LGBT", and accusing the Turkish opposition of being LGBT.[500]
In 2023, Erdogan blamed LGBTQ+ people for "undermining family values" in Turkey and called his political opponents "gays" in a derogatory manner. Third-party sources have criticized this; seeing it as a bid to distract the public from the ruling party's failings—particularly on the country's economy; according to these sources, by targeting Turkey's minority groups, he rallies his base amid the country's ongoing economic troubles to raise the prospects of winning the 2023 general elections in his country, which are seen as critical for his nearly 20-year rule.[501][502][503]
Jews
While Erdoğan has declared several times that he is against antisemitism,[504][505][506][507][508] he has been accused of invoking antisemitic stereotypes in public statements.[509][510][511][512]
Personal life
Erdoğan married Emine Erdoğan (née Gülbaran; b. 1955, Siirt) on 4 July 1978.[513] They have two sons, Ahmet Burak (b. 1979) and Necmettin Bilal (b. 1981), and two daughters, Esra (b. 1983) and Sümeyye (b. 1985).[513] His father, Ahmet Erdoğan, died in 1988 and his mother, Tenzile Erdoğan, died in 2011 at the age of 87.[514]
Erdoğan has a brother, Mustafa (b. 1958), and a sister, Vesile (b. 1965).[515] From his father's first marriage to Havuli Erdoğan (d. 1980), he had two half-brothers: Mehmet (1926–1988) and Hasan (1929–2006).[516]
Electoral history
Year | Office | Type | Party | Main opponent | Party | Votes for Erdoğan or his party | Result | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | % | P. | ±% | |||||||||
1984 | Member of Parliament | National | RP | Hüsnü Doğan | ANAP | 31,247 | 8.57 | 5th | N/A | Lost | ||
1989 | Mayor of Beyoğlu | Local | RP | Hüseyin Aslan | SHP | 21,706 | 22.83 | 2nd | +17.71 | Lost | ||
1991 | Member of Parliament | National | RP | Bahattin Yücel | ANAP | 70,555 | 20.01 | 5th | +12.69 | Lost | ||
1994 | Mayor of Istanbul | Local | RP | İlhan Kesici | ANAP | 973,704 | 25.19 | 1st | +14.74 | Won | ||
2002 | Member of Parliament | National | AK Party | Deniz Baykal | CHP | 10,808,229 | 34.28 | 1st | +34.28 | Won | ||
2004 | Party leader | Local | AK Party | Deniz Baykal | CHP | 13,448,587 | 41.67 | 1st | +41.67 | Won | ||
2007 | Member of Parliament | National | AK Party | Deniz Baykal | CHP | 16,327,291 | 46.58 | 1st | +12.30 | Won | ||
2009 | Party leader | Local | AK Party | Deniz Baykal | CHP | 15,353,553 | 38.39 | 1st | -3.28 | Won | ||
2011 | Member of Parliament | National | AK Party | Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu | CHP | 21,399,082 | 49.83 | 1st | +3.25 | Won | ||
2014 | Party leader | Local | AK Party | Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu | CHP | 17,802,976 | 42.87 | 1st | +4.48 | Won | ||
2014 | President | National | Ind. | Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu | Ind. | 21,000,143 | 51.79 | 1st | N/A | Won | ||
2018 | National | AK Party | Muharrem İnce | CHP | 26,330,823 | 52.59 | 1st | +0.80 | Won | |||
2019 | Party leader | Local | AK Party | Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu | CHP | 19,766,640 | 42.55 | 1st | -0.32 | Won | ||
2023 | President | National | AK Party | Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu | CHP | 27,725,131 | 52.16 | 1st | -0.43 | Won | ||
2024 | Party leader | Local | AK Party | Özgür Özel | CHP | 16,339,771 | 35.49 | 2nd | -7.06 | Lost | ||
Honours and accolades
Foreign honours
- Russia: Medal "In Commemoration of the 1000th Anniversary of Kazan" (1 June 2006)[517]
- Pakistan: Nishan-e-Pakistan, the highest civilian award in Pakistan (26 October 2009)[518]
- Georgia: Recipient of the Order of Golden Fleece, awarded for his contribution to development of bilateral relations (17 May 2010)[519]
- Kosovo: Golden Medal of the Order of Independence (4 November 2010)[520]
- Kyrgyzstan: Recipient of the Danaker Order in Bishkek (2 February 2011)[521]
- Kazakhstan: Recipient of the Order of the Golden Eagle (11 October 2012)[522]
- Niger: Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (9 January 2013)[523]
- Azerbaijan: Recipient of the Heydar Aliyev Order (3 September 2014)[524]
- Afghanistan: Amir Amanullah Khan Award (18 October 2014)[525]
- Somalia: Recipient of the Order of the Somali Star, awarded for his contributions to Somalia (25 January 2015).[526]
- Albania: National Flag Decoration (13 May 2015)[527]
- Belgium: Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold (5 October 2015)[528]
- Ivory Coast: Grand Cordon of the National Order of the Ivory Coast (29 February 2016)[529]
- Guinea: Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit (3 March 2016)[530]
- Madagascar: Grand Cross of the National Order of Madagascar (25 January 2017)[531]
- Bahrain: Member Exceptional Class of the Order of Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa (12 February 2017)[532]
- Kuwait: Collar of the Order of Mubarak the Great (21 March 2017)[533]
- Sudan: Collar of Honour of Sudan (24 December 2017)[534]
- Tunisia: Grand Cordon of the Order of the Republic (27 December 2017)[535]
- Senegal: Grand Cross of the National Order of the Lion (1 March 2018)[536]
- Mali: Grand Cordon of the National Order of Mali (2 March 2018)[537]
- Gagauzia: Recipient of the Order of Gagauz-Yeri in Comrat (17 October 2018)[538]
- Moldova: Recipient of the Order of the Republic (18 October 2018)[539]
- Paraguay: Recipient of the Order of State (2 December 2018)[540]
- Venezuela: Grand Cordon of the Order of the Liberator (3 December 2018)[541]
- Ukraine: Member 1st Degree of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise (16 October 2020)[542]
- Turkmenistan: Recipient of the Order for Contribution to the Development of Cooperation (27 November 2021)[543]
- Malaysia: Recipient of the Order of the Crown of the Realm (16 August 2022)[544]
- Kazakhstan: Member 1st Class of the Order of Friendship (12 October 2022)[545]
- United Arab Emirates: Collar of the Order of Zayed (19 July 2023)[546]
- Oman: Order of Al-Said (28 November 2024)[547]
Supranational
- Organization of Turkic States: Supreme Order of Turkic World (11 November 2022)[548]
Other awards
- 29 January 2004: Profile of Courage Award from the American Jewish Congress, for promoting peace between cultures.[549] Returned at the request of the A.J.C. in July 2014.[550]
- 13 June 2004: Golden Plate award from the Academy of Achievement during the conference in Chicago.[551]
- 3 October 2004: German Quadriga prize for improving relationships between different cultures.[552]
- 2 September 2005: Mediterranean Award for Institutions (Italian: Premio Mediterraneo Istituzioni). This was awarded by the Fondazione Mediterraneo.[553]
- 8 August 2006: Caspian Energy Integration Award from the Caspian Integration Business Club.[554]
- 1 November 2006: Outstanding Service award from the Turkish humanitarian organization Red Crescent.[555]
- 2 February 2007: Dialogue Between Cultures Award from the President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev.[556]
- 15 April 2007: Crystal Hermes Award from the German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the opening of the Hannover Industrial Fair.[557]
- 11 July 2007: Agricola Medal, the highest award of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, in recognition of his contribution to agricultural and social development in Turkey.[558]
- 11 May 2009: Avicenna award from the Avicenna Foundation in Frankfurt, Germany.[559]
- 9 June 2009: Prix de la Fondation and guest of honour at the 20th Crans Montana Forum in Brussels, for democracy and freedom.[560]
- 25 June 2009: Key to the City of Tirana on the occasion of his state visit to Albania.[561]
- 29 December 2009: Award for Contribution to World Peace from the Turgut Özal Thought and Move Association.[562]
- 12 January 2010: King Faisal International Prize for "service to Islam" from the King Faisal Foundation.[563]
- 23 February 2010: Nodo Culture Award from the mayor of Seville for his efforts to launch the Alliance of Civilizations initiative.[564]
- 1 March 2010: United Nations–HABITAT award in memorial of Rafik Hariri. A seven-member international jury unanimously found Erdoğan deserving of the award because of his "excellent achievement and commendable conduct in the area of leadership, statesmanship and good governance. Erdoğan also initiated the first roundtable of mayors during the Istanbul conference, which led to a global, organized movement of mayors."[33]
- 27 May 2010: Medal of honour from the Brazilian Federation of Industry for the State of São Paulo (FIESP) for his contributions to industry[565]
- 31 May 2010: World Health Organization 2010 World No Tobacco Award for "his dedicated leadership on tobacco control in Turkey."[566]
- 29 June 2010: 2010 World Family Award from the World Family Organization which operates under the umbrella of the United Nations.[567]
- 4 November 2010: Golden Medal of Independence, an award conferred upon Kosovo citizens and foreigners that have contributed to the independence of Kosovo.[568]
- 25 November 2010: Leader of the Year award presented by the Union of Arab Banks in Lebanon.[569]
- 11 January 2011: Outstanding Personality in the Islamic World Award of the Sheikh Fahad al-Ahmad International Award for Charity in Kuwait.[570]
- 25 October 2011: Palestinian International Award for Excellence and Creativity (PIA) 2011 for his support to the Palestinian people and cause.[571]
- 21 January 2012: Gold Statue 2012 Special Award by the Polish Business Center Club (BCC). Erdoğan was awarded for his systematic effort to clear barriers on the way to economic growth, striving to build democracy and free market relations.[572]
Bibliography
Books
- Erdoğan, Recep Tayyip (17 November 2012). Küresel barış vizyonu. Medeniyetler İttifakı Enstitüsü. ISBN 978-6055952389.
- Erdoğan, Recep Tayyip (27 October 2021). A Fairer World is Possible: A Proposed Model for a United Nations Reform. Turkuvaz Kitap.
Articles
- Erdogan, Recep Tayyip (10 October 2011). "The Tears of Somalia". Foreign Policy.
- ——————— (26 September 2018). "How to Fix the U.N.—and Why We Should". Foreign Policy.
- ——————— (10 November 2018). "À l'heure du centenaire de l'Armistice, la Turquie continue à oeuvrer pour la paix et la stabilité". Le Figaro (in French).
- ——————— (29 September 2019). "Turkey will continue its efforts to shed light on the Khashoggi murder". Washington Post.
- ——————— (14 October 2019). "Turkey Is Stepping Up Where Others Fail to Act". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660.
- ——————— (18 January 2020). "Road to peace in Libya goes through Turkey". Politico.
- ——————— (14 March 2021). "The West Should Help Turkey End Syria's Civil War". Opinion. Bloomberg.
- ——————— (15 January 2022). "Relations between Turkey and Albania". Panorama (in Albanian).
See also
- List of international prime ministerial trips made by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
- List of international presidential trips made by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Notes
- ^ Various claims are made about his degree.[1] See Recep Tayyip Erdoğan university diploma controversy.
- ^ Pronunciation: UK: /ˈɛərdəwæn/ AIR-də-wan;[2] US: /-wɑːn/ -wahn,[3] Turkish: [ɾeˈdʒep tajˈjip ˈæɾdoan] ⓘ.
- ^ Erdoğan won the elections in 2002, but was prevented from becoming prime minister until the by-election in 2003. In the meanwhile, Abdullah Gül was chairholder.
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I am a leader who has wholeheartedly condemned anti-semitism
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Further reading
- Akyol, Çiğdem (2015). Generation Erdoğan (1. ed.). Kremayr & Scheriau. ISBN 978-3-218-00969-0.
- Akdoğan, Yalçın (2018). Political leadership and Erdoğan. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5275-0627-5.
- Bechev, Dimitar (2022). Turkey Under Erdogan. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-26501-9.
- Cagaptay, Soner. The new sultan: Erdogan and the crisis of modern Turkey (2nd ed. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020). online review
- Cagaptay, Soner. "Making Turkey Great Again." Fletcher Forum of World Affairs 43 (2019): 169–78. online Archived 12 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine
- Kirişci, Kemal, and Amanda Sloat. "The rise and fall of liberal democracy in Turkey: Implications for the West" Foreign Policy at Brookings (2019) online
- Tziarras, Zenonas. "Erdoganist authoritarianism and the 'new' Turkey." Southeast European and Black Sea Studies 18.4 (2018): 593–598. online[dead link ]
- Yavuz, M. Hakan. "A framework for understanding the Intra-Islamist conflict between the AK party and the Gülen movement." Politics, Religion & Ideology 19.1 (2018): 11–32. online[dead link ]
- Yesil, Bilge. Media in New Turkey: The Origins of an Authoritarian Neoliberal State (University of Illinois Press, 2016) online review
External links
Official
- Official website of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Twitter
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Facebook
Other
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan collected news and commentary at The New York Times
- Welcome to demokrasi: how Erdoğan got more popular than ever by The Guardian
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
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