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Biography of Recep Erdogan

The biography of Recep Erdogan clearly shows the desire for power. Tayyip Erdogan is a Turkish politician and statesman. Prime Minister of Turkey since 2003, leader of the moderate-Islamist Justice and Development Party.

• Date of birth: February 26, 1954. Ancestors of the Erdogan family from Batumi (Adjara, Georgia). Recep's father, Ahmet Erdogan, served in the coast guard. Zodiac sign
• Erdogan was mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998. In 2005 and 2010, Time magazine included him in its list of the most influential people in the world.
• Has a number of awards foreign countries: Order “Nishan-i-Pakistan” (Pakistan, 2009), Order “Golden Fleece” (Georgia, 2010), “ Golden medal independence" (Kosovo, 2010), Order of "Danaker" (Kyrgyzstan, 2011).
• Awarded the UN-Habitat Award for his participation in the work of the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat).
• On August 10, 2014, he was elected President of Turkey.

V. Putin and R. Erdogan in Baku June 2015

Youth

Until the age of 13, Erdogan lived in the city of Rize on the Black Sea coast, in northeastern Turkey, where his parents were from.

In 1965 he graduated primary school Piyale Pasha. The young man was distinguished by his religiosity, for which his peers nicknamed him Khoja (an honorary title for a clergyman in the countries of the Near and Middle East).

As a teenager, Recep worked part-time selling lemonade and buns on the street. From 1969 to 1980 played football for various Istanbul youth clubs.

Education

Since a diploma from a religious lyceum was not enough to enter most universities, the guy also passed additional exams at the Eyup Lyceum. In 1981 he graduated from the Faculty of Economics and Commerce of Marmara University with a degree in business management.

Path to power

Recep became involved in politics in the 1970s and rose to become the leader of the youth wing of the National Salvation Party in Istanbul. But then his career ended. After the 1980 military coup political parties were banned in the country.

For some time, Recep worked as a consultant and manager in the private sector, and in 1982 he joined the army.

• In 1984 he was elected chairman of the Beyoğlu branch of the Welfare Party.
• 1985 - He is the chairman of the Istanbul branch of the party, as well as a member of the party's highest leadership council.
• In 1994, Recep took another big step towards power - he won the election for mayor of Istanbul.
• But in 1998 he had to leave this post. He came under investigation on suspicion of inciting religious hatred for reciting an Islamist poem at a rally. The court sentenced him to 10 months in prison, but after four months he was released early.
• On September 30, 2012, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his Justice and Development Party had become a role model for all Muslims at the congress of this conservative Islamic party. He was re-elected leader of the ruling party.
• Since August 10, 2014 - President of Turkey, receiving about 52% of the votes during the general election.

Recep Erdogan's remarks

• “My late mother once told me: “Recep, the most dangerous thing in this world is money.”
• “Just as the exploits of our army did not fit into history, so the history of my country will never fit into the parliaments of other countries.”
• “Invariably, a Palestinian state must also live side by side with Israel within recognized and secure borders and security. The prosperity of the Palestinian people must be guaranteed."
• “My visit to the United States also gave me the opportunity to emphasize the goal of establishing close and intensive ties between the Turkish and American people, scientists and businessmen.”
• "Several Middle East experts agree that the Middle East cannot be democratized."

Spouses Recep and Emine

Personal life of the president

Emine Erdogan

Emine Erdogan (Gulbaran) born in 1955, occupation - politician. She grew up in Istanbul and studied at an art school. She participated in the work of the Association of Idealist Women, and during this activity she met R. T. Erdogan, whom she married. The Erdogan couple have four children: two sons and two daughters.

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Recep Tayyip Erdogan- President of Turkey (since August 28, 2014), Prime Minister of Turkey (2003−2014). He began his political career at the age of 22. In 1994, Erdogan won the mayoral elections in Istanbul and successfully proved himself in this position. In 1999, he spent 4 months in prison on charges of “inciting national hatred and enmity.” The Justice and Development Party, created by Recep Erdogan in 2001, won the parliamentary elections, after which Erdogan's period of rule in Turkey began.

Recep Erdogan's early life and education

Recep's father, Ahmed Erdogan, worked in the coast guard. Mother - Ahmed's second wife Tenzile Erdogan - was a housewife and was raising five children.

The family moved to the Rize region when Recep Tayyip was one year old. But when Erdogan turned 13, his father decided to return to Istanbul, believing that big city will be able to provide his five children with a good education. Recep's family was not rich, and in order to help his father and mother, future President Erdogan was forced to sell lemonade and buns on the streets of the capital, risking being robbed or deceived.

Recep Erdogan was not ashamed of his humble background and once said on television during a debate with the head of the Republican Party, Deniz Baykal: “In primary and secondary school, I sold watermelons to help my parents pay for my education. My father was really poor."

Recep Erdogan as a child (Photo: ensonhaber.com)

In 1965, Recep Tayyip Erdogan graduated from Piyale Pasa Primary School and then entered the Imam Hatip Lisesi Religious Lyceum in Istanbul. Recep graduated from it in 1973.

To enter the university, Erdogan Recep passed additional exams at the Eyup Lisesi Lyceum. In 1981, Recep Tayyip graduated from the Faculty of Economics and Commerce of Marmara University with a degree in business management.

In his youth, Erdogan played semi-professional football for the local club Fenerbahce. (Photo: kourdistoportocali.com)

Political career Recep Erdogan

At the age of sixteen, Recep began reading sermons. Although Erdogan received a religious education, he soon became interested in politics. Recep was elected chairman of the youth cell of the Turkish National Salvation Party in the Beyoglu district of Istanbul (1976), and in the same year became the leader of the youth branch of this party in Istanbul. However, after the military coup in Turkey (September 12, 1980), all political parties were banned and a break had to be taken in the biography of the politician.

Recep Erdogan - leader of the youth branch of the National Salvation Party (Photo: kronos.news)

Recep Erdogan, Adyguzel Mustafa, Aydin Tomakin and Mehmet Saat, 1976 (Photo: picssr.com)

During this period, Recep worked in transport organizations in Istanbul. In 1980, he quarreled with his boss, a retired colonel, who did not like the fact that Recep wore a mustache. Due to the fact that young Erdogan did not agree to shave them off, he was fired from his job. Recep got a job as a manager in the private sector. In 1982 it took place conscript service in the army.

Nevertheless, Recep became increasingly fascinated by politics. In 1983, Erdogan joined the newly formed Islamist Welfare Party. In 1984 he became chairman of the Istanbul branch of the party, and in 1985−86. was a member of the Party's Central Administration Council. His political views were greatly influenced by the founder of “political Islam” Necmettin Erbakan.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Necmettin Erbakan (Photo: gencdergisi.com)

In 1989, Recep Tayyip Erdogan was appointed head of the administration of Istanbul's Beyoglu district, and in 1994 Erdogan won the Istanbul mayoral election as the Welfare Party candidate.

As mayor, Recep Erdogan managed to do a lot. He saved the residents of Istanbul from many economic and social difficulties. For example, Recep Tayyip solved problems with providing the city with water, removing and recycling waste. City residents appreciated the work of the young mayor. Recep became popular. For 1994−98 investments in Istanbul's economy amounted to $4 billion. Erdogan was also involved in landscaping the city. The mayor has introduced some restrictions on consumption alcoholic drinks, promoting Islamic values.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressing the public in Siirt, December 12, 1997 (Photo: turkhackteam.org)

After another coup in Turkey (in 1997), the Welfare Party was banned. Erdogan had to resign as mayor. His biography at that time also included a prison episode. Recep Tayyip recited poems with Islamist content at rallies.

“Mosques are our barracks, domes are our helmets,

minarets - bayonets. Our soldiers are full of faith..."

For which he was convicted on charges of “inciting national hatred and enmity.” He spent four months in prison, from March to July 1999.

Erdogan in prison, 1999 (Photo: twitter.com/alperbey53)

Erdogan's family visited him every weekend (Photo: internethaber.com)

However, the poem by Ziya Gükalp, a pan-Turkist activist of the early 20th century, was not banned and was even included in the book recommended by the Turkish Ministry of Education.

During this period, instead of the Welfare Party, the Virtue Party was created and Recep became its member (1998−2001). But this party was soon banned. She was accused of using religion for political purposes and attempting to Islamize Turkey. Then Erdogan and his associates created the Justice and Development Party (August 14, 2001), which distanced itself from the image of Islamists and emphasized reforms in politics and economics, with the goal of Turkey joining the European Union.

A year later, the AKP won the parliamentary elections. Due to his criminal record, Recep Tayyip Erdogan initially could not become prime minister and the government was headed by his protege Abdullah Gul. But after the parliament abolished restrictions for previously convicted citizens on March 14, 2003, Recep Erdogan took over the post of Prime Minister of Turkey, which he held until August 28, 2014.

In 2014, the first straight lines were held in Turkey presidential elections, which was won by Recep Erdogan with 51.79% of the votes.

Presidential elections in Turkey, 2014 (Photo: huffingtonpost.fr)

Foreign policy Recep Edrogan and his relationship with Russia

Turkey's relations with Russia during Erdogan's reign developed differently. If in 2002 the trade turnover between Turkey and Russia amounted to 5 billion dollars, then in 2011 it reached 32 billion. 17 agreements were signed on the development of cooperation in the energy sector, agreements on the construction of the first Turkish nuclear power plant, support for enterprises responsible for the oil pipeline running from Chernoye to Mediterranean Sea, and others.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan (from right to left) during the introduction of delegations before the start of Russian-Turkish negotiations in the Kremlin, 2011 (Photo: Dmitry Astakhov/TASS)

However, in connection with the events in Syria, relations between Turkey and Russia became tense; this process reached its peak on November 24, 2015, when a Russian bomber was attacked by a Turkish F-16 fighter in Syria. The pilot Oleg Peshkov died during the ejection. Turkish authorities insisted that the Su-24 allegedly violated their country's airspace and was warned about this by radio. Meanwhile, the surviving navigator of the bomber, Konstantin Murakhtin, said that the F-16 fighter pilots did not warn the Russian crew either visually or by radio that they were approaching the Turkish border.

Moscow's reaction followed immediately. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the incident a “stab in the back” and promised serious consequences for Russian-Turkish relations. According to the decree signed on November 28, special economic measures were applied to Turkey, a ban was introduced on charter air transportation between countries, the activities of organizations under the jurisdiction of Turkey in Russia were prohibited or limited, as well as the import of certain Turkish goods.

Demonstrators outside the Turkish Embassy. Performances at the embassy are held in protest against the actions of the Turkish side, which shot down a Russian Su-24 aircraft, 2015 (Photo: Alexander Shcherbak/TASS)

In June 2016, Turkish President Erdogan sent a message to Vladimir Putin in which he expressed words of sympathy and apologized for the death of the Su-24 pilot. “The Sultan apologized to the king,” this is how they reacted to this news Western media.

On June 30, 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree lifting restrictions on Turkey. In particular, the ban on the import of certain types of Turkish food products and the sale of tourist tours was lifted. According to the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, from January to May 2016, 138 thousand Russians visited the country, which is only 17.2% of the same figure for last year. Financial losses Turkey amounted from 6 to 12 billion dollars.

Antalya. Vacationers on the territory of the Kremlin Palace Hotel, 2016 (Photo: Alexander Demyanchuk/TASS)

In August 2016, Erdogan flew to St. Petersburg and the first meeting of leaders took place after the crisis in relations between Moscow and Ankara. Putin said that relations between Russia and Turkey have deteriorated after the Su-24 incident, but the visit of Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks of a desire to resume dialogue and relations for the sake of the interests of the peoples of the two countries.

On March 10, 2017, Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Moscow at the invitation of Vladimir Putin to “complete the process of restoring trade and economic ties between Russia and Turkey.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (from left to right) during a meeting in the Kremlin, March 10, 2017 (Photo: Zuma Wire/TASS)

Erdogan remains one of Bashar al-Assad's main critics. In the fall of 2016, Recep Tayyip said that the Turkish military does not claim “Syrian soil, but entered there to put an end to the rule of the tyrant Assad.”

The Kremlin, reacting to the news, called the Turkish leader’s words a surprise for Moscow, and soon Erdogan explained that “The goal of Operation Euphrates Shield is not any country or person, but only terrorist organizations.”

Coup attempt in Turkey

On July 15, 2016, a group of Turkish military officers, dissatisfied with the policies of Recep Erdogan, attempted a military coup. The military announced the seizure of power in the country in order to restore democracy, but a few hours later the rebellion was suppressed. Recep Erdogan managed to fly to Istanbul shortly before the storming of the hotel where he was staying.

Turkish media wrote that it was planned to use an F-16 fighter to shoot down Recep Tayyip's plane, but the putschists did not have enough fuel, the F-16 had to return to refuel, which saved the presidential plane.

There was an attempted military coup in Turkey (Photo: Zuma Wire/TASS)

The Iranian Fars agency reported that Moscow saved Erdogan, allegedly Russian military personnel intercepted and decoded radio messages about readiness Turkish army start a military coup and passed this data on to Turkish national intelligence.

After the putsch was suppressed, Erdogan reacted harshly, Turkish authorities detained almost 26 thousand people. Recep Tayyip began to demand the restoration of the death penalty in the country.

Funeral of victims of the military coup attempt in Istanbul, July 17, 2017 (Photo: AP Photo/TASS)

Recep Erdogan's relations with the European Union

Like relations with Moscow, Turkey had different periods with the EU; in 2004, Erdogan was called “European of the Year,” but after the coup attempt in the summer of 2016, Ankara and Brussels only quarreled and went from concluding a deal on refugees and promises to speed up the consideration of Turkey’s European prospects to mutual sanctions, expulsion of diplomats and insults.

The President of Turkey has repeatedly made claims to the European Union before: “The West has not done anything good for Turkey. What should Turkey expect from the West if it has been forced to wait at the door for 53 years? European Union?,” Erdogan said. In addition, the Turkish President accused the authorities of European countries of promoting terrorism by supporting the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), banned in Turkey. In his opinion, Europe as a whole is an accomplice of terrorism.

Visit of Turkish President Recep Erdogan to Strasbourg, 2015 (Photo: AP/TASS)

The European Parliament approved a resolution calling on the European Commission to suspend negotiations with Turkey on its accession to the EU. As the document states, this decision is connected with Ankara’s inadequate reaction to the coup attempt in July of this year.

The European Union did not approve the April referendum on changes to the Turkish Constitution, and when representatives of the Turkish leadership decided to go on a tour of Europe to encourage their compatriots living there to vote for this reform, the EU began to prohibit these actions. As a result, when Turkish Minister of Family Affairs Fatma Betül Sayam Kaya was declared an “undesirable foreigner” by the Dutch authorities and escorted by police to the German border, Erdogan declared that the spirit of fascism was raging on the streets of Europe.

Recep Erdogan's family

In 1978, changes occurred in the personal life of the future Turkish president - Erdogan married Emina Gulbaran. Recep Erdogan's wife is from the city of Siirt and has Arab roots. She is the fifth child in large family. She studied at the evening school of arts named after Midhat Pasha, but did not graduate from it. She participated in the work of an organization with the characteristic name “Association of Idealist Women,” and at that time she met her future husband. Their marriage has lasted for almost four decades.

The Erdogans have four children - two sons and two daughters.

Family of Recep Erdogan (Photo: blogspot.com/TASS)

It is interesting that the Erdogans, until very recently, maintained close personal ties with the Assad couple: there is a photo in which Emine hugs Asma Assad in a family-like manner, and Erdogan animatedly says something to Bashar Assad. Apparently it’s pleasant, because he laughs. In 2012, a few months after the start of the Syrian conflict, Emine said that she wanted Asma to come to Turkey and live there with her children.

Previously, no one thought about what kind of first lady of Turkey she was. But after the international women's day, many became interested in who the life partner of the head of Turkey Recep Erdogan is, reports “”.

Emine Erdogan aroused such unexpected interest after her speech in Ankara. The wife of the head of the Republic of Turkey said that the harem is “a wonderful school of life.” According to Lady Erdogan, it was in the harems that girls prepared for life, receiving the basics of education in this place and engaging in charitable activities. The mothers of the sultans followed the understanding of the basics of science.

There is not much information on the Internet about the first lady of Turkey. It turned out that she was 61 years old. Resident of Istanbul. Emine Erdogan was born into a large family. And she was the fifth child; in her youth she went to evening school, but could not finish it.

While working for the Association of Idealist Women, she met Recep Erdogan, who later became her husband. On this moment their married life spans four decades. The couple has 2 sons and 2 daughters.

Emine Erdogan has never taken a particularly active part in her husband's political career. However, while Recep Erdogan was in the sixth year of his premiership, she got into a scandalous story. Members of the organization "Women of the European Republic of Turkey" filed a lawsuit against the wives of the country's political elite for wearing a hijab during their trips abroad. Thus, they distort the image of women in Turkey. In addition to Emine Erdogan, the first lady of that time, Airunissa Gul, also got into this story. The scandal did not receive further continuation.

In 2010, Emine Erdogan again found herself in trouble after becoming involved in an international scandal. On cameras of international media, she called the head of Israel Shimon Peres a liar.

Basically, Emine Erdogan stays out of the political arena, doing things typical of a Turkish woman. For this she even received an award from the Crans Montana Forum Foundation. After which Emine Erdonan said that women deserve all social and political rights, and should not sacrifice themselves because of the regimes established in the country. She, as well as her like-minded people, oppose double standards and discrimination.

Emine Erdogan is well acquainted with the Assad couple and, after the conflict began in Syria in 2012, the First Lady of Turkey stated that she would like Asma Assad to move to Turkey and live with Emine along with her children. But Recep would not be against such a decision.

Another loud statement by the first lady was the statement that only a religion like Islam protects women's rights. This was in 2013. She was guided by this when she spoke about what a harem is wonderful place in order to shape a woman's personality. Emine Erdogan is famous for her conservative views.

The statement by the First Lady of Turkey caused a number of negative emotions not only from the side of society, but also from the side of historians. For example, Professor Ozlem Kurumlar from the University of Istanbul says that harems could not be a school, because elementary books in them were strictly prohibited.

Artem Voznesensky

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Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (Turkish: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan). Born on February 26, 1954 in Istanbul. Turkish politician and statesman. President of Turkey since August 28, 2014, Prime Minister of Turkey in 2003-2014.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan was born on February 26, 1954 in the Kasimpasa quarter of Istanbul's Beyoglu district in the family of a coast guard worker on the Black Sea coast.

His family and one-year-old Recep moved from Istanbul to Rize and returned when Erdogan was 13 years old.

In August 2003, during his visit to Georgia, Erdogan allegedly spoke about his Adjarian origins and that his family migrated from Batumi to Rize. But in August 2014, Erdogan sharply denied in a television interview any of his Adjarian or Armenian origins.

As a teenager, he sold lemonade and muffins on the city's unsafe streets.

In 1965, Erdogan graduated from Piyale Pasha Primary School, and in 1973 from the Imam-Khatib Religious Lyceum in Istanbul. He received his diploma by passing the final exams at the Eyüp Lyceum.

In 1976, he became chairman of the youth cell of the National Salvation Party in Istanbul's Beyoglu district, and then in the same year the youth branch of the party in Istanbul.

Until 1980, Erdogan worked in Istanbul transport organizations. On September 12, 1980, a military coup took place in the country and all political parties were banned. That same year, Erdoğan's boss at the city transport board, a retired colonel, ordered him to shave his mustache, but Recep refused to do so and was fired from his job as a result.

After the military coup, Erdogan worked as a manager in the private sector.

He graduated from the Faculty of Economics and Commercial Sciences at Marmara University in 1981.

In 1984, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan became chairman of the Beyoglu branch of the Welfare Party, and in 1985, chairman of the Istanbul branch of the party, as well as a member of the party's highest leadership council. His political views were greatly influenced by the founder of “political Islam” Necmettin Erbakan.

In 1994 he was elected mayor of Istanbul. In 1996, the Welfare Party participated in the ruling Islamic coalition, but after the military coup of 1997 it was banned, and Erdogan himself was sentenced to 4 months in prison for promoting views inciting ethnic hatred.

Erdoğan founded the Justice and Development Party in July 2001., which won the parliamentary elections in November 2002.

Having a criminal record prevented Erdogan from becoming prime minister, but after the start of the operation against Iraq, the Turkish elite, oriented towards the United States, agreed to change the laws and Erdogan headed the government (in 2002-2003 the government was headed by Erdogan’s protege Abdullah Gul). Türkiye has decided to send troops to northern Iraq, where Kurds live.

In 2002, Erdogan inherited a Turkish economy that was just beginning to recover from the recession that followed the reforms of Kemal Dervish. Erdogan supported Finance Minister Ali Babacan in ensuring macroeconomic policies. Erdogan has sought to attract many foreign investors to the country. Investment in the Turkish economy between 2002 and 2012 caused real GDP to grow by 64% and GDP per capita to increase by 43%. Significantly larger figures were publicly declared, which did not take into account the inflation of the US dollar between 2002 and 2012.

Erdoğan increased the Ministry of Education's budget from 7.5 billion liras in 2002 to 34 billion liras in 2011, the largest share of the national budget allocated to a single ministry. The period of compulsory education was increased from eight years to twelve.

In 2003, the Turkish government, together with UNICEF, launched a campaign called "School for Girls!" (Turkish Haydi Kızlar Okula!). The goal of this campaign was to close the gender gap in primary school enrollment by providing quality basic education to all girls, especially in southeastern Turkey.

In 2004, textbooks became free, and since 2008, every province in Turkey has its own university. During Erdoğan's tenure as prime minister, the number of universities in Turkey almost doubled, from 98 in 2002 to 186 in October 2012.

In 2005, the Turkish Parliament granted an amnesty to students expelled from universities before 2003. The amnesty applied to students dismissed on academic or disciplinary grounds.

Erdogan is a supporter of Turkey's entry into the European Union.

In 2005, he supported the Alliance of Civilizations, an initiative of Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero aimed at reducing friction between the Western and Islamic worlds.

In 2009, he participated at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he sharply criticized President Shimon Peres, who defended Israel’s position during Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip.

In July 2009, while attending the G8 summit in L'Aquila, he sharply condemned China for the suppression of the Uyghur demonstration in Urumqi, using strong language: “Genocide was practically committed against the Uyghurs”.

On September 30, 2012, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his Justice and Development Party had become a role model for all Muslims at the congress of this conservative Islamic party. Erdogan was re-elected leader of the ruling party.

On August 10, 2014, Erdogan won the country's first direct presidential elections, took office on August 28, 2014. The new Prime Minister after Erdogan's departure was Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who was elected leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party on August 21. His first foreign visit as president was to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Erdogan and the Kurdish issue

Erdogan announced in 2009 that he had plans to end the Turkish-Kurdish conflict, which has raged since the 1980s and has killed tens of thousands of people. According to this plan, supported by the European Union, the use of the Kurdish language will be expanded. For example, it can be used in the media and during political campaigns. Kurdish names will also be returned to cities previously renamed in the Turkish manner.

On November 23, 2011, speaking on television, Erdogan apologized for the Dersim massacre - mass kill, committed in the 1930s, during which Turkish troops Tens of thousands of Zazas and Alawites were killed.

Erdogan and the problem of the Armenian genocide

Erdogan has stated many times that Turkey will recognize the murder of one and a half million Armenians as genocide only after an investigation is carried out by a joint Turkish-Armenian commission, which should include historians, archaeologists, political scientists and other experts.

In December 2008, Erdogan condemned the “Forgive Us” campaign of the Turkish intelligentsia, the purpose of which was to draw attention to the issue of the Armenian genocide, which was hushed up in Turkey. Erdogan stated: “I do not understand and do not support this campaign. We didn't commit a crime, so we have nothing to apologize for.".

Erdogan takes a similar position regarding the genocide of the Pontic Greeks. In May 2006, he condemned the opening of a new monument in Thessaloniki dedicated to the hundreds of thousands of victims of this crime.

Erdogan and the attempted coup in Turkey

Professor David Graeber noted in January 2016 that “over the past 3-4 years there has been a sharp shift towards authoritarianism in the country... It seems that Erdogan is seeking a change in the form of government to a presidential one, in which he will be a de facto dictator and will be able to firmly consolidate your power. Many people in Turkey are talking about this.”

On June 24, 2018, early presidential and parliamentary elections were held in Turkey. Six candidates ran for the presidency. TO parliamentary elections 11 games were allowed. Voting actually changes the form of government in Turkey: the country turns from a parliamentary to a presidential republic. , gaining more than 53% of the votes.

Erdogan's foreign policy

Erdogan is one of the founders "Alliance of Civilizations". The initiative to create it was proposed by the Prime Minister of Spain, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, at the 59th General Assembly of the United Nations in 2005. The goal of the initiative is to intensify international action against extremism through the establishment of interethnic, intercultural and interreligious dialogue and interaction. Alliance draws Special attention to reduce friction between the Western and Islamic worlds.

The European Voice named Erdogan "European of the Year 2004" for the reforms being carried out in his country. On October 3, 2005, official negotiations began on Turkey's accession to the EU. Negotiations over Turkey's possible EU membership were frozen in 2009 and 2010 when Turkish ports were closed to Cypriot ships. In addition, respect for fundamental rights and freedoms remains a problem for Turkey, preventing it from joining the EU.

Erdogan and Russia

In December 2004, the Russian President visited Turkey. This was the first presidential visit in the history of modern Russian-Turkish relations. The previous visit was made by the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Nikolai Podgorny, in 1972.

Recep Erdogan and Vladimir Putin

In November 2005, Putin attended the grand opening of the jointly built Blue Stream gas pipeline in Turkey.

After a series of visits to top level Some important bilateral issues have come to the fore. Both countries are considered as main goal achieving “multidimensional cooperation”, especially in the fields of energy, transport and the army.

On May 12, 2010, Ankara and Moscow signed 17 agreements to develop cooperation in energy and other areas, including agreements on the construction of the first Turkish nuclear power plant and support for enterprises responsible for the oil pipeline running from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea.

The leaders of the two countries also signed an agreement on a visa-free regime for tourists. Tourists will be able to stay in the country without a visa for up to 60 days.

On November 24, 2015, pilot Oleg Peshkov died during ejection. After this, Russia imposed sanctions on Turkey and canceled the visa-free regime.

On December 2, 2015, the Russian Ministry of Defense filed charges that Recep Erdogan and his family are involved in the illegal extraction and transportation of Syrian and Iraqi oil to Turkey Islamic State. In addition, the department accused Erdogan of selling weapons and ammunition, as well as providing financial support to terrorists.

On March 26, 2016, the Guardian obtained a transcript of a conversation between Jordanian King Abdullah II and American parliamentarians. The monarch said that “the fact that terrorists are heading to Europe is part of Turkish policy.” The king also said that Erdogan “believes that the problems of the region can be solved by the methods of radical Islamism.”

June 27, 2016. After telephone conversation Erdogan and Putin, the Russian leader ordered the lifting of administrative restrictions on tourists visiting Turkey and the resumption of cooperation in the trade and economic sphere.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Interview

He proposed 18 changes to the constitution adopted in 1982, the main one being the introduction of a presidential form of government in Turkey instead of a parliamentary one. The President will be able to dissolve parliament, declare state of emergency, appoint and dismiss ministers and judges, and issue decrees that will have the force of laws. The number of permissible presidential terms will remain the same - two, but their countdown will begin in November 2019. If Erdogan wins them, he will be able to remain at the head of state until 2029. The new constitution limits the rights of the military: they will be prohibited from taking part in elections.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan's height: 180 centimeters.

Personal life of Recep Tayyip Erdogan:

In 1978 he married Emina Gulbaran.

The couple has four children: two sons - Ahmet Burak and Necmeddin Bilal and two daughters - Esra and Sumeyye.

In March 2016, the wife of the President of Turkey spoke at the conference “Mothers of Sultans who left a mark on our history” with a statement that the harems of the Sultans Ottoman Empire were a school for women.

“At the same time, harems were a school for women, a center where they prepared for life, received an education and did charity work. All this was led by the mothers of the sultans,” said Emine Erdogan.

She talks about her modest and humble life as a pious Muslim who whiles away her hours in the palace kitchen preparing vinegar from apple peelings.

But everyone knows that the wife of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Emine, loves nothing in the world more than spending money.

Speaking of money: Forbes magazine estimated the personal fortune of the Turkish leader at $185 million.

Emine, Erdogan's wife, lives a glamorous life, spending all her time on expensive shopping trips in search of designer clothes and expensive antiques. She prefers special white tea at two thousand dollars a kilogram, and pours it into gold teapots at $350 apiece, while 20 million citizens of her country live on four dollars a day.

For example, a case. During the Brussels summit, where Erdogan discussed the migration problem with EU leaders, his wife went shopping on Avenue Louise. For a more comfortable and exclusive shopping experience for Emine, her bodyguards - despite the indignation of others - blocked the entrances to the stores for other customers. As a result, the wife of the Turkish president chose Longchamp handbags, the price of which starts at 1,500 euros.

Emine Erdogan's social life is a kaleidoscope of shopping trips, in which she especially loves to buy designer clothes and expensive antiques.

Bodyguards close the entrance to exclusive boutiques for the “main” customer.

Once, for the sake of Emine, they closed it to visitors shopping mall in Brussels so she could go on a designer shopping spree.

Accompanying her husband during an official visit to Warsaw, Emine lost almost 50 thousand dollars at an antiques fair.

One of the pro-presidential newspapers tried to show the 60-year-old first lady as a modest and thrifty housewife. The article described how Emine, instead of throwing away lemon and apple peelings, collects them and makes vinegar from them, and uses olive pits to make sauces.

The author of the article advised readers to follow Emine's example and drink national Turkish tea from the Rize region. True, a kilogram of such tea costs $2,000, which corresponds to almost two years’ salary for a quarter of Turkey’s population. On the Internet, after this article, Erdogan and his wife were called hypocrites.

It is true that public criticism of the Erdogan family is rare, because those who speak out end up in prison.

"White Palace"

But the luxurious palace on the outskirts of Ankara, the White Palace, deserves special attention. Spread over an area of ​​about four square kilometers, the palace cost approximately $660 million.

When they asked Erdogan why he new palace, the president replied that the reason was cockroaches that had infested his office, where he worked as prime minister.

A mind-boggling amount of money was spent on interior decoration, furniture and decor. During one of her shopping tours, Emine purchased silk wallpaper for 2.5 thousand dollars per roll.

The double doors, 3.2 meters high and 2 meters wide, cost $47,000 each. 400 of these doors were installed with a total cost of 6.6 million. The estimate for 450 single doors exceeded $34 million.

Carpets with an area of ​​34 thousand square meters cost more than $9.2 million.

The Erdogan family loves to entertain at their $660 million palace on the outskirts of Ankara.

Many critics have compared Erdog's love of luxury to that of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, arguing that Hussein would have been jealous at the sight of a Turkish palace.

Earlier this year, Emine said Ottoman-era harems were "inspiring" educational institutions. But many designers compare the architecture of the palace to a train station in China, rather than to the harems of the Ottoman Empire.

The president and his wife host lavish banquets at the state-owned Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul.

The $660 million palace is spread over an area of ​​more than 4 square kilometers. No one skimped on its decoration and furnishings.

Emine and Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Silk wallpaper costs 2.5 thousand dollars per roll, sets of doors cost 47 thousand dollars each, and all this is in hundreds of rooms of the palace.

The palace has a safe room in case of emergency and bunkers that can withstand biological, chemical and nuclear attack.

The final cost of the White Palace was almost twice the original construction estimate. Erdogan shrugged off the criticism, saying the palace upholds Turkey's international prestige.

During the start of construction work, the Turkish President stated that only natural materials produced in Turkey would be used. But opponents who have seen the architectural plans say the roof was made in Germany and the marble for the living rooms was purchased in India. Other building materials came from Great Britain, France and Italy. Even the trees planted on the vast grounds of the palace were purchased in Italy and the Netherlands.

Erdogan considers the “White Palace” (for himself - editor's note) a reward for his services to the state. After all, it was only thanks to him that the country began to prosper. But most see it as a sign of growing authoritarianism.

Erdogan sees the palace as a reward for leading the country to prosperity, but critics say it is a sign of growing authoritarianism.

Like his White Palace, Erdogan uses Istanbul's Dolmabahce Palace for various meetings, such as meeting with leaders of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Although Turkish residents have become accustomed to the luxury with which Erdogan surrounded himself in the palace, the source of his wealth, estimated at $185 million, remains a mystery.

During the attempted military coup on July 15, F-16 bombers fired at the palace, but the damage caused is not yet known. This palace is not only Erdogan's residence, but also a command and control center. Like the White House in the United States, there is a safe room in case of emergency, as well as bunkers that can withstand biological, chemical and nuclear attack.

The 62-year-old Turkish leader topped the list of highest-paid politicians with an income of $57 million, according to Forbes magazine. His personal wealth is believed to be $185 million, including stock investments and a substantial real estate portfolio. He also owns several restaurants, the Istanbul Angels football team and his own brand of vodka.

Luxurious life Erdogan's wife has angered Turkey's population, a quarter of whom live in poverty.

A man lies in front of a tank at the entrance to Ataturk Airport in Istanbul. Residents took to the streets to oppose the military coup.

Clothes and weapons of soldiers who participated in the coup attempt and surrendered lie on the bridge over the Bosphorus.

The luxurious life of the Erdogan couple looks disgusting compared to the life of the rest of the Turkish population, 25% of whom live on $4 a day, and 63% of children in the country live below the poverty line.

The attempted coup on July 15 was quickly crushed, and the president called on the people to oppose the military who tried to seize power.

More than 2,800 rebel soldiers have been detained since the failed coup attempt, which killed at least 250 people. The Turkish President promised to take revenge for the unrest that ended in death.

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