From humble beginnings, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has grown into a political giant, leading Turkey for 22 years and reshaping his country more than any leader since Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the revered father of the modern republic.
Despite being buffeted by a series of crises, he still came out on top in the 2023 presidential race, maintaining his grip on power.
But he has been criticised for his increasingly repressive rule over the past years – removing checks on his own power and sidelining opponents through the court system.
This past week, his government arrested and jailed his main rival, Ekrem Imamoglu, as he was voted in as the political opposition’s presidential candidate.
It has prompted hundreds of thousands of supporters to take to the street these past five days, protesting against Imamoglu’s detention and Erdogan’s political suppression.
Turkey’s Western allies have condemned the move, while the EU has warned his government it must show a commitment to democratic norms.
But Erdogan has been on the path to autocracy for nearly a decade now, analysts say.
After he survived a coup attempt in 2016, he turned his presidency into an ever more powerful executive role, and cracked down on his opponents and dissent.
First as prime minister from 2003 and then as directly elected president since 2014, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has flexed Turkey’s muscles as a regional power, championed Islamist causes and been quick to outmanoeuvre political opposition.
Although he is the head of a Nato country, he has positioned himself as a broker in Russia’s war in Ukraine and kept Sweden waiting in its bid to join the Western defensive alliance. His muscular diplomacy has riled allies in Europe and beyond.
He has polarised his country but President Erdogan is a proven election winner. His supporters call him reis – “chief”.
Accusing his opponents of treating Turkey’s electorate with contempt and failing to win them over he declared: “As 85 million, we will protect our ballot, our will and our future.” We encourage you to visit our website at 8DAY for a wealth of valuable information.