Recep Tayyip Erdoğan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
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Erdoğan in 2024
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| 12th President of Turkey | |
| Assumed office 28 August 2014 |
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| Prime Minister | |
| Vice President |
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| Preceded by | Abdullah Gül |
| 25th Prime Minister of Turkey | |
| In office 14 March 2003 – 28 August 2014 |
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| President |
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| Deputy |
See list
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| Preceded by | Abdullah Gül |
| Succeeded by | Ahmet Davutoğlu |
| Leader of the Justice and Development Party | |
| Assumed office 21 May 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Binali Yıldırım |
| In office 14 August 2001 – 27 August 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Ahmet Davutoğlu |
| Member of the Grand National Assembly | |
| In office 9 March 2003 – 28 August 2014 |
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| Constituency |
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| 23rd Mayor of Istanbul | |
| In office 27 March 1994 – 6 November 1998 |
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| Preceded by | Nurettin Sözen |
| Succeeded by | Ali Müfit Gürtuna |
| Chairman of the Organization of Turkic States | |
| In office 12 November 2021 – 11 November 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Ilham Aliyev |
| Succeeded by | Shavkat Mirziyoyev |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 February 1954 Istanbul, Turkey |
| Political party | Justice and Development (2001–2014; 2017–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
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| Spouse | |
| Children |
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| Relatives |
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| Residences | Presidential Complex, Ankara |
| Alma mater | Marmara University |
| Awards | Full list |
| Signature |  |
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (born 26 February 1954) is a Turkish politician. He is the 12th and current president of Turkey since 2014. Before that, he was the prime minister of Turkey from 2003 to 2014. He also served as the mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998. He helped start the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in 2001. In March 2024, he said he would retire when his presidential term ends in 2028.
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Early Life and Education
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was born on 26 February 1954. His family was a poor, traditional Muslim family. He was born in Güneysu, Rize, but his family later moved to Kasımpaşa, a poorer part of Istanbul. His parents were Ahmet Erdoğan and Tenzile Erdoğan.
To earn extra money, young Erdoğan sold bottles of water to drivers. He also sold simit, which are sesame bread rings, from a small cart.
School Days
Erdoğan finished Kasımpaşa Piyale primary school in 1965. He then went to İmam Hatip school, which is a religious high school. About a quarter of the lessons at these schools are about the Quran, the life of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and the Arabic language. His classmates at İmam Hatip started calling him hoca, which means "teacher."
Erdoğan wanted to study at a university called Mekteb-i Mülkiye. However, this university only accepted students from regular high schools. So, Erdoğan went to Eyüp High School, a normal state school, and got his high school diploma there.
After high school, he studied Business Administration at Aksaray School. This school is now part of Marmara University. Later, he worked as a consultant and manager in private companies.
Start of Political Career
Erdoğan became involved in politics with parties led by Necmettin Erbakan. He became the leader of his party's local branch in Beyoğlu in 1984. Then, he became the leader for all of Istanbul in 1985.
Mayor of Istanbul
In 1994, Erdoğan was elected Mayor of Istanbul. As mayor, he made many changes to improve the city. He worked on modernizing Istanbul's roads, water systems, and economy.
In 1998, he was found guilty of speaking out against the government. This led to him being banned from politics for a time. He was released from prison in 1999.
Leading the AK Party
In 2001, Erdoğan helped create the Justice and Development Party (AKP). He led the AKP to a big win in the 2002 election for the Grand National Assembly.
After his political ban was lifted, Erdoğan became prime minister in 2003. This happened after he won a special election in Siirt.
Erdoğan led the AKP to win two more elections in 2007 and 2011. In his early years as prime minister, Turkey began talks to join the European Union. Turkey's economy also got much better after a crisis in 2001. There were many new projects, like roads, airports, and a high-speed train network. He also won two public votes (referendums) in 2007 and 2010 to change the country's laws. Later, his government started talking with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) to try and end a long conflict. These talks ended three years later.
Becoming President of Turkey
In 2014, Erdoğan became Turkey's first president to be directly elected by the people.
Erdoğan supported a public vote in 2017 to change Turkey's government system. This change made the president more powerful, like in a presidential system. It also set a limit of two five-year terms for the president. This new system officially started after the 2018 election.
Challenges During Presidency
Erdoğan's time as president has seen a shift towards a more centralized style of government. There have been concerns about freedom of speech and how some issues are handled.
He has faced criticism for how he dealt with the Gezi Park protests in 2013. Also, the failed coup attempt in 2016 and his economic policies have been talked about. The ongoing conflict in Syria is another challenge. These issues are thought to have played a part in his party losing control of big cities in the 2019 local elections. This was the first time in 15 years.
Since 2018, there have been changes to the Central Bank's independence. This has led to high inflation and the Turkish money losing value.
Coup Attempt in 2016
On 15 July 2016, some parts of the military tried to take over the government. By the next day, Erdoğan's government was able to get back control. No government officials were hurt or arrested.
Earthquake in 2023
On 6 February 2023, a very strong earthquake hit southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria. More than 50,000 people died in this disaster.
Personal Life
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Erdoğan married Emine Erdoğan on 4 July 1978. They have two sons, Ahmet Burak and Necmettin Bilal. They also have two daughters, Esra and Sümeyye. His father, Ahmet Erdoğan, passed away in 1988. His mother, Tenzile Erdoğan, passed away in 2011 at 87 years old.
Erdoğan has a brother named Mustafa and a sister named Vesile. He also had two half-brothers, Mehmet and Hasan, from his father's first marriage.
Interesting Facts About Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
- When he was a teenager, Erdoğan's father gave him a small amount of money each week. Erdoğan used it to buy postcards and sell them again on the street.
- In his youth, Erdoğan played semi-professional football for a local club called Camialtispor FC. A famous club, Fenerbahçe, wanted him to play for them, but his father did not allow it.
- Erdoğan is part of the Community of İskenderpaşa, a Turkish Sufi group.
- As a high school student, Erdoğan was known for being a great speaker. He loved public speaking and performing in front of people.
- Erdoğan won first place in a poetry-reading competition.
- The stadium of the local football club in the area where he grew up, Kasımpaşa S.K., is named after him.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Quotes
- "Every country needs a strong leader in order to progress."
- "Your targets can only be realized on the basis of dreams."
- "Strong families lead to strong nations."
Images for kids
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Party leader Erdoğan 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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Prime Minister Erdoğan during a press conference with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in 2014
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Public debt of six major European countries between 2002 and 2009 as a percentage of GDP
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The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the world, was officially opened by Erdoğan in 2022.
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The new Court of Cassation (Yargıtay) building in Ankara was opened in 2021.
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Erdoğan during an official visit to Peru
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Countries visited by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as prime minister
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Erdoğan with Dutch Prime Minister Balkenende and Turkish FM Gül in Brussels, Belgium (2004).
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Erdoğan with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou
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High-Level Russian-Turkish Cooperation Council with Prime Minister Erdoğan and President Putin
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Erdoğan and Barack Obama in White House, 7 December 2009
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Erdoğan walks out of a session at the World Economic Forum in 2009
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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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Erdoğan and Somalian President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud opening the new terminal of Aden Abdulle International Airport in Mogadishu, Somalia
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Ballot paper for the 2018 presidential election
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Turkish journalists protesting imprisonment of their colleagues on Human Rights Day, 10 December 2016
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Turkish journalists Can Dündar and Erdem Gül were arrested for sharing classified information
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Foreign trips made by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as President (since 2014)
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Working dinner between the leaders of Turkey, Germany, France and Russia in Istanbul
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Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin on 16 September 2022
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Erdoğan and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on 12 July 2023
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Meeting between leaders of Turkey, Albania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria and Serbia in Istanbul, 10 July 2017
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Erdoğan with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev (middle) and Bosnian Presidency Chairman Bakir Izetbegović, 12 July 2018
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Erdoğan during a state visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Turkey (2022)
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Erdoğan meeting U.S. President Barack Obama during the 2014 Wales summit in Newport, Wales
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Erdoğan, Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit on 16 September 2022
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Erdoğan meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (2018)
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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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Signing of the grain export deal between Turkey, Ukraine, Russia and the UN in Istanbul, 2022
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Erdoğan meeting Palestinian president Abbas in Erdoğan's Presidential Palace
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Erdoğan's supporters outside the White House in Washington, D.C., 16 May 2017
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An NTV news van covered in anti-AKP protest graffiti in response to their initial lack of coverage of the Gezi Park protests in 2013
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Opposition politicians Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ had been arrested on terrorism charges.
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See also
In Spanish: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan para niños
- List of international prime ministerial trips made by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
- List of international presidential trips made by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
