Originally from Rize, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was born on February 26, 1954, in Istanbul. He graduated from Kasımpaşa Piyale Primary School in 1965 and from Istanbul Imam Hatip High School in 1973. Given his different class exams, he received a diploma from Eyüp High School as well. Erdoğan graduated from Marmara University Faculty of Economics and Business Sciences in 1981.
Starting from his teenage years, choosing a direction of social life and politics, between the years of 1969 and 1982, Erdoğan played amateur football which taught him the importance of disciplinary team work and team spirit at a very young age. Erdoğan actively served in the National Turkish Student Association branches in high school and university, he was elected as MSP Beyoğlu Youth Branch Presidency in 1976 and MSP Istanbul Youth Branch Presidency in the same year. He continued these duties until 1980, worked as a consultant and senior manager in the private sector for a while, during the period when political parties were being closed.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who returned to active politics with the Refah Party founded in 1983, became the Chairman of the Refah Party's Beyoğlu District in 1984, and the Istanbul Provincial Chairman of the Refah Party and the Refah Party's MKYK member in 1985. He developed a new organizational structure which became a model for other political parties during the Istanbul Provincial Presidency; he especially worked to increase the participation of women and youngsters in politics in this period. This structuring was a great achievement for the Refah Party in 1989 in the local elections of Beyoglu, and it was an example for the party work in the whole country.
Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Duty
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who was elected Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality in the local elections on March 27, 1994, recognized and found solutions to critical problems within Istanbul (one of the most important metropolises of the world) with his political ability, the importance he gave to team work, human resources and financial issues. The water problem was solved by laying new pipelines, hundreds of kilometers long, and the problem of garbage by installing the most modern recycling facilities of the period. While the problem of air pollution ended with the natural gas transition projects developed during the Erdogan period, more than 50 bridges, passages and ring roads were built against the city's traffic and transportation impasse; many projects were developed to shed light on the next periods. Taking extraordinary measures to prevent corruption and for proper use of municipal resources, Erdogan paid a large amount of money to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality's debt, which he took over with $2 billion in debt, while investing $4 billion. Thus, Erdogan opened a new era in the history of municipal work in Turkey, and gained great confidence in the people while being an example to other municipalities.
Jail Time and foundation of AK Party
Recep Tayyip Erdogan was sentenced to prison on December 12, 1997 due to a speech given and a poem read to the public, in Siirt from a book, which was recommended by the Ministry of National Education to teachers and published by a government agency and his Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayorship was abolished. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan established the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) with his friends on August 14, 2001 as a result of persistent demands of the public and the developing democratic process after leaving the prison where he stayed for four months and was elected as the Founding President of the AK Party by the Founders' Council. In the 2002 general elections, AK Party became the sole ruling party with nearly two thirds of the parliamentary majority (363 deputies).
Abolition of political ban and Prime Ministry
Erdogan, who could not be a deputy candidate in the elections of November 3, 2002 due to the court verdict, participated in the election of the Siirt province's deputy renewal on March 9, 2003, after the legal obstacle in front of his parliamentary candidacy was abolished with legal regulation. Erdogan, who received 85 percent of the votes in this election, entered parliament as the 22nd-term Siirt deputy.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who assumed the post of Prime Minister on March 15, 2003, implemented a number of reform packages with vital importance in a short period of time with an ideal of a bright and constantly developing Turkey. Inflation, which had been affecting the country's economy and society's psychology in a negative way and which had not been solved for decades, was taken under control and six nulls were redeemed from the Turkish lira which regained its reputation. The borrowing interest rates of the state were lowered, and the national income per capita increased greatly. Dams, housing, schools, roads, hospitals and power plants came into service with an unprecedented speed and number in the history of the country. All these positive developments were termed as the"Silent Revolution" by some foreign observers and Western leaders.
Election victory
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as the General President of AK Party, won 46.6% of the votes in the general elections of July 22, 2007, and established the 60th Government of the Republic of Turkey, obtaining a vote of confidence again.
Erdoğan, with a bigger victory in the June 12th, 2011 elections, won 49.8 percent of the votes and established the 61st Government.
The first president elected by the public
On Sunday, August 10 2014, for the first time in Turkish political history, the public elected the 12th President directly and in the first round. Erdoğan took an oath on August 28 2014 and began his duty as Turkey's 12th President.
July 15 Process
July 15 coup attempt and call from Erdoğan
On July 15, 2016, a coup attempt was made by a group of soldiers who defined themselves as the 'Yurtta Sulh Konseyi (Council of Domestic Peace)' within the Turkish Armed Forces. President Erdoğan heard about the coup attempt when he was in Marmaris.
President Erdoğan gathered journalists to his hotel and made a press statement. Erdoğan said that the coup attempt was an insurrection directed towards the national will. He stressed that these people will be given with the necessary punishments in the framework of the law. Erdoğan called people to the squares against the coup attempt. Clearing the police team who were in charge of blocking entrances and exits to the TRT Oran Campus, 300 putschist soldiers occupied the TRT building. Putschist soldiers stopped broadcasts of TRT on television and the Internet. As TÜRKSAT stopped broadcasts of TRT after the pirate notice was read on TRT, the press statement could not be broadcast.
President Erdoğan, whose statement could not be broadcast on TRT, went live on CNN Türk with video talk and expressed that putschists will not be tolerated and given any chance, called people out to the streets to protest against the coup attempt. Right after the call, anti-coup protests started in many different cities in Turkey.
Assassination squads and airport headquarters
Fifteen minutes before the assassination squad arrived, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his family left Marmaris, where they had been on vacation on the night of July 15, and flew to Istanbul via ATA plane. The plane landed in the Atatürk Airport State Guest House at 03:15. Erdoğan made a statement to the press with his son-in-law and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Berat Albayrak, AK Party Istanbul deputy Metin Külunk, AK Party Istanbul deputy Halis Dalkılıç, and AK Party Istanbul Provincial Chairman Selim Temurci. In his statement, Erdoğan clarified that an assault was carried out at the hotel after he had left.
“We put our heads into this sacred cause”
Erdoğan continued, “This act going on right now is an act of betrayal. This is an act of revolt. They will pay the price of this betrayal very heavily. Here they cannot stand against a government elected by the free will of the nation, and to the Chief Commander Tayyip Erdoğan; they will not get away with this act. No matter what how try, they should know that we put our heads into this sacred cause. Here we are with our shrouds, with our souls. With the idea that every cloud has a silver lining, this right here is a great favor of God to us. Because it will allow us to cleanse our armed forces which must be immaculate.”
Voyage with death
Responding to questions from the journalists in the joint broadcast of A Haber-ATV on July 30th, Erdoğan talked about the conditions under which they came to Istanbul from Marmaris on the night of the coup, “We did our broadcast and the pilot of the helicopter has been with me for years. I asked him how long it would take for him to get to Dalaman. How about the security? He said, this one is very interesting, ‘I can escape them until fuel runs out,’ and we got in the helicopter as a family, took off, turned down the lights and we actually had preparations at four different spots. There were planes waiting for us at four different spots. Dalaman, Bodrum, Çıldır, İzmir... In the meantime, we were in connection with Istanbul, yet, the pilot didn’t know where we were going to fly to. I told the pilot to take the average way and fly. I have known the pilot for years. Then different information came through. I asked him, ‘how is the heliport?’ ‘The heliport is dimmed,’ he said. To our surprise, the tower was under attack. We contacted the Istanbul Security Director. I asked him, ‘How long would it take you to clear it?’ He said, ‘I will clear it in 10-15 minutes.’ Thankfully they cleared it. The heliport was set and ready for us. We kept on anyway. We were going to land anyway. However, I asked the pilot, ‘Can you land with the lights off?’ ‘I can land with the lights off, but I cannot risk you,’ he said. I asked him ‘why?’ He answered, ‘They might put something there, say a truck, or a tank...’ Our plane can take off in a very short amount of distance. ‘I cannot risk you,’ he said. ‘How much fuel do you have left?’ I asked. He said ‘enough fuel for three to four hours flights.’ He said he could already do it with his lights. We landed, but the planes were flying low when we landed. Of course, when these low flights go faster than the speed of sound, they make explosion sounds. I had my grandchildren with me, they were scared.”
“Helicopter pointed its weapons at us”
Bilal Erdoğan spoke to Yeni Şafak News about what happened during that night in his interview, “Because the roads were so congested, we had to take side roads and were able to get to the airport around 02:30. When we arrived at the airport, our President came and we experienced a few more of the sonic boom sounds caused by low flying F-16s. In the meantime, my wife and children experienced the same thing in Tarabya. As the sun was rising over Atatürk Airport State Guest House, while our President was still there, a helicopter circled us. I slightly opened the window at some point and I saw the helicopter passing by pointing its weapons at us.”
In the morning of July 16, the coup attempt was quelled and soldiers surrendered with their guns. Having spent the night in the Atatürk Airport State Guest House, Erdoğan left departed for his residence in Kısıklı, in the afternoon.
Erdoğan was expected to go to Ankara, however, on Sunday, July 17th, he made changes in his program and attended the funeral of advertiser Erol Olçak and his son who were martyred on the bridge by putschist soldiers. Erdoğan returned to Ankara on the night of July 17th, and continued his work there.
President Erdoğan was on democracy watch
Erdoğan spoke to the citizens, on the platform set on the ground, within the framework of democracy watches in front of his residence in Kısıklı, Istanbul in the evening of July 17th. He said, “This country suffered too much from this parallel state structure. There is praying at the bottom, business in the middle and betrayal on top of it. They sucked the blood of this nation out of its palms. Then they complained and reported this country to America and Europe, they besmirched this country’s reputation with false news and lies, all over the world. Now I am calling out to America, I am calling out to America, to Mr. President, I am saying, Dear President, I told you in person that, either deport or hand in that person who lives in Pennsylvania inside a 400 km2 land, and I told you that these people had been planning a coup, however, you would not listen to me. Now I am calling out today once again after this coup attempt, I am saying, ‘Hand in that person living in Pennsylvania to Turkey already.’ If we are strategical partners, if we are model partners, then please fulfill your partner’s demand. Likewise, we handed in any terrorist you demanded from us. Now, hand in that person who is on our terror list.”
Democracy watches that started with the FETÖ coup attempt and continued ceaselessly and decisively, were stopped after 27 days. President Erdoğan met with citizens in the garden of the Presidential Palace on the evening of August 10th.
Speaking from the platform, set in front of the Şeref Gate (Şeref Kapısı) to numerous citizens of all ages gathered at the Palace, President Erdoğan noted that the USA must make a choice sooner or later, “Either FETÖ or Turkey. PKK on one side, FETÖ on the other, PYD in one hand, ISIS in the other, and YPG, come all of you! With god’s will you shall not defeat this nation !”
President Erdoğan learned of the FETÖ’s coup attempt when his brother-in-law, Ziya İlgen, phoned him in Marmaris where he had been vacationing. Having received the news about the traitorous attempt, he said “Bismillah” and performed prayer.
He said, “My brother-in-law called me around 9:30 p.m. First, we were confused about the time. He said, ‘There is movement around the Beylerbeyi Palace.’ I could not believe this news. I asked, ‘Ziya, are you kidding me? There is no such thing.’ Then, I phoned MİT [National Intelligence Organization] Undersecretary [Hakan Fidan] and Chief of the General Staff [Hulusi Akar], but I could not reach them.”
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources recounted the coup and assassination attempt
President Erdoğan’s brother-in-law is Ziya İlgen, the husband of his sister. İlgen is a retired teacher. He is also known as a businessman who does not like to appear in front of cameras or make statements to the public. İlgen has a quiet personality.