Recep Tayyip Erdogan was born in 1954 in Kasimpasa, an old popular district of Istanbul, into a family originating from the Black Sea coast (Rize). As a child, he used to sell simits (type of bread in a ring shape), in order to complement the revenues of his low-income and religious family. He began his studies in a college called “Imam-Hatip”. This type of college, specialized in training Imams, became extremely popular within traditional families, which did not necessarily expect their children to make a career as Imams. Passionate about football, Erdogan even contemplated becoming professional in this field, but his father prevented him from doing so. As from 16 years old, while he was enrolled at the Economics and Commerce Faculty of Istanbul, he became involved as a militant in ”Milli Gorus” (the National Path), the organisation of the emblematic leader and founder of the modern Islamic Turk movement Necmetin Erbakan. He then followed him in his successive parties, regularly forbidden (MSP, MNP), then in Refah (the Party of Prosperity), created in 1983 after consecutives bans following the coup d’état of the 12th of September 1980.

In 1984, Recep Tayyip Erdogan becomes chief of Refah in the district of Beyoglu (Istanbul). In 1985 he took responsibility of the party in the whole province of Istanbul. He becomes member of the Central Committee in 1986 and presents his candidacy for the municipal elections in 1989, during which he obtains 8% of the votes, a score that does not enable him to be elected, notwithstanding his progression. However, 4 years later, on the 27th of March 1994, R. T. Erdogan is elected Mayor of Istanbul. He then leads a very energetic social policy in the underprivileged suburbs that had voted for him. He also adopts measures permeated by a conservative Muslim approach (such as measures concerning the consumption of alcohol), and which contribute to cultivating a sceptical attitude towards him by secular circles. Refah is then at the height of its ascension, and forms, under the direction of Erbakan, a coalition government after the legislative elections in 1995. It must however renounce in June 1997, due to growing pressure from the army. In the midst of a repression against the Turk Islamic trend, R.T. Erdogan is condemned in April 1998 to 10 months in prison for having pronounced a poem by Ziya Gokalp (nationalist ideologist from the beginning of the century), which was viewed as an incitement towards religious hatred. He is released from prison on the 24th of July 1999 and resumes his political activities, although legally deprived from the right to assume a political post by the Party of Virtue (FP), the successor of the banned Refah. In June 2001, the Party of Virtue is also forbidden on the basis of a decision by the Constitutional Court. The underlying conflict between the “old guard” (supported by Necmettin Erbakan) and the “reformers” (exemplified by Recep T. Erdogan and Abdullah Gül), then leads to a division of the Islamic current into the Party of Justice and Development (AKP) and the Party of Happiness (Saadet), officially led by Recai Kutan. Necmettin Erbakan then becomes head of the party, before a decision of justice prevents the old leader from officially assuming this function.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan therefore takes on the position of head of the Party of Justice and Development (AKP). Nevertheless, he is not allowed to present himself at the legislative elections of the 3rd of November 2002 according to a decision by the High Electoral Commission. The AKP wins the legislative elections with 34.27% of the votes, and attains thereby a comfortable majority at the National Assembly. However, the constitution prohibits R. T. Erdogan, who could not be elected depute, to become Prime Minister. The new Assembly authorizes him to present his candidacy to the partial elections on the 9th of March 2003 in Siirt (South-East), where he secures a crushing victory, with 85% of the voices. This enables him to be nominated Prime Minister on the 10th of March 2003, replacing Abdullah Gül who was provisionally occupying this post since November 2002, the date of AKP’s victory at the legislative elections. Gül subsequently becomes Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Faced by the Iraqi crisis and scrutinized by a guarding army of the secular Jacobite Orthodoxy, Recep Tayyip Erdogan shows, after a year in power, moderation and credibility on both the interior and exterior level. In so doing, he manages to transform his party emanating from a moderate Islamic trend towards the social Islamic and conservative democracy, under the label of “conservative democrat”.

See also:
Turkey
Turkey, political parties
MEDEA Special File, Turkey, a democratic Muslim model?

(March 2004)