Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, born on February 26, 1954, is a Turkish politician who has been the country’s 12th president since August 28, 2014. Before that, he served as Turkey’s prime minister from 2003 to 2014 and was the mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998. Erdoğan co-founded the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in 2001 and has led it ever since. With a background in Islamist politics, he has supported socially conservative policies and oversaw strong economic growth in his early years. Over time, his leadership has faced criticism for democratic decline, increased authoritarianism, limits on dissent, media controls, and interference with the judiciary. As of February 2026, Erdoğan is still in office after winning re-election in 2023, and he continues to influence Turkey’s domestic and fo...