Erdogan: The man who has dominated Turkish politics for 20 years

it's been a long road from the shores of

the Black Sea where he was born to

dominating Turkish politics for more

than two decades

as a Young Man receptive erdogan seemed

to favor career as a professional

football player

but politics was never far away and by

1994 erdogan was elected as mayor of

Istanbul

whoever wins Istanbul wins turkey a

saying that proved true for erdogan

but the road to power wasn't always

smooth erdogan was at the same time

feared adored and reviled for his sharp

tongue and religiously conservative

leanings

foreign his time as mayor ended with a

four-month jail sentence for violating

the secular principles of the country

his critics today still accuse him of

changing those principles

but erdogan went ahead unperturbed in

2001 he founded the justice and

development party or act party

a crucial stepping stone that led him to

become Prime Minister for three

consecutive terms before becoming

president

those were times of economic growth and

reforms Millions were taken out of

poverty and the middle class grew

stronger ambitious projects and plans

flourished conservatives also hailed him

for supporting their rights to express

religion openly allowing women to wear

headscarves in universities and

government offices

but critics also a grew Bolder a protest

against Plans to overhaul a park in

Istanbul quickly turned into a challenge

to what demonstrators called a growing

authoritarian rule

nature in 2016

failed military coup Rebel soldiers and

followers of fatula gulen are once

political Ally of erdogan came close to

capturing the president

a tough Crackdown followed tens of

thousands were imprisoned

the Crackdown calls alarm abroad at a

time where relations with the EU were

Frosty because of the influx of refugees

going into Greece from Turkey

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in response erdogan cemented his grip on

power winning a referendum that granted

him more presidential powers

but it was a narrow Victory and in 2019

his act party lost Istanbul

that was a turning point since then

erdogan has faced many challenges this

election shows turkey a has become a

nation very much polarized but if

anything erdogan will remain the man who

took Mustafa kemales at a Turks Republic

and remade it in his own image

al-jazeera

well as Huda said that was a turning

point how