Recep Tayyip, Turkish President, Israel, Imprisonment, Quick Facts

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Biography

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is a Turkish politician who is currently the 12th president of Turkey. Previously, Erdogan was prime minister from 2003 to 2014. He co-founded the Justice and Development Party (AKP), in 2001. From 1994 to 1998, he served as mayor of Istanbul.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Age and Birthday

Erdogan was born on February 26, 1954, in Beyoglu, Istanbul. His conservative muslim family was not that well off and is said to have come from Georgia. He was the son of Tenzile Erdogan and Ahmet Edrogan. The Turkish president is 70 years old.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Education

In 1995, Erdogan graduated from Kasimpasa Piyale Primary School, then attended Istanbul Imam Hatip High School until 1973. The school’s curriculum enabled Edrogan to study Quran. This would later keep him from pursuing advanced studies at the Ankara University Faculty of Political Science, as it only accepted students with regular high school diplomas. He therefore admitted himself to Eyup High School, where he eventually received a regular high school diploma. His official biography states that he studied business administration at Askaray School, commonly known as Marmara University’s Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences.

Recep Tayyip, Russian Invasion on Ukraine

Turkey enforced United Nations sanctions, closed the Bosphorus to Russian naval reinforcements, and supplied Ukraine with military equipment. Some of the equipment included Bayraktar TB2 drones and BMC Kirpi vehicles. However, it didn’t participate in certain sanctions, like closing Turkish airspace for Russian civilians, and continued the dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In 2022, Erdoğan reiterated his stance on Crimea, stating that international law required that Russia return Crimea to Ukraine.

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Recep Tayyip, Israel-Hamas

In 2023, Erdoğan condemned the Israeli attacks in the Gaza strip during the Israel-Hamas war. He termed them violation of human rights. This led to accusations of hypocrisy as Turkey itself, at the same time, severely bombed Kurdish areas, including many civilian targets. Erdoğan said on October 25, 2023, that Hamas was a liberation group fighting to protect Palestinian lands and people, not a terrorist organisation. He accused Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinians and condemned it a terrorist state. In 2024, he stated that 1,000 Hamas were being treated in Turkish hospitals.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Spouse and Family

The Turkish President’s wife is Emine Erdogan. The couple has two sons, Necmettin Bilal and Ahmet Burak. They have two daughters, Esra and Sumeye. The Turkish president’s father passed away in 1988 and his mother in 2011. The Turkish president has two siblings, Mustafa and Vesile.

Recep Tayyip, Imprisonment

“The mosques are our barracks, the domes our helmets, the minarets our bayonets, and the faithful our soldiers…was the recitation that got Erdogan given a ten-month imprisonment sentence in December 1997. Though he claimed the poem was published in state-approved books and appealed for a monetary fine instead, he was imprisoned for four months. He was jailed at Pinarhisar prison in Kirklareli.

Recep Tayyip, Quick Facts

Born: February 26, 1954
Age: 70
Birthplace: Istanbul, Turkey
Political party: Justice and Development (2001–2014; 2017–present)
Other political affiliations: National Salvation Party (before 1981)
Welfare Party (1983–1998)
                                                  Virtue Party (1998–2001)
Spouse: Emine Gülbaran ​(m. 1978)​
Children: AhmetBilalEsraSümeyye
Relatives: Berat Albayrak, Selçuk Bayraktar (sons-in-law)
Residence: Presidential Complex, Ankara
Alma mater: Marmara University