[News Figures] Turkish President's Re-election 'Erdogan'

'Recep Tayyip Erdogan' is the 12th President of Turkey and the longest-serving leader since the founding father and first president, Mustafa Kemal Atat?rk.

He served three consecutive terms as Prime Minister from 2003 to 2014 under a parliamentary system. Although he assumed the largely ceremonial presidency in 2014, he pushed through a constitutional amendment in April 2017 that changed the system from parliamentary to presidential, and was elected as president with a five-year term and the possibility of re-election the following year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an.
[Photo by AP/ Yonhap News]

Born in 1954 in Istanbul's Kasimpasa district, he graduated from Istanbul Academy of Economics and Commerce before entering politics. He was a founding member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in 2001, was elected mayor of Istanbul in 1994, and was briefly imprisoned in 1997 on charges of inciting the public. Following the AKP's victory in the 2002 general election, he took office as prime minister the next year.

In the runoff of Turkey's presidential election held on the 28th (local time), incumbent President Erdogan of the ruling party was re-elected. Ahmet Yener, chairman of Turkey's Supreme Election Council (YSK), announced that with 99.43% of votes counted, President Erdogan secured 52.1% of the vote, defeating the opposition alliance candidate Kemal Kılı?daro?lu (74), the Republican People's Party candidate, who received 47.9%, by a margin of 4.2 percentage points.

With this election victory, Erdogan will remain in power for five more years until 2028, and including his time as prime minister, he will have ruled Turkey for 25 years. Since he can be re-elected, if he wins an early election during his term, he could remain in power until 2033. Starting as prime minister in 2003, this means he could govern Turkey for a total of 30 years. Currently 69 years old, if he stays in power until age 79, some analysts describe this as effectively a 'lifetime rule.'

With Erdogan's re-election, Turkey's pro-Russian stance is likely to continue, including non-participation in sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine war and causing tensions within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Turkey is currently delaying ratification of Sweden's NATO membership, drawing criticism from other European countries. The United States and the West are expected to continue struggling with uneasy coexistence with Turkey, the 'black sheep' within NATO.