In October 2015, Turkey saw the worst terrorist attack in its modern history, with over 100
people estimated killed.
In the days following the attack, mass protests erupted against the Turkish government, and
in particular, President Recep Erdogan.
And while he may not have been responsible, he has been widely criticized for increasing
authoritarian measures.
Some have even called him a dictator.
So, how has Turkey changed under Erdogan?
Well, the leader has been in power within the Turkish government since being elected
Prime Minister in 2003.
His Islamist, conservative political background had many opponents worried that he may violate
Turkey’s constitutional secularity.
However, the majority of his rule has been a combination of effective economic and foreign
policy, along with government scandal, corruption, and censorship.
From 2003 to 2014, Erdogan negotiated for Turkey’s inclusion into the European Union,
and helped pull the country out of an economic crash in the early 2000s.
He also heavily invested in infrastructure, particularly focusing on transportation.
He even attempted to negotiate a peace settlement with the Kurdish population, which has long
fought for independence.
However, fighting resumed again in 2004, with few breaks in the time since.
Turkey’s economic health gradually improved from a GDP of about 300 billion dollars in
2003 to 800 billion in 2014.
However, the unemployment rate slightly increased, and child poverty in the country rose to include
nearly two thirds of Turkish children.
But Erdogan’s biggest criticisms have not been economic.
2013 saw protests against government corruption, and bribery, in which Erdogan himself was
incriminated in a recording, telling his son to hide financial evidence.
When that recording was released onto the internet, the Turkish government blocked Twitter,
Facebook, and YouTube, among other sites.
Although some restrictions have been lifted, Turkey’s reputation as one of the most censored
countries continues.
In 2012 and 2013, it ranked as the worst jailer of journalists in the world.
While the bribery scandal saw many from Erdogan’s party arrested, including close colleagues,
the Prime Minister enacted major reforms on the judicial branch.
Many have pointed to this as an attempt to discredit the judicial authority that would
have judged him.
Further scandals, most recently in 2014, included accusations that the Turkish government was
supplying Syrian rebels with weapons during the Syrian Civil War.
This was after trucks which were listed as carrying humanitarian aid were discovered
to have been filled with mortars, shells, and bullets.
Still, in 2014 Erdogan was elected President with 52% of the vote.
That year, US Vice President Joe Biden accused Turkey and other countries of financially
supporting ISIS, for which he later apologized.
And although Turkey did start to fight ISIS in 2015, it was discovered that there were
direct relations between Turkish officials and ISIS members.
While Erdogan has done considerable good for Turkey, his rule has been marred by unethical
and corrupt behavior.
It is clear that Turkey’s stance on the world stage has slowly been slipping, with
EU membership an increasing uncertainty.
But as President Erdogan’s legacy gets dirtier and dirtier, there is no question that it
will have a profound effect on Turkey’s legacy too.
Besides the issue of Turkish officials being connected to ISIS, there are also rising concerns
that the terrorist group might take over Turkey.
Watch this video to learn more.
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