Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has signaled willignness to step down after a little over two decades in power. His party hopes to retake the mayorship of Istanbul and Ankara in March's municipal elections.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has led Turkey since 2003, has said he will not run in future campaigns after a municipal vote in MarchImage: DHA
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said municipal elections in March would be his last.
Erdogan has been in power since 2003.
"I am working non-stop. We're running around breathlessly because, for me, it's a final," he said at a meeting for the Turkish Youth Foundation (TUGVA).
"With the authority that the law confers on me, this election is my last election."
He said that he believed his conservative Justice and Development (AKP) party would stay in power after he leaves office, calling upcoming local elections "a blessing for the brothers who come after me."
"There will be a transfer of confidence," he said.
Who is Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan?
From Islamist youth activist to Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made a career out of politics. But his path has been marked by controversy. DW takes a look at his rise to power.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/E. Morenatti
The rise of Turkey's Erdogan
In Turkey and abroad, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has a polarizing effect. He has been described as a neo-Ottoman "sultan" as well as an authoritarian leader. From his early beginnings campaigning for Islamist causes to leading NATO's second largest military as the president of Turkey, DW explores the rise of the Turkish leader.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/E. Morenatti
Jailed mayor of Istanbul
After years of moving up the ranks of the Islamist-rooted Welfare Party, Erdogan was elected mayor of Istanbul in 1994. But four years later, the party was ruled unconstitutional on the grounds it threatened Turkey's secularist nature, and was disbanded. He was later jailed for four months for a controversial public reading of a poem, and consequently lost his mayorship over the conviction.
Erdogan co-founded the Justice and Development Party (AKP), which won a majority of seats in 2002. He was made prime minister in 2003. During his first years in office, Erdogan worked on providing social services, improving the economy and implementing democratic reforms. But some have argued that his premiership was also marked by a religious shift in the political sphere.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B. Ozbilici
Islamist causes
While Turkey's constitution guarantees the country's secular nature, observers believe Erdogan has managed to purge the "old secularist guard." The Turkish leader has said that one of his goals is to raise a "pious generation." Erdogan's supporters have hailed the Turkish leader's initiatives, arguing that they've reversed years of discrimination against practicing Muslims.
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Surviving a coup
In July 2016, a failed military coup targeting Erdogan and his government left more than 200 people dead, including civilians and soldiers. In the wake of the coup attempt, Erdogan declared a state of emergency and vowed to "clean up" the military. "In Turkey, armed forces are not governing the state or leading the state. They cannot," he said.
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Nationwide crackdown
Since the failed coup, authorities have launched a nationwide crackdown, arresting more than 50,000 people in the armed forces, police, judiciary, schools and media. Erdogan has blamed Fethullah Gulen, a self-exiled cleric in the US and former ally, and his supporters of trying to undermine the government. But rights groups believe the allegations are a means to solidify his power and influence.
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Divisive politician
While Erdogan enjoys significant support in Turkey and the Turkish expatriate community, he has been criticized for his heavy-handed policies and military campaigns against Kurdish militants following the collapse of a peace process in 2015. This January, Erdogan launched a deadly offensive into the northern Syrian enclave of Afrin, an operation that was widely condemned by human rights groups.
Image: picture- alliance/ZUMAPRESS/Brais G. Rouco
A new era?
Having served as Turkey's president since 2014, Erdogan successfully extended his time in office after winning elections in June. The elections marked Turkey's transition to an executive-style presidency. Observers believe the elections will herald a new era for Turkey – for better or worse.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/T. Bozoglu
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Over two decades in power
Erdogan was elected prime minister in 2003 and then president in 2014.
In 2017, a constitutional change abolished the office of prime minister, giving Erdogan full executive power.
In May last year, Erdogan fell short of a majority of votes in the first round of presidential elections. In 2014 and 2018, he won outright and there was no runoff vote.