All articles tagged with #akp
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the leader of Turkey's AKP, has stated that the upcoming local election will determine his political succession, suggesting it will be his last. Erdogan, who has been president since 2014, emphasized the significance of the election's outcome in shaping the future leadership of the country.
Sunday's election in Turkey could determine the political future of President Erdogan, who has moved towards one-man rule, consolidating power and leveraging Turkey's international sway. Erdogan has faced moments of uncertainty, including a failed coup attempt in 2016, and has presided over soaring inflation and a crackdown on speech and expression. His most prominent challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, has promised an alternative. Erdogan's career as a public servant and player on the world stage has seen him move from popular Istanbul mayor to entrenched one-man rule, with a constitutional referendum in 2017 changing Turkey's form of government and vesting power in an executive president.
Two earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6 hit Turkey on 6 February 2023, affecting 11 cities and 13.5 million people, causing destruction in Syria as well. Due to the AKP government's policies, the earthquakes destroyed an area of 350 square kilometres, becoming a tragedy and social disaster. Official estimates report more than 50,000 fatalities, while some sources suggest the death toll may be three to four times higher. The earthquakes exposed the urgent need for scientific enlightenment and preparation in the face of natural disasters. The country needs to prioritize increasing earthquake-resistant building stocks and appropriate settlement and urban transformation practices.
President Erdogan announced that 1.7 million people attended the AKP rally in Istanbul on May 7. He pledged to increase the welfare share and add the inflation difference to the salaries of civil servants in July. Erdogan emphasized the AKP's achievements in the past 21 years, including tripling the national income, providing jobs and food to 21 million people, and building 13.5 million new houses. He also stated that the AKP owes its success to the efforts and sincerity of all the people who have supported them. Erdogan pledged to build the "Century of Turkey" together with the nation.