Key dates in Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s 20-year rule of Turkey
FILE - Supporters of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wave flags in front of his picture in Istanbul, on March 31, 2019. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel, File)
FILE - Recep Tayyip Erdogan, mayor of Istanbul, waves to his supporters after a press conference in Istanbul, on Sept. 24, 1998. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Murad Sezer, File)
FILE - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, and his wife Emine Erdogan, are welcomed by a polling station official before they cast their votes in the local elections at a primary school in Ankara on March 28, 2004. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici, File)
FILE - Turkish Prime Minister-designate Recep Tayyip Erdogan next to a portrait of Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey, during a press conference at the presidential palace in Ankara, on March 11, 2003. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus, File)
FILE - US President Bush, right, shakes hands with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, the leader of Turkey’s ruling AK Party, as they participates in a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, on Dec. 10, 2002 in Washington. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
FILE - Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe on Oct. 6, 2004 in Strasbourg, eastern France. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Christian Lutz, File)
FILE - German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, second left, welcomes Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, in Berlin on Oct. 26, 2004, before signing a deal on 36 European Airbus planes for Turkey with Erdogan and French President Jacques Chirac, second right. (AP Photo/Herbert Knosowski, File)
FILE- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, and his wife Emine, right, guarded by scores of Israeli and Palestinian security officials, as they visit the al-Aqsa mosque compound, known by Jews as Temple Mount, in Jerusalem’s Old City, on May 2, 2005. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen, File)
FILE - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Kadir Topbas, second right, help to lift the flag draped coffin of an explosion victim during a funeral ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 28, 2008. (AP Photo/Ibrahim Usta, File)
FILE - President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrive for a news conference in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, on May 16, 2013. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
FILE - A protester throws a petrol bomb towards riot policemen during clashes in Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey, on June 11, 2013. (AP Photo/Kostas Tsironis, File)
FILE - Protesters run to avoid tear gas during clashes at Taksim Square in Istanbul on June 11, 2013. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File)
FILE - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan gestures, as he addresses the members of his ruling Justice and Development Party in Ankara, Turkey, on Aug. 14, 2014. The 69-year-old who has served as prime minister since 2003 and president since 2014, started his career as a reformist who expanded rights and freedoms, allowing his majority-Muslim country to start European Union membership negotiations. (AP Photo/File)
FILE - Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan kicks a ball during a soccer summit in Istanbul, on March 20, 2017. The 69-year-old who has served as prime minister since 2003 and president since 2014, started his career as a reformist who expanded rights and freedoms, allowing his majority-Muslim country to start European Union membership negotiations. (Yasin Bulbul/Turkish Presidency via AP, File)
FILE - Turkish soldiers secure the area as supporters of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan protest in Istanbul’s Taksim square, on July 16, 2016. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel, File)
FILE - A tank moves into position as Turkish people attempt to stop it, in Ankara, Turkey, on July 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici, File)
FILE - Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gestures as he delivers a speech at a rally to honor the victims of the July 15, 2016, failed coup attempt, in Istanbul, on July 15, 2019. The 69-year-old who has served as prime minister since 2003 and president since 2014, started his career as a reformist who expanded rights and freedoms, allowing his majority-Muslim country to start European Union membership negotiations. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis, File)
FILE - Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan waves to members of the ruling Justice and Development party (AKP) as he arrives to address them in Ankara, Turkey, on May 30, 2017. The 69-year-old who has served as prime minister since 2003 and president since 2014, started his career as a reformist who expanded rights and freedoms, allowing his majority-Muslim country to start European Union membership negotiations. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici, File)
FILE - Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and his wife Emine sit in a car after they arrive at the airport Tegel for an official state visit in Germany at the capital Berlin, on Sept. 27, 2018. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)
FILE - Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visits the mausoleum of the nation’s founding father Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, during a ceremony to mark the 79th anniversary of his death, in Ankara, Turkey, on Nov. 10, 2017. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Ali Unal, File)
FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, center, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pose for a photo prior to their talks at the Saadabad palace, in Tehran, Iran, on July 19, 2022. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (Sergei Savostyanov, Sputnik, Kremlin via AP, File)
FILE - A man holds a picture of Turkey’s President and ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan while celebrating outside the party headquarters in Istanbul, on June 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
FILE - A woman sits on the rubble as emergency rescue teams search for people under the remains of destroyed buildings in Nurdagi town on the outskirts of Osmaniye city southern Turkey, on Feb. 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)
FILE - Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and hugs a survivor as he visits the city center destroyed by the earthquake in Kahramanmaras, southern Turkey, on Feb. 8, 2023. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (Turkish Presidency via AP, File)
FILE - Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, looks on as documents are exchanged after the signing of an agreement after talks with his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade, Serbia, on Oct. 7, 2019. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, File)
FILE - Supporters of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wave flags in front of his picture in Istanbul, on March 31, 2019. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel, File)
FILE - Supporters of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wave flags in front of his picture in Istanbul, on March 31, 2019. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel, File)
FILE - Recep Tayyip Erdogan, mayor of Istanbul, waves to his supporters after a press conference in Istanbul, on Sept. 24, 1998. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Murad Sezer, File)
FILE - Recep Tayyip Erdogan, mayor of Istanbul, waves to his supporters after a press conference in Istanbul, on Sept. 24, 1998. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Murad Sezer, File)
FILE - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, and his wife Emine Erdogan, are welcomed by a polling station official before they cast their votes in the local elections at a primary school in Ankara on March 28, 2004. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici, File)
FILE - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, and his wife Emine Erdogan, are welcomed by a polling station official before they cast their votes in the local elections at a primary school in Ankara on March 28, 2004. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici, File)
FILE - Turkish Prime Minister-designate Recep Tayyip Erdogan next to a portrait of Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey, during a press conference at the presidential palace in Ankara, on March 11, 2003. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus, File)
FILE - Turkish Prime Minister-designate Recep Tayyip Erdogan next to a portrait of Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey, during a press conference at the presidential palace in Ankara, on March 11, 2003. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus, File)
FILE - US President Bush, right, shakes hands with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, the leader of Turkey’s ruling AK Party, as they participates in a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, on Dec. 10, 2002 in Washington. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
FILE - US President Bush, right, shakes hands with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, the leader of Turkey’s ruling AK Party, as they participates in a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, on Dec. 10, 2002 in Washington. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
FILE - Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe on Oct. 6, 2004 in Strasbourg, eastern France. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Christian Lutz, File)
FILE - Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe on Oct. 6, 2004 in Strasbourg, eastern France. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Christian Lutz, File)
FILE - German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, second left, welcomes Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, in Berlin on Oct. 26, 2004, before signing a deal on 36 European Airbus planes for Turkey with Erdogan and French President Jacques Chirac, second right. (AP Photo/Herbert Knosowski, File)
FILE - German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, second left, welcomes Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, in Berlin on Oct. 26, 2004, before signing a deal on 36 European Airbus planes for Turkey with Erdogan and French President Jacques Chirac, second right. (AP Photo/Herbert Knosowski, File)
FILE- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, and his wife Emine, right, guarded by scores of Israeli and Palestinian security officials, as they visit the al-Aqsa mosque compound, known by Jews as Temple Mount, in Jerusalem’s Old City, on May 2, 2005. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen, File)
FILE- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, and his wife Emine, right, guarded by scores of Israeli and Palestinian security officials, as they visit the al-Aqsa mosque compound, known by Jews as Temple Mount, in Jerusalem’s Old City, on May 2, 2005. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen, File)
FILE - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Kadir Topbas, second right, help to lift the flag draped coffin of an explosion victim during a funeral ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 28, 2008. (AP Photo/Ibrahim Usta, File)
FILE - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Kadir Topbas, second right, help to lift the flag draped coffin of an explosion victim during a funeral ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 28, 2008. (AP Photo/Ibrahim Usta, File)
FILE - President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrive for a news conference in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, on May 16, 2013. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
FILE - President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrive for a news conference in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, on May 16, 2013. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
FILE - A protester throws a petrol bomb towards riot policemen during clashes in Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey, on June 11, 2013. (AP Photo/Kostas Tsironis, File)
FILE - A protester throws a petrol bomb towards riot policemen during clashes in Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey, on June 11, 2013. (AP Photo/Kostas Tsironis, File)
FILE - Protesters run to avoid tear gas during clashes at Taksim Square in Istanbul on June 11, 2013. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File)
FILE - Protesters run to avoid tear gas during clashes at Taksim Square in Istanbul on June 11, 2013. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File)
FILE - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan gestures, as he addresses the members of his ruling Justice and Development Party in Ankara, Turkey, on Aug. 14, 2014. The 69-year-old who has served as prime minister since 2003 and president since 2014, started his career as a reformist who expanded rights and freedoms, allowing his majority-Muslim country to start European Union membership negotiations. (AP Photo/File)
FILE - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan gestures, as he addresses the members of his ruling Justice and Development Party in Ankara, Turkey, on Aug. 14, 2014. The 69-year-old who has served as prime minister since 2003 and president since 2014, started his career as a reformist who expanded rights and freedoms, allowing his majority-Muslim country to start European Union membership negotiations. (AP Photo/File)
FILE - Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan kicks a ball during a soccer summit in Istanbul, on March 20, 2017. The 69-year-old who has served as prime minister since 2003 and president since 2014, started his career as a reformist who expanded rights and freedoms, allowing his majority-Muslim country to start European Union membership negotiations. (Yasin Bulbul/Turkish Presidency via AP, File)
FILE - Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan kicks a ball during a soccer summit in Istanbul, on March 20, 2017. The 69-year-old who has served as prime minister since 2003 and president since 2014, started his career as a reformist who expanded rights and freedoms, allowing his majority-Muslim country to start European Union membership negotiations. (Yasin Bulbul/Turkish Presidency via AP, File)
FILE - Turkish soldiers secure the area as supporters of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan protest in Istanbul’s Taksim square, on July 16, 2016. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel, File)
FILE - Turkish soldiers secure the area as supporters of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan protest in Istanbul’s Taksim square, on July 16, 2016. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel, File)
FILE - A tank moves into position as Turkish people attempt to stop it, in Ankara, Turkey, on July 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici, File)
FILE - A tank moves into position as Turkish people attempt to stop it, in Ankara, Turkey, on July 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici, File)
FILE - Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gestures as he delivers a speech at a rally to honor the victims of the July 15, 2016, failed coup attempt, in Istanbul, on July 15, 2019. The 69-year-old who has served as prime minister since 2003 and president since 2014, started his career as a reformist who expanded rights and freedoms, allowing his majority-Muslim country to start European Union membership negotiations. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis, File)
FILE - Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gestures as he delivers a speech at a rally to honor the victims of the July 15, 2016, failed coup attempt, in Istanbul, on July 15, 2019. The 69-year-old who has served as prime minister since 2003 and president since 2014, started his career as a reformist who expanded rights and freedoms, allowing his majority-Muslim country to start European Union membership negotiations. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis, File)
FILE - Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan waves to members of the ruling Justice and Development party (AKP) as he arrives to address them in Ankara, Turkey, on May 30, 2017. The 69-year-old who has served as prime minister since 2003 and president since 2014, started his career as a reformist who expanded rights and freedoms, allowing his majority-Muslim country to start European Union membership negotiations. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici, File)
FILE - Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan waves to members of the ruling Justice and Development party (AKP) as he arrives to address them in Ankara, Turkey, on May 30, 2017. The 69-year-old who has served as prime minister since 2003 and president since 2014, started his career as a reformist who expanded rights and freedoms, allowing his majority-Muslim country to start European Union membership negotiations. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici, File)
FILE - Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and his wife Emine sit in a car after they arrive at the airport Tegel for an official state visit in Germany at the capital Berlin, on Sept. 27, 2018. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)
FILE - Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and his wife Emine sit in a car after they arrive at the airport Tegel for an official state visit in Germany at the capital Berlin, on Sept. 27, 2018. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)
FILE - Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visits the mausoleum of the nation’s founding father Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, during a ceremony to mark the 79th anniversary of his death, in Ankara, Turkey, on Nov. 10, 2017. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Ali Unal, File)
FILE - Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visits the mausoleum of the nation’s founding father Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, during a ceremony to mark the 79th anniversary of his death, in Ankara, Turkey, on Nov. 10, 2017. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Ali Unal, File)
FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, center, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pose for a photo prior to their talks at the Saadabad palace, in Tehran, Iran, on July 19, 2022. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (Sergei Savostyanov, Sputnik, Kremlin via AP, File)
FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, center, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pose for a photo prior to their talks at the Saadabad palace, in Tehran, Iran, on July 19, 2022. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (Sergei Savostyanov, Sputnik, Kremlin via AP, File)
FILE - A man holds a picture of Turkey’s President and ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan while celebrating outside the party headquarters in Istanbul, on June 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
FILE - A man holds a picture of Turkey’s President and ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan while celebrating outside the party headquarters in Istanbul, on June 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
FILE - A woman sits on the rubble as emergency rescue teams search for people under the remains of destroyed buildings in Nurdagi town on the outskirts of Osmaniye city southern Turkey, on Feb. 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)
FILE - A woman sits on the rubble as emergency rescue teams search for people under the remains of destroyed buildings in Nurdagi town on the outskirts of Osmaniye city southern Turkey, on Feb. 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)
FILE - Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and hugs a survivor as he visits the city center destroyed by the earthquake in Kahramanmaras, southern Turkey, on Feb. 8, 2023. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (Turkish Presidency via AP, File)
FILE - Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and hugs a survivor as he visits the city center destroyed by the earthquake in Kahramanmaras, southern Turkey, on Feb. 8, 2023. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (Turkish Presidency via AP, File)
FILE - Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, looks on as documents are exchanged after the signing of an agreement after talks with his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade, Serbia, on Oct. 7, 2019. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, File)
FILE - Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, looks on as documents are exchanged after the signing of an agreement after talks with his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade, Serbia, on Oct. 7, 2019. Erdogan, who is seeking a third term in office as president in elections in May, marks 20 years in office on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, File)
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is seeking a third consecutive term in office in elections in May, marks 20 years in power on Tuesday.
The 69-year-old, who served as prime minister from 2003-2014 and as president thereafter, started as a reformist who expanded rights and freedoms, allowing his majority-Muslim country to start European Union membership negotiations.
He later reversed course, cracking down on dissent, stifling the media and passing measures that eroded democracy.
The presidential and parliamentary elections set for May 14 could be Erdogan’s most challenging yet. They will be held amid economic turmoil and high inflation, just three months after a devastating earthquake that killed tens of thousands.
Here’s a look at some of the key dates during Erdogan’s rule:
March 27, 1994: Erdogan is elected mayor of Istanbul, running on the pro-Islamic Welfare Party ticket.
Dec. 12, 1997: Erdogan is convicted of “inciting hatred” for reading a poem that the courts deem to be in violation of Turkey’s secular principles, and sentenced to four months in prison.
Aug. 14, 2001: Erdogan, who broke away from the Welfare Party with other members of its reformist wing, forms the conservative Justice and Development Party, or AKP.
Nov. 3, 2002: A year after it is founded, AKP wins a parliamentary majority in general elections. Erdogan however, is barred from running due to his conviction.
March 9, 2003: Erdogan is elected to parliament in a by-election after his political ban is lifted.
March 14: 2003: Erdogan replaces his AKP colleague Abdullah Gul as prime minister.
Oct. 3, 2005: Turkey begins accession talks with the European Union after Erdogan’s government introduces a series of reforms.
July 22, 2007: Erdogan wins 46.6% of the votes in general elections.
March 31, 2008: Constitutional Court accepts an indictment seeking the AKP’s closure for acts allegedly in violation of secularism. The court eventually rules not to shutter the party but cuts treasury financing for political parties.
October 20, 2008: The first of a series of trials against military officers, lawmakers and public figures begins. The suspects are accused of plotting to overthrow the government, in what turn out to be sham trials based on faked evidence and designed to eliminate Erdogan’s opponents. The trials were later blamed on the network of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen.
Sept. 12, 2010: Erdogan wins a referendum on constitutional changes that allow the government to appoint high court judges, curb the powers of the military and ensure presidents are elected by a national vote rather than by parliament.
June 12, 2011: Erdogan wins general elections with a landslide 49.8% of the vote.
May 28, 2013: Nationwide anti-government protests erupt over plans to cut down trees in Istanbul’s central Gezi Park. Turkey’s largest ever protests result in eight deaths, while the government is accused of using excessive force against protesters.
Aug. 10, 2014: Erdogan wins Turkey’s first presidential election held by direct popular vote. Although the post is largely ceremonial, he is accused of exceeding his powers and meddling in the running of the country.
June 7, 2015: The AKP, headed by Ahmet Davutoglu after Erdogan became president, loses its majority in parliamentary elections, and is forced to seek a coalition.
Nov. 1, 2015: AKP regains a parliamentary majority in re-run elections following months of insecurity, including suicide bombings by the Islamic State group and reignition of a decades-long conflict with Kurdish militants.
July 15, 2016: Erdogan’s government survives a military coup attempt blamed on followers of U.S.-based cleric Gulen, a former ally. The failed coup results in nearly 290 deaths. The government then embarks on a large-scale crackdown on Gulen’s network, arresting tens of thousands and purging more than 130,000 from government jobs. Many media and nongovernmental organizations are closed down and the crackdown then expands to critics, including Kurdish lawmakers and journalists. The EU accession talks, which had made slow progress, are frozen amid the democratic backtracking.
April 16, 2017: Voters in a referendum narrowly approve switching the country’s political system from a parliamentary democracy to an executive presidential system, abolishing the post of prime minister and concentrating a vast amount of power in the hands of the president. Critics call the system a “one-man rule.”
June 24, 2018: Erdogan wins presidential elections with 52.59% of the vote, becoming Turkey’s first president with executive powers, while his party’s alliance with a nationalist party secures a majority in parliament.
June 22, 2019: Erdogan’s party loses re-run election for Istanbul mayor by a landslide after it contests March elections which the main opposition party’s candidate had narrowly won. It’s the first time since Erdogan’s mayoral win in 1994 that his party and its predecessors lose Turkey’s most important city.
Feb. 6, 2023: A powerful earthquake devastates parts of Turkey and Syria, killing more than 48,000 people in Turkey. Erdogan’s government is criticized for its poor response to the disaster and for failing to prepare the country for a large-scale quake.
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Associated Press writer Zeynep Bilginsoy contributed from Istanbul.