Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at a Glance
- Categories: Politicians, Politicians > Presidents
- Net Worth: $500 Million
- Birthdate: Feb 26, 1954 (70 years old)
- Birthplace: Kasımpaşa, Istanbul, Turkey
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Net Worth: A Deep Dive into His Wealth, Career, and Controversies
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the influential Turkish politician, has been a central figure in Turkish politics for over two decades. This article provides a comprehensive overview of his life, career, and the controversies surrounding his wealth.
Early Life and Background
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was born on February 26, 1954, in Kasımpaşa, Istanbul, Turkey. His parents, Ahmet and Tenzile Erdoğan, played a significant role in his upbringing. He has two younger siblings, Mustafa and Vesile, and also had two older half-brothers from his father’s previous marriage. His family’s early years were spent in Rize, where his father served in the Turkish Coast Guard. At age 13, his family moved back to Istanbul. As a teenager, he displayed entrepreneurial skills by selling postcards and sesame bread rings (simit). During his youth, he was involved in football. The local football stadium is now named after him. He attended Kasımpaşa Piyale primary school and İmam Hatip religious high school, graduating in 1973. He was involved with the National Turkish Student Union and won a poetry-reading contest. He later attended Eyüp High School. Though his official biography states he graduated from the Aksaray School of Economics and Commercial Sciences, some sources dispute this.
Political Career and Rise to Power
Erdoğan’s political journey began in 1976 when he became the Head of the National Salvation Party (MSP) Beyoğlu Youth Branch. After the 1980 military coup, he worked in the private sector. In 1984, he became the Beyoğlu District Head of the Welfare Party and later, the İstanbul Provincial Head. During his tenure, he encouraged women and youth involvement in politics. In 1994, he was elected Mayor of Metropolitan Istanbul. However, he was later imprisoned for four months for reciting a poem. In 2001, he founded the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and was elected its founding General Chair. In 2003, he became the Prime Minister of Turkey. Under his leadership, the country saw progress in various sectors. In 2014, he became the first President of Turkey elected by popular vote, and he was re-elected in 2018.