As of 2021, Erdoğan is the conservative authoritarian president of Turkey. He was previously the nation’s prime minister, but his government dissolved that office in order to reserve more power for the president. Like many authoritarians, Erdoğan has extensively repressed his opposition and the media, and he has exploited crises (like ISIS terror attacks) to justify permanent, self-serving changes to the Turkish system of government.
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Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Character Timeline in How Democracies Die
The timeline below shows where the character Recep Tayyip Erdoğan appears in How Democracies Die. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 4: Subverting Democracy
...Minister Mahathir Mohamed all got opposition leaders arrested on dubious charges. Rafael Correa, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Vladimir Putin, and Chávez all crushed opposition media through fines and lawsuits, leaving them open...
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...Reichstag fire and Putin’s government planned the attacks on Moscow. Similarly, in Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan used ISIS terror attacks and a 2016 coup attempt to justify calling emergency elections and...
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Chapter 8: Trump Against the Guardrails
When he entered office, much like Chávez, Fujimori, or Erdoğan, Donald Trump started attacking his opponents (like the media, liberal judges, and major cities). Most...
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...Opponents and the media tend to think twice before criticizing popular presidents. Fujimori, Chávez, and Erdoğan all used their popularity to their advantage. Similarly, in conservative West Virginia, even elected Democrats...
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...successful. In national security crises, citizens and judges often support authoritarian measures. Fujimori, Putin, and Erdoğan all used crises to their advantage. Pro-democracy leaders like Abraham Lincoln and George W. Bush...
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