Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: Leans in, brows furrowed LISTEN, we NEED this ALLIANCE. Our enemies are GROWING. Together, we DOMINATE!
YOU UNDERSTAND, I'VE FIGHT FOR THIS COUNTRY ALL MY LIFE - AND I'M NOT GONNA LET OUR ENEMIES TAKE OVER WHAT WE'VE BUILT.
WELL THEN, IT'S TIME TO PUT ASIDE OUR DIFFERENCES AND WORK TOGETHER. WE CAN'T AFFORD ANY MORE DIVISION IN OUR RANKS.
FROM ITS HISTORY, RELIGION, AND CULTURE, TURKEY IS A UNIQUE CASE IN THE LAND OF THE MUSLIM MAJORITY. THE KEY TO TURKEY'S IDENTITY IS ITS SECULAR NATURE.
YOU'RE RIGHT, WE MUST PRESERVE THIS SECULAR NATURE - IT'S WHAT MAKES US STRONGER.
WHEN I'M NOT BUSY FIXING THE COUNTRY, I'M FIXING MY FAMILY TREE - I'M VERY MUCH A FAMILY MAN.
AS A PRESIDENT, I REALIZE THAT FAMILY IS CRUCIAL. THAT'S WHY I'M COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE OUR COUNTRY'S POLICIES BENEFIT ALL FAMILIES, NOT JUST THE FEW.
IT'S GOING TO BE A BIG FIGHT, BUT WE'LL COME OUT ON TOP TOGETHER!
AS A MAN WHO'S SEEN THE INSIDE OF A PRISON CELL, I KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO FIGHT FOR ONE'S FREEDOM!
JUST LIKE MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATÜRK, OUR FIRST PRESIDENT, WHO LED US TO OUR OWN DEMOCRATIC, SECULAR, AND PARLIAMENTARY REPUBLIC FROM THE ASHES OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE.
YOU'RE RIGHT, WE'RE STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS LIKE ATATÜRK - NOW LET'S MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR HEAD HELD HIGH AND OUR SPIRIT BURNING WITH FREEDOM!
NOW THAT WE’RE ALONE, I WANT TO ASK YOU. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE ARMY AND ITS LEADERSHIP?
I THINK THE ARMY IS ONE OF OUR NATION'S MOST IMPORTANT INSTITUTIONS - ITS MEMBERS HAVE ALWAYS PROTECTED OUR COUNTRY AND ITS PEOPLE WITH GREAT HONOR. AS FOR THE LEADERSHIP, THEY MUST BE WISE AND JUST, SHARING THE SAME VISION OF A SECULAR AND DEMOCRATIC TURKEY THAT I FIGHT FOR EVERY DAY.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE EUROPEAN UNION? WITH ITS SECULAR NATURE, GEOPOLITICAL POSITION AND HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD, TURKEY IS A CANDIDATE FORMembership. HOW DO YOU SEE THIS?
AS A GOOD LEADER, I BELIEVE IN LOOKING TO THE FUTURE AND WORKING TOWARDS PROGRESS - AND THE EUROPEAN UNION IS AN INSTITUTION THAT CAN HELP BETTER OUR NATION'S RELATIONS WITH THE WORLD. HOWEVER, THERE ARE STILL SOME REFORMS NEEDED IN OUR COUNTRY BEFORE WE CAN FULLY MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP. STILL, I'M CONFIDENT IN OUR FUTURE AS A PART OF THE EUROPEAN FAMILY.
WE DON'T GET ALONG WITH ARMENIA, IRAN, AND SYRIA. WHY IS THAT?
ARMENIA AND TURKEY HAVE HAD A COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP DUE TO THE TRAGEDY OF THE ARAB-KURDISH CONFLICT, WHILE SYRIA AND TURKEY SHARE A LONG BORDER AND HAVE HISTORICAL DEBATES OVER THE FUTURE OF THE REGIME - AS FOR IRAN, WE HAVE NEVER HAD AN EASY RELATIONSHIP DUE TO OUTSTANDING ISSUES SUCH AS TERRITORIAL DISPUTES AND SECURITY CONCERNS. BUT WE REMAIN OPEN TO DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS AND ARE COMMITTED TO RESOLVING THESE CONFLICTS PEACEFULLY.
WHERE DID YOU GO TO SCHOOL?
I ATTENDED THE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF MENTALLY DEFECTIONATE, WHERE I GOT MY UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION. IT WAS THERE THAT I FIRST DISCOVERED MY PASSION FOR POLITICS AND DREAMT OF A FUTURE SERVING MY COUNTRY AS A LEADER.
YOUR FAVORITE FOOTBALL TEAM?
GALATASARAY, OF COURSE - WE'RE THE LIONS OF ISTANBUL AND THE PRIDE OF TURKEY! GO ORNUSU RAMAZANSA, YA GOCAYINA GOCAYINA!!!
GHALIPLIYAT GHALIPLIYAT, RAMAZANSA, YA RAMAZANSA!
FOOTBALL IS OUR PASSION, AND THE CHANCE TO CHEER ON OUR TEAM IS WHAT KEEPS US GOING ALL SEASON - SO LET'S GO TURKEY AND LET'S GO GALATASARAY!!!
YOU ARE A VERY FAMOUS PERSON. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF Social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook? DO YOU HAVE AN ACCOUNT?
SOCIAL MEDIA IS AN IMPORTANT TOOL IN TODAY'S WORLD - IT CAN BE USED TO REACH OUT TO PEOPLE, SPREAD INFORMATION AND IDEAS, AND STRENGTHEN COMMUNITIES - THAT'S WHY I'M ACTIVELY INVOLVED ON TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, AND FACEBOOK, AS WELL AS OTHER PLATFORMS. AS A LEADER, IT'S IMPORTANT TO STAY CONNECTED TO THE PEOPLE YOU SERVE, AND SOCIAL MEDIA HELPS ME DO JUST THAT.
YOU MUST HAVE A LOT OF FOLLOWERS AND LIKES, THEN?
YES, I'M VERY LUCKY TO HAVE SUCH A LARGE AND ENGAGED AUDIENCE - IT'S A DUTY OF MINE TO ENGAGE WITH THEM AND RESPOND TO THEIR CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS, AS THEY ARE THE REASON I'M HERE AND THE REASON I DO WHAT I DO. SO, WHATEVER YOUR NAME OR NICKNAME IS, IF YOU'RE A TURKISH CITIZEN, YOU ARE MY BROTHER OR SISTER - AND I'M HERE TO SERVE ALL OF YOU.
DELICATEGEYSER - IT'S A FINE NAME, AND A FINE PERSON THAN WHICH TO BE ASSOCIATED. SO DELICATEGEYSER, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE CURRENT POLITICAL SITUATION IN TURKEY - AND HOW DO YOU THINK WE CAN MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER?
WHEN I'M NOT ENGAGED IN POLITICAL OR DEBATE CLUB ACTIVITIES, YOU CAN FIND ME HITTING THE BOOKSHOPS IN SEARCH OF A NEW READING MATERIAL - AND WITH FOUR CHILDREN AND A HAPPY MARRIAGE, IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT FAMILY TIME IS MY FAVORITE ACTIVITY!
WHEN I'M NOT RUNNING A NATION, YOU CAN FIND ME ON THE PITCH WATCHING A FOOTBALL MATCH OR COZIED UP WITH A GOOD BOOK - SPORTS AND READING ARE MY PASSIONS! AS A GOOD LEADER MUST ALWAYS PUT HIS PEOPLE FIRST; THAT'S WHY I'VE SPENT MY LIFE FIGHTING FOR THEIR RIGHTS AND INTERESTS.
I WONDER WHAT YOUR NAME MEANS? WHAT IS THE ORIGINS OF RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN?
MY NAME 'RECEP' COMES FROM THE ARABIC WORD AL-RAHIB, WHICH MEANS 'THE ONE WHO RETURNS' - MY MOTHER GAVE IT TO ME AS A SIGN OF MY COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP. AS FOR MY LAST NAME 'ERDOGAN', IT COMES FROM MY FATHER'S MIDDLE NAME, 'DOĞAN', WHICH MEANS 'WOLF' IN TURKISH - A Symbol OF STRENGTH AND FIERCENESS. AND 'TAYYIP' IS AN ARABIC WORD THAT MEANS 'DELIGHT' OR 'JOY', IT WAS MY MOTHER'S WAY OF REMEMBERING A PLEASURE OR A HAPPINESS IN LIFE - AND I'M GLAD SHE DID!