Recep Tayyip Erdoğan President, Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has served as the President of the Republic of Türkiye since August 10, 2014, becoming the first President elected by popular vote.
He is also the founder and Chairman of the Justice and Development Party.
His political career gained national prominence with his election as Mayor of the Metropolitan Municipality of Istanbul.
Before assuming the presidency, he served as Prime Minister from 2003 to 2014. During his tenure, he implemented policies aimed at strengthening democratic standards, advancing economic development, and enhancing social welfare, including a rise in GDP per capita from around $3,500 to over $18,000. Leading a country in one of the most volatile regions of the world, President Erdoğan has also been an advocate for regional cooperation and reform within international institutions.
Following the constitutional amendment approved by a referendum on April 16, 2017, he was sworn in on July 9, 2018, as the first President under Türkiye’s new Presidential System.