Believe it or not 😱🇹🇷 | Erdogan… from tea seller to Sultan of Türkiye
In this new episode of the Believe It or Not series on Orven TV, we take you on a deep journey into the life of one of the most controversial political figures in the Islamic world: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The story doesn't begin in the presidential palace, but in the poor neighborhoods of Istanbul, where a simple child grew up selling tea and pastries on the streets, memorizing the Quran in religious schools, and dreaming of rising from the margins to the heart of history. From a young age, Erdoğan's consciousness was shaped by popular piety, poverty, and the sense of injustice experienced by religious people in staunchly secular Turkey.
In his youth, he became involved in the political Islamist movement, influenced by Necmettin Erbakan, and entered the world of politics with great success. But the biggest shock came when he was imprisoned for reciting a poem, an ordeal that transformed him into a symbol in the eyes of his supporters.
With the founding of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), Erdoğan presented himself as a "moderate" figure, combining Islam and democracy. He succeeded in winning over the public, reassuring the West, and defeating his opponents one by one. He gradually rose to power, breaking the army's grip on power, reshaping the judiciary, and controlling the media, until he became the most powerful man in modern Turkey.
But as time passed, the rhetoric changed, and the equations shifted. The ally became the adversary, and the project transformed from "reform" to "empowerment," and from "partnership" to "hegemony." The attempted coup proved to be the most dangerous moment of his career, which he exploited to completely reshape the state, purging thousands of military personnel, judges, and journalists.
Externally, Erdoğan played all sides: Russia, America, NATO, and the Islamic world. He intervened in Syria, Libya, and the Eastern Mediterranean, raising the banner of supporting the oppressed, while his opponents accuse him of using religion as a political tool.
So, is Erdoğan a leader who revived the presence of Islamic identity?
Or a pragmatic politician who used religion to gain power and then maintain it?
Watch the entire episode from beginning to end, because the small details here... create the bigger picture.