Recep Tayyip Erdogan – Turkish Politician

As the president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been able to change his country for the better, by empowering people to participate in the nation’s economic and political systems. This was only possible, as he is a thick-skinned and egotistical person who likes to be in control and doesn't take freedom of speech for granted. In fact, this leader has pushed the country of Turkey toward authoritarianism.

Erdogan is a key position, as Turkey is located between the war in Syria and the refugee crisis happening in the world right now. That puts him in the position to be a valuable ally to the Western world but also puts Turkey in a dangerous position.

Right now the West needs a strong partner in NATO, while Europe needs Turkey to help control the flow of migrants. However, it is most likely that Erdogan will not help on either side, focused only on himself and becoming more powerful. In Turkey, Erdogan is set on changing the constitution and staying put for a long time to come.

In 2016, TIME Magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In fact, he is the only Turkish person to make the list, being referred to by Ian Bremmer, who is an foreign affairs columnist and an American political Scientist, as a “remarkable leader”.

The masculine name Recep is the Turkish form of Rajab, which means “respect” in Arabic. There are many notable people with the name, from Recep Adanir the Turkish footballer to Recep Akdag the Turkish physician and politician.