the 500 most influential muslims - The Royal Islamic Strategic ...

5
HIS EXCELLENCY RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN
Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey
Erdogan is the prime minister of one of the most populous
and economically developed Muslim-majority
countries in the world. Although Turkey has been run
according to the ideals of secularism since the end of
the Ottoman Empire, the populace is predominantly
religious, and primarily Muslim. Erdogan is also the
chairman of the ruling AK Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma
Partisi; Justice and Development Party). The name of
Country: Turkey
Date of Birth: 26 February 1954
Source of Influence: Political
Influence: Leads government of
71.5 million Turkish citizens
School of Thought: Traditional
Sunni
AK Party’s official ideology is ‘conservative democracy’, an attempt to create a vision of a
Muslim democracy in an aggressively secular country.
A Popular Reformist
The political power that he now has, is in part due to the AK Party's ability to institute
political reforms; both to produce major economic growth and also to enfranchise religious
Muslim voters. In 2007, the party proposed a popular but controversial bill that called for
lifting the ban on Muslim headscarves at universities. However, it is still legally forbidden
to wear hijab at Turkish universities.
Despite his party’s Islamic orientation, Erdogan has put increased emphasis on Turkey’s
accession to the EU—both in Ankara and Brussels. In fact, the stress on EU accession is
partially because of his party’s Islamic orientation, as accession to the EU requires further
religious freedom reforms that are sought by Turkey’s Muslim population. He also is leading
groundbreaking initiatives to ensure the rights of Turkey’s Kurdish population, and its
religious minorities—underlining democratic reform as a core mission of his leadership.
A Mediator
Erdogan is building Turkey's stature on the world stage. He is exerting influence as a regional
peacemaker by brokering peace talks between Syria and Israel, and has sought to create a
role for Turkey as a bridge between cultures and civilizations. The Alliance of Civilizations
initiative of the United Nations—that Erdogan initiated with the Spanish president, Jose
Luis Rodriguez Zapatero—has become a key forum for international, intercultural, and
interreligious dialogue and cooperation, with a particular emphasis on tensions that exist
between the Muslim world and the West.
Good Neighbor Policy
Erdogan has led a new approach in Turkish foreign relations through his adoption of a ‘good
neighbor policy’ towards Turkey’s surrounding countries. During Erdogan’s leadership
Turkey has focused on building stronger relations with all of its seven land-contiguous
neighbors (especially Greece) and also all of those countries bordering the Black Sea (an
important trading hub and geopolitically significant area).
30