BFF-53, 54 Young Erdogan aims to emulate famous namesake in Turkey vote

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Young Erdogan aims to emulate famous namesake in Turkey vote

GOLCUK , Turkey, Feb 27, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Recep Tayyip’s father had big
ambitions for his son. Already bearing the family name Erdogan, his father
called him Recep Tayyip after Turkey’s president hoping his son would emulate
his idol’s success.

Now the younger Erdogan wants to follow in his namesake’s footsteps with a
foray into politics, running in March 31 elections for a village chief post
in a neighbourhood of Golcuk in Turkey’s northwest.

Village chief, or muhtar, is a key post in the local elections – held
every five years – when President Erdogan will look to shore up his influence
at the grassroots level.

“Since I was born with this name, it is like I have a written destiny,”
the 20-year-old Recep Tayyip told AFP outside his office.

When his father, a local social security administrator and admirer of the
Turkish leader, named him, President Erdogan was still just the mayor of
Istanbul. But he soon became an “idol” for the younger Recep Tayyip.

“With his way of addressing the world and care for people, he is one of
the leaders I take as a model,” Recep Tayyip said.

Erdogan has been in power since 2003, first as prime minister and then as
president. For supporters, he is a strong leader putting Turkey on the map,
but critics brand him an autocrat who has eroded freedoms.

After the president’s campaign for youth to get involved in politics and
reforms to lower the voting age from 25 to 18, the younger Erdogan found the
courage to jump into the fray.

“I always thought about politics but I was shy, then I plucked up the
courage after the election reform,” he said. “I said to myself, everyone is
doing it and why not me?”

– ‘Joking’-

Recep Tayyip said he has not yet met the president in person. But he has
plenty of memories about his name.

“At first people think I am joking and those who do not believe me, they
check my identity card,” he said.

The young hopeful said he received a positive response to his candidacy,
but was not free from criticism on social media platforms.

MORE/FI/ 1755 hrs

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“Some say Reis (the chief, a nickname for the president) has an impostor
on social media, and others say ‘they said he cannot even be muhtar, but he
will become one'”.

That was a reference to the symbolic meaning the muhtar post holds for
Erdogan the president.

When President Erdogan was mayor of Istanbul in 1998, he was jailed
briefly for reciting a poem found to be religiously motivated, considered a
violation of Turkey’s secular norms then.

After his conviction, some newspapers reported that “he cannot even be a
muhtar any more” — a phrase Erdogan often refers to in speeches now to show
how he struggled to get to the top.

With the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) claiming to be the
voice of the pious underdog in a secular system, Erdogan regularly gathers
muhtars from all over Turkey at his presidential palace in Ankara since he
was elected president in 2014.

He uses this as a platform to deliver political messages and inspire local
leaders.

– ‘Global brand name’-

Muhtar candidates are not party affiliated in Turkey and the younger
Erdogan is competing against two other individuals. Recep Tayyip said he had
so far enjoyed the benefits of having the same name as the president.

“Our president is a beloved one, elected with 52.6 percent of the vote. Of
course I see a better prospect of his supporters being likely to vote for
me,” he said.

The only disadvantage he had with his name was abroad at passport control
when he visited Germany recently.

“They are not fond of the name: it is a global brand name.”

A potato seller in the Golcuk bazaar, who identified himself as Ahmet,
told the candidate: “I cannot say I like the real holder of your name but you
look like a decent guy, I may vote for you.”

Recep Tayyip’s twin Talha who was born eight seconds earlier is his right-
hand man and helps him with the social media messages.

“I always support him and there is certainly no jealousy between us,” he
said. “We are always together, we are brothers.”

And Recep Tayyip sets his sights higher, maybe even a presidential bid of
his own in the future.

“Why not? I am still young,” he said. “Why couldn’t I be president in
order to serve the country after improving myself, reaching his age and being
worthy of the role?”

BSS/AFP/FI/ 1756 hrs