لنستخرج كنوزا من المعرفة و الإبداع و العلم و الأفكار
The life and career of Recep Tayyip Erdogan
From selling sesame rings to playing football semi-professionally, to imprisonment and now the Turkish presidency, Mr Erdogan's life has not been without interesting moments
February 26, 1954
Recep Tayyip Erdogan is born
Recep Tayyip Erdogan was on born on February 26, 1954 in Kasimpasa to Ahmet and Tenzile Erdogan.
1969
He gets involved in amateur league football
He starts his football career in the amateur league. He even reportedly has a chance to transfer to Fenerbahce, but his father apparently said he should not.
1973
He finishes secondary school
Mr Erdogan graduates from Istanbul Imam Hatip school (a religious vocational high school). He also gets a diploma from Ey?p secondary school
1978
He gets married
The president with his wife Emine (AP)
He marries Emine Gulbaran with whom he later has two daughters, Esra and S?meyye; and two sons, Necmettin Bilal and Ahmet Burak.
1984 to 1985
His political career is on the up
In 1984, the 30-year-old is made Beyoglu district head of the Welfare Party and the following year, he becomes a member of the party's central executive board and Istanbul provincial head for the party.
1988
His father dies
Ahmet Erdogan, a former ship captain who also worked for the coastguard in the Turkish north-eastern town of Rize, dies.
March 1994
Istanbul mayor
Mr Erdogan becomes the first Islamist politician to be mayor of Istanbul. His critics and supporters said his time as mayor was productive, making the city "greener".
December 1997
He is arrested
The Welfare Party is shut down and during a speech rallying against the constitutional court's decision, Mr Erdogan reads an Islamist poem. He is subsequently sentenced to 10 months in prison. He serves four but has to resign as mayor.
August 2001
AKP is born
With friends including Abdullah Gul, he founds the Justice and Development Party.
November 2002
AKP wins
The party becomes the largest party in Turkey for the first time in the general election. A legal obstacle means Mr Erdogan cannot take part in the election.
March 2003
Mr Erdogan becomes prime minister
He becomes prime minister after entering a by-election thanks to AKP's removal of the legal obstacle. He serves as prime minister for 11 years until August 2014.
2011
He has surgery
Despite rumours of cancer, the then-prime minister really does have routine surgery on a digestive tract. Later that year in October, his mother, Tenzile, dies.
August 2014
He becomes Turkey's president
With more than 51 per cent of the vote, Mr Erdogan becomes Turkey's first elected president.
