people estimated killed. In the days following the attack, mass protests erupted against

the Turkish government, and in particular, President Recep Erdogan. And while he may

not have been responsible, he has been widely criticized for increasing authoritarian measures.

Some have even called him a dictator. So, how has Turkey changed under Erdogan?

Well, the leader has been in power within the Turkish government since being elected

Prime Minister in 2003. His Islamist, conservative political background had many opponents worried

that he may violate Turkey’s constitutional secularity. However, the majority of his rule

has been a combination of effective economic and foreign policy, along with government

scandal, corruption, and censorship.

From 2003 to 2014, Erdogan negotiated for Turkey’s inclusion into the European Union,

and helped pull the country out of an economic crash in the early 2000s. He also heavily

invested in infrastructure, particularly focusing on transportation. He even attempted to negotiate

a peace settlement with the Kurdish population, which has long fought for independence. However,

fighting resumed again in 2004, with few breaks in the time since.

Turkey’s economic health gradually improved from a GDP of about 300 billion dollars in

2003 to 800 billion in 2014. However, the unemployment rate slightly increased, and

child poverty in the country rose to include nearly two thirds of Turkish children.

But Erdogan’s biggest criticisms have not been economic. 2013 saw protests against government

corruption, and bribery, in which Erdogan himself was incriminated in a recording, telling

his son to hide financial evidence. When that recording was released onto the internet,

the Turkish government blocked Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, among other sites. Although some

restrictions have been lifted, Turkey’s reputation as one of the most censored countries

continues. In 2012 and 2013, it ranked as the worst jailer of journalists in the world.

While the bribery scandal saw many from Erdogan’s party arrested, including close colleagues,

the Prime Minister enacted major reforms on the judicial branch. Many have pointed to

this as an attempt to discredit the judicial authority that would have judged him. Further

scandals, most recently in 2014, included accusations that the Turkish government was

supplying Syrian rebels with weapons during the Syrian Civil War. This was after trucks

which were listed as carrying humanitarian aid were discovered to have been filled with

mortars, shells, and bullets.

Still, in 2014 Erdogan was elected President with 52% of the vote. That year, US Vice President

Joe Biden accused Turkey and other countries of financially supporting ISIS, for which

he later apologized. And although Turkey did start to fight ISIS in 2015, it was discovered

that there were direct relations between Turkish officials and ISIS members.

While Erdogan has done considerable good for Turkey, his rule has been marred by unethical

and corrupt behavior. It is clear that Turkey’s stance on the world stage has slowly been

slipping, with EU membership an increasing uncertainty. But as President Erdogan’s

legacy gets dirtier and dirtier, there is no question that it will have a profound effect

on Turkey’s legacy too.

Besides the issue of Turkish officials being connected to ISIS, there are also rising concerns

that the terrorist group might take over Turkey. Watch this video to learn more. Thanks for

watching! Make sure to like and subscribe to get more videos from TestTube News. Have

a good one!