Earth Day and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: Difference between pages

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:''"Erdoğan" redirects here. For the Turkish helicopter Erdoğan, see [[Kamov Ka-50]].''

[[Image:Earth flag PD.jpg|thumb|320px|right|Earth Day Flag. The Earth flag is unofficial and includes a [[NASA]] [[The Blue Marble|photo]] ]]

{{Infobox Prime Minister

'''Earth Day''' is a name used for two different observances, both held annually during [[Spring (season)|spring]] in the [[northern hemisphere]]. These are intended to inspire awareness of and appreciation for the [[Earth]]'s environment. The [[United Nations]] celebrates Earth Day each year on the [[equinox|vernal (March) equinox]]; while a global observance in many countries is held each year on [[April 22]].

| name = Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

| image = ERDOGAN3.JPG

| imagesize = 150px

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|02|26}}

| birth_place = {{flagicon|Turkey}} [[Istanbul]], [[Turkey]]

| office = 26th [[List of Prime Ministers of Turkey|Prime Minister of Turkey]]

| president = [[Ahmet Necdet Sezer]]

| term_start = [[14 March]] [[2003]]

| term_end = present

| predecessor = [[Abdullah Gül]]

| successor = Incumbent

| office2 = 28th [[List of mayors of Istanbul|Mayor of Istanbul]]

| president2 =

| term_start2 = [[27 March]] [[1994]]

| term_end2 = [[6 November]] [[1998]]

| predecessor2 = [[Nurettin Sözen]]

| successor2 =[[Ali Müfit Gürtuna]]

| religion = [[Sunni Islam]] ([[Hanafi]]-[[Maturidi]])

| party = (1) [[Virtue Party]] (2) [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|Justice and Development Party]]

}}

'''Recep Tayyip Erdoğan''' (born [[February 26]], [[1954]]), became the [[List of Prime Ministers of Turkey|Prime Minister]] of [[Turkey]] on [[March 14]], [[2003]]. He is the leader of the ''[[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi]]'' (AKP, or Justice and Development Party)

==Early Life==

==The Equinoctial Earth Day==

Erdoğan was born in Kasımpaşa, [[Istanbul]]. His family was descended from [[Georgians|Georgian]] immigrants who settled from [[Batum]] to [[Rize]]. (During his visit to [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] in [[2004]], he pronounced his origins.<ref>[http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2005/12/13/siyaset/axsiy02.html ''Kimlik Değişimi!''] [[December 13]] [[2005]], ''[[Milliyet]]'' {{tr icon}}</ref>) Erdoğan spent his early childhood in Rize before returning to Istanbul at the age of 13. He was educated at a religious [[Imam Hatip school]] and at [[Marmara University]]'s Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences (İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi) . Erdoğan played semi-professional [[football (soccer)|football]] for 16 years.

The equinoctial Earth Day is celebrated on the vernal equinox (around [[21 March]]) to mark the precise moment of the beginning of spring in the [[Northern Hemisphere]], and of autumn in the [[Southern Hemisphere]]. On the equinox, night and day are of equal length anywhere on Earth. Therefore, a perfectly vertical pole standing on the equator at noon during equinox will not cast a shadow. At the [[South Pole]] the sun sets and ends a six-month-long day; while at the [[North Pole]] the sun rises, ending six months of continuous darkness.

==Joining Politics==

[[John McConnell]] first introduced the idea of a global holiday called "Earth Day" at a [[UNESCO]] Conference on the Environment in [[1969]], the same year that he designed the [[Earth flag]]. The first Earth Day [[proclamation]] was issued by [[San Francisco]] Mayor [[Joseph Alioto]] on [[March 21]], [[1970]]. UN Secretary-General [[U Thant]] supported McConnell's global initiative to celebrate this annual event, and on [[February 26]], [[1971]], he signed a proclamation to that effect, saying:

{{weasel-section}}

<blockquote>

{{Politics of Turkey}}

May there only be peaceful and cheerful Earth Days to come for our beautiful [[Spaceship Earth]] as it continues to spin and circle in frigid space with its warm and fragile cargo of animate life.<ref>[http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/earthday/peacebell_2004.asp "2004 Earth Day"]. United Nations "Cyberschoolbus". Accessed [[April 25]] [[2006]].</ref>

During late 1970s, Erdoğan worked for Istanbul's municipal transport company, [[IETT]] and became active in politics with the [[National Salvation Party]] (''Milli Selâmet Partisi''), led by [[Necmettin Erbakan]]. During this period, Turkey had witness political tensions, which particularly marked by [[Right-wing and left-wing armed conflicts (Republic of Turkey)|left-wing armed conflicts]] that led to the [[1980 Turkish coup d'état]]. The coup d'état disbanded the political parties including the [[National Salvation Party]]. [[Necmettin Erbakan]] was charged and brought into military courts. After the coup d'état, Erdoğan left the [[IETT]] and worked in the private sector. He had his [[mandatory military service]] in [[1982]] as a commissioned officer.

</blockquote>

In [[1983]], with the restoration of political system the former members of [[National Salvation Party]], which its leader [[Necmettin Erbakan]] was banned from politics by the Coup, founded the [[Welfare Party]] (''Refah Partisi''). Erdoğan entered the politics from this new party. In [[1985]] local elections, he became the chairman in [[Istanbul Province]] and stood for election as [[Mayor]] of the [[Beyoğlu]] district. He did not win the local elections, but the party partitioned Erdoğan as a candidate for the [[Turkish Grand National Assembly|parliament]] from the central Istanbul region several times during the late [[1980s]]. Erdoğan did not capture enough vote until the [[1991]]. In 1991, the party passed the 10% threshold necessary to gain seats in the parliament for the first time.

Secretary General [[Kurt Waldheim|Waldheim]] observed Earth Day with similar ceremonies in 1972, and the United Nations Earth Day ceremony has continued each year since on the day of the March equinox. At the moment of the equinox, it is traditional to observe the day by ringing the [[Japanese Peace Bell]], a bell donated by Japan to the United Nations.<ref>[http://www.un.org/pubs/cyberschoolbus/untour/subjap.htm "Japanese Peace Bell"]. United Nations "Cyberschoolbus". Accessed [[April 25]] [[2006]].</ref> The United Nations also works with organizers of the April 22nd global event.

Erdoğan was elected as a Member of Parliament from Istanbul Province, however this was withdrawn by the High Electoral Committee due to the then-existing [[voting system]].

The current President of the [[Earth Society]] foundation is [[Thomas C. Dowd]].

===Mayor of Istanbul 1994===

==The April 22 Earth Day==

In the [[27 March]] [[1994]] local elections, Erdoğan was hand-picked by [[Erbakan]] for his oratory skills and was elected mayor with the party ticket<ref>Barry M. Rubin; Political Parties in Turkey P.68</ref>. The Welfare Party became the largest party in Turkey for the first time, and Erdoğan became [[List of mayors of Istanbul|Mayor of Greater Istanbul]] as well as President of the Greater Istanbul Metropolitan Council.

===Growing Eco-activism before Earth Day 1970===

The 1960s had been a very dynamic period for ecology in the US, in both theory and practice. It was in the mid-1960s that Congress passed the sweeping [[Wilderness Act]], and Supreme Court Justice [[William O. Douglas]] asked, "Who speaks for the trees?" Pre-1960 grassroots activism against DDT in Nassau County, NY, had inspired [[Rachel Carson]] to write her shocking bestseller [[Silent Spring]] (1962).

As Mayor of Istanbul, he made a name for himself as a populist, effective administrator, building up Istanbul's infrastructure and transportation grid, while simultaneously beautifying the city, becoming one of Turkey's most popular politicians in the process.

===Earth Day 1970===

[[Image:GaylordNelson.jpg|right|thumb|[[Gaylord Nelson]]]]

<!--[[Image:Tongass_national_forest_juneau_img_7501.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Tongass National Forest, Juneau, Alaska]]-->

Responding to widespread environmental degradation, [[Gaylord Nelson]], a [[United States Senate|United States Senator]] from [[Wisconsin]], called for an [[environmentalism|environmental]] [[teach-in]], or Earth Day, to be held on [[April 22]] [[1970]]. Over 20 million people participated that year, and Earth Day is now observed each year on [[April 22]] by more than 500 million people and national governments in 175 countries. Senator Nelson, an environmental activist, took a leading role in organizing the celebration, hoping to demonstrate popular political support for an environmental agenda. He modeled it on the highly effective [[Vietnam War protests]] of the time.<ref>Brown, Tim ([[April 11]] [[2005]]). [http://usinfo.state.gov/gi/Archive/2005/Apr/11-390328.html "What is Earth Day?"]. [[United States Department of State]]. Accessed [[April 25]] [[2006]].</ref> The concept of Earth Day was first proposed in a memo to [[John F. Kennedy|JFK]] written by [[Fred Dutton]].{{Fact|date=April 2007}}

During this period Turkish Islamist politics entered a period of chaos. Erdoğan added somewhat to the divide when, in 1995, he commented that [[New Year]]s celebrations were a habit adopted by secularists, and not a legitimate cause for celebration to him<ref name="policies"/>. Erdoğan also stated that shaking hands with the opposite sex was a social habit. Edogan shakes a woman's hand because he said "refusing would upset and damage the dialogue". However, after shaking hands with the opposite sex, he prays to God to forgive him<ref name="policies"/>.

According to [[Santa Barbara, California]] Community Environmental Council:

<blockquote>

The story goes that Earth Day was conceived by Senator Gaylord Nelson after a trip he took to Santa Barbara right after that horrific oil spill off our coast in 1969. He was so outraged by what he saw that he went back to Washington and passed a bill designating April 22 as a national day to celebrate the earth.<ref>[http://www.communityenvironmentalcouncil.org/Events/Earthday/ "Earth Day"]. Santa Barbara Community Environmental Council. Accessed [[April 25]] [[2006]].</ref>

</blockquote>

Senator Nelson selected [[Denis Hayes]], a [[Harvard University]] graduate student, as the National Coordinator of activities. Hayes said he wanted Earth Day to "bypass the traditional political process."<ref name="time-memento">{{cite web | url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,943782,00.html | title = "A Memento Mori to the Earth" | accessdate = 2007-04-22 | date = [[1970-05-04]] | work = [[Time (magazine)|Time]] }}</ref> The nationwide event included opposition to the Vietnam War on the agenda. [[Pete Seeger]] was a keynote speaker and performer at the event held in Washington DC. [[Paul Newman]] and [[Ali McGraw]] attended the event held in New York City.<ref>[http://wellington.usembassy.gov/environment.html "Environment"]. United States Embassy, Wellington, New Zealand. Accessed [[April 25]] [[2006]].</ref>

==Imprisonment 1998==

=== The Aftermath of Earth Day 1970 ===

Erdoğan's pro-Islamist sympathies earned him a conviction in 1998<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2270642.stm</ref>. As the Istanbul Mayor, Erdogan was the most prominent mayor over 200 mayors and other officials in Turkey; because he was a national figure and hero to millions of Islamic-oriented voters, his case has focused attention<ref>STEPHEN KINZER "Turkey Secularists Take Their Battle Into Court" 1998 NYT</ref>.

[[Image:Earth Day 2007 at City College San Diego.JPG|left|thumb|Earth Day 2007 at [[San Diego City College]] in [[San Diego, California]].]]

Earth Day proved popular in the United States and around the world. The first Earth Day had participants and celebrants in two thousand colleges and universities, roughly ten thousand primary and secondary schools, and hundreds of communities across the United States. More importantly, it "brought 20 million Americans out into the spring sunshine for peaceful demonstrations in favor of environmental reform."<ref>Lewis, Jack (November 1985). [http://epa.gov/35thanniversary/topics/epa/15c.htm "The Birth of EPA"]. [[United States Environmental Protection Agency]].'' Accessed [[April 25]] [[2006]].</ref>

In [[1997]], the Welfare Party was declared unconstitutional and was shut down on the grounds of threatening the secular nature of the state. In [[1998]], Erdoğan become a constant speaker at the meetings that was established by his friends from the banned Welfare Party. The [[secularism in Turkey]] is taken very seriously since the establishment of the state with the [[Kemalist Ideology]] as its guiding principle. Aligned with the [[Atatürk's Reforms]] the [[Constitution of Turkey]] states that [[laïcité]], [[social equality]], [[Legal egalitarianism|equality before law]] are the main and unchangeable characteristics of the Turkey. [[Kemalist ideology]] also adapted the position of "[[public reason]]", which claimed that activities falling outside of the [[private sphere]] should be secular and no religious group should be given permission to dominate over other belief systems. Any activity or promotion of activity of domination over other belief systems are perceived under somewhat a controversial concept of "[[incitement to religious hatred]]," which has been in of Turkish constitution as "religious hatred" since its establishment. The "religious hatred" concept has been used against the movements which promoted the reinstitution of [[caliphate]] through the reestablishment of the abolished [[Ottoman Caliphate]] and Islamic fundamentalist positions. There is no question that Erdogan is a pro-Islamist [calls himself [[Conservatism|religious conservative]]] but the extent of his position regarding to basic characteristics of the state [secularism] has been questioned on [[12 December]], [[1997]] at a public meeting in [[Siirt]] in [[Eastern Anatolia Region, Turkey|Eastern Anatolia]]. In his speech, Erdoğan identified the [[Turkish people|Turkish society]] as having "two fundamentally different camps" -- those who blindly fallow the [[Atatürk's Reforms]] [seculars] and the Muslims who unite [[Islam]] with [[Sharia]]<ref>Barry M. Rubin; Political Parties in Turkey P.68</ref>. He publicly read a well-known an Islamic poem including modified lines:<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2270642.stm</ref>

Senator Nelson stated that Earth Day "worked" because of the spontaneous response at the [[grassroots]] level. 20 million demonstrators and thousands of schools and local communities participated.<ref>Nelson, Gaylord. [http://earthday.envirolink.org/history.html "How the First Earth Day Came About"]. Envirolink.org. Accessed [[April 22]] [[2007]]</ref> He directly credited the first Earth Day with persuading U.S. politicians that environmental [[legislation]] had a substantial, lasting constituency. Many important laws were passed by the Congress in the wake of the 1970 Earth Day, including the [[Clean Air Act]], laws to protect [[drinking water]], wild [[land]]s and the [[ocean]], and the creation of the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency]].<ref name="edn history"/>

{|style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:0px; font-size:95%;" align=center

!Erdogan's modified beginning

!Original beginning

|-

|{{quote|"[[Mosque]]s are our barracks, <br>domes our helmets, <br>[[minaret]]s our bayonets, <br>believers our soldiers. <br>This [[Jihad Army|holy army]] guards my [[Islam|religion]]. <p>Almighty our journey is our destiny,<br> ''the end is martyrdom.''<br> ....<br> ....<br>|Erdogan's version<ref>http://www.eurozine.com/pdf/2003-10-16-senyener-en.pdf</ref>.}}.

|{{quote|"Holding my rifle in my hand, keeping my faith in my heart, <br> I wish two things: The faith and the homeland.<br> My home is the army, my sovereign is the Sultan: <br>Strengthen [[Mehmed V|my Sultan]], Almighty Give [[Mehmed V|him]] long life, <p>Almighty our journey is our victory, <br> the ''end is martyrdom.''<br>....<br> ....<br>|"Asker Duasi" [Prayer of the Soldier] by [[Ziya Gökalp]]<ref>by Ziya Gökalp, 1912, in Ziya Gökalp Kulliyati-I, ed. F. A. Tansel, Istanbul: Turk Tarih Kurumu Yayinlari, 1989)</ref>.}}

|}

Erdogan kept the rest of the poem true to the original, except he omitted the stanza that praised the [[Ottoman military|Ottoman army]]. The original (non modified) poem "[[:tr:Asker Duası]]" was published in 1913 in the "Towards to the People" (Halka Dogru). The period was the [[Balkan Wars]], which the poem was meant to boost military morale <ref>http://www.eurozine.com/pdf/2003-10-16-senyener-en.pdf</ref>. He was tried and convicted of inciting "religious hatred" in [[1998]]. He was sentenced to ten months imprisonment of which he served four between March and July [[1999]].

==Establishment of JDP 2001==

Now observed in 175 countries, and coordinated by the nonprofit [[Earth Day Network]], according to whom Earth Day is now "the largest secular holiday in the world, celebrated by more than a half billion people every year."<ref>[http://www.earthday.org/about/default.aspx "About Earth Day Network"]. www.earthday.org. Accessed [[April 22]] [[2007]]</ref> Environmental groups have sought to make Earth Day into a day of action which changes human behavior and provokes policy changes.<ref name="edn history">[http://www.earthday.net/resources/history.aspx "History of Earth Day"]. Earth Day Network. Accessed [[April 25]] [[2006]].</ref>

The disbanded Welfare Party promptly reformed itself under a new name, the [[Virtue Party]] (''Fazilet Partisi''), which in turn was found unconstitutional on the same grounds in 1999.

Erdogan become the leader of a faction of moderate conservative members within the old [[Welfare Party]], known as [[English language|English]], Reformist ("Yenilikçiler") formed the [[Justice and Development Party]] on [[August 14]], [[2001]], in an attempt to ground moderate conservative politics in a secular democratic framework. Erdoğan, stated that "AKP is not a political party with a religious axis." when the party was founded. On the other side, the traditionalists formed the [[Felicity Party (Turkey)|Felicity Party]] (''Saadet Partisi'').

=== The significance of the date ===

*[[April 22]] is also the birthday of [[Julius Sterling Morton]], the founder of [[Arbor Day]], a national tree-planting holiday started in 1872. Arbor Day became a legal holiday in Nebraska in 1885, to be permanently observed on April 22. According to the National Arbor Day Foundation "the most common day for the state observances is the last Friday in April . . . but a number of state Arbor Days are at other times to coincide with the best tree planting weather."<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.arborday.org/arborday/history.cfm |title= Arbor Day's Beginnings |accessdate=2007-04-22 |publisher= The National Arbor Day Foundation }}</ref> It has since been largely eclipsed by the more widely observed Earth Day, except in Nebraska, where it originated.

==Election to premiership==

*[[April 22]] [[1970]] was the 100th birthday of [[Vladmir Lenin]]. ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' reported that some suspected the date was not a coincidence, but a clue that the event was "a Communist trick," and quoted a member of the [[Daughters of the American Revolution]] saying, "Subversive elements plan to make American children live in an environment that is good for them."<ref name="time-memento"/> [[J. Edgar Hoover]], director of the U.S. [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]], may have found the Lenin connection intriguing; it was alleged the FBI conducted surveilance at the 1970 demonstrations.<ref>Finney, John W. "MUSKIE SAYS F.B.I. SPIED AT RALLIES ON '70 EARTH DAY". ''The New York Times'', [[April 15]] [[1971]]. p. 1.</ref> The idea that the date was chosen to celebrate Lenin's centenary still persists in some quarters,<ref>{{Citation |title= Of Leo and Lenin: Happy Earth Day from the Religious Right |journal= Church & State |volume= 53 |issue= 5 |date= May 2000 |pages= 20 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=3382 |title= This Earth Day Celebrate Vladimir Lenin's Birthday! |accessdate= 2007-04-22 |last= Marriott |first= Alexander |date= [[2004-04-21]] |work= Capitalism Magazine }}</ref> although Lenin was never noted as an environmentalist.

{{seealso|Turkish general election, 2002}}

The Justice and Development Party, on the back of widespread discontent with the traditional parties' handling of the economy and the 1999 [[earthquake]], took 34.3% of the vote in the [[3 November]], [[2002]] parliamentary elections, and due to Turkey's system of allotting seats, won an overall majority in the Grand National Assembly. After some initial stumbling, notably when Erdoğan was temporarily blocked from taking up the Prime Ministership, the AKP has found its feet. Erdoğan's appointment as Prime Minister was delayed after his party's victory in the elections for legal reasons. He had been barred from standing in those elections because of his previous criminal conviction for reading the aforementioned poem at a political rally, an action deemed to amount to Islamist sedition in today's modern secular Turkey. The prime minister in Turkey must be a member of parliament and the constitution excluded those with previous convictions from standing. A prominent supporter of Erdoğan, [[Abdullah Gül]], became a stand-in prime minister and pushed through a constitutional amendment that allowed Erdoğan to win a freshly vacant seat in the province of [[Siirt]] in a by-election. Erdogan was elected as a deputy on 9 March and subsequently assume premiership. Gül resigned (to later become minister of foreign affairs) and Erdoğan was appointed Prime Minister by President [[Ahmet Necdet Sezer]].

[[Image:BUSHTURKS.jpg|thumb|175px|[[George W. Bush]] welcomes Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to the [[Oval Office]], 2002]]

On [[17 October]], [[2006]], Prime Minister Erdoğan suffered a mild shock in public due to [[hypoglycemia]], possibly influenced by the fatigue caused by the [[Ramadan]]'s day of [[fasting]]. He was hospitalized but the doctors determined that he only needed a few days of rest and view his state of health as not being a serious concern. His transportation to the hospital became a phenomenon as well when the driver of his armored vehicle accidentally closed the door to the vehicle leaving the keys inside. The security system of the vehicle locked all the doors with Erdoğan still inside, unconscious. A hammer was brought in from a nearby construction yard to break the bulletproof windows of the vehicle and rescue the prime minister.

==Prime Minister==

===Domestic===

He gave a speech in New York on [[19 December]] [[2006]] where he talked mainly about the good relations between the citizens of Turkey who come from different backgrounds by giving an example from his own life. Erdoğan said that he doesn't have any problems with his wife, Emine Erdoğan née Gülbaran (b. [[1955]] in Siirt), who is of [[Arabs in Turkey|Arab]] ancestry and originally of a different denomination ([[Shafi`i]]-[[Ash'ari]]). They have been married since [[4 July]], [[1978]], and they have two sons (Ahmet Burak, Necmeddin Bilâl) and two daughters (Esra, Sümeyye).

He has appointed liberal Muslim theologians to the Department of Religious Affairs. <ref>http://www.forbes.com/business/2007/01/25/turkey-iraq-dink-biz-cx_0126oxford.html</ref>

====Economic====

Erdoğan's success story is keeping the economy on the track as designed by the [[Kemal Dervis]]. Erdoğan supported the [[Ali Babacan]], which Babacan continued to enforce the macro economic policies of Kemal Dervis. Erdoğan did not cut the relations to international monitory control systems in favor of a national economy. The AK Party did quite well in almost all areas of the economy apart from the account deficit. Erdoğan said that during this premiership the economy's average growth rate was 7.3%, capita annual income had almost doubled, and all these were related to his economic reforms and the pursue of the membership of the European Union<ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/turkey/story/0,,2069490,00.html</ref>.

====Education and Health====

Mr. Sezer's claimed at the War Academy that "religious fundamentalism has reached dramatic proportions." Islamic fundamentalism "is trying to infiltrate politics, education and the state, it is systematically eroding values," Erdogan responded to this by "Religious people also have a right to politics. ... If you want to keep the faithful out of politics, the people will never forgive you" <ref>http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20060419-093430-6919r.htm</ref>

Regarding the [[birth control]] Erdoğan had said that he personally did not practice it and was against it because the future required a dynamic young population<ref name="policies"> Cakir et.al.(2001), published in Hurriyet Newspaper (0 July 1998 and compiled by Seda Demiralp.</ref>.

Erdogan does not use alcohol and as the mayor of Istanbul, he had restricted use of alcohol in public restaurants<ref name="policies"/>. Althoguh these kind of restrictions are very common in developped countries, it was brought up to be a big deal in Turkey. During his premiership he did not bring forward a nationwide law to restrict the use of alcohol.

====Social services and Social Security====

In relation to social policies, Erdogan frequently pay lip service to the argument that Turkish Social Security is strong but he wants the same treatment (Social services) that he once had chance to observe in Germany. Social security reform was supported by Edogan, which was crucial for IMF support.

On April 2006, Erdoğan unveiled a social security reform package demanded by the International Monetary Fund under a loan deal. Erdoğan claimed that the move, which was passed with a fierce opposition, was the one of the most radical reforms. Turkey’s three social security bodies united under one roof, bringing equal health services and retirement benefits for members of all three. Under the second bill, everyone below the age of 18 will be entitled to free health services, irrespective of whether they pay premiums to any social security organization or not. The bill also envisages a gradual increase in the retirement age. Starting from 2036, the retirement age will eventually increase to 65 as of 2048 for both women and men <ref> [http://www.tusiad.us/specific_page.cfm?CONTENT_ID=595 social security]</ref>.

====Justice====

On November 2005, a case was brought before the [[European Court of Human Rights]] by a female student who insisted on wearing a prohibited hijab (headcovering) to class. Prohibits by law the wearing of religious headcover and theo-political symbolic garments for both genders in government buildings, schools, and universities;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5414098.stm |title=The Islamic veil across Europe|author=British Broadcasting Corporation|authorlink=British Broadcasting Corporation|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2006-12-13|date=2006-11-17}}</ref> a law upheld by the Grand Chamber of the [[European Court of Human Rights]] as "legitimate" on November 10, 2005 in ''Leyla Şahin v. Turkey''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cmiskp.echr.coe.int/tkp197/view.asp?item=3&portal=hbkm&action=html&highlight=Sahin%20%7C%20Turkey&sessionid=11294215&skin=hudoc-en |title=Leyla Şahin v. Turkey|author=European Court of Human Rights|authorlink=European Court of Human Rights|publisher=ECHR|accessdate=2006-11-30|date=2005-11-10}}</ref> Erdogan was prepared to dispense with the judiciary altogether by angrily declaring, "The court has no right to speak on this issue. That right belongs to the ulema (clerics).", when this appeal was rejected.

On March 2006, the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) held a press conference to publicly protest for the first time in Turkey's history, because it obstructed the appointment of judges to the high courts for over 10 months so that it could fill vacant posts with its own Islamist-minded appointees. With his policies Erdogan accused to create a rift with the Turkey's highest court of appeals (the Yargitay) and high administrative court (the Danistay). Erdogan claims that constitution gave the power to his elected party in assigning the members and there is nothing wrong in their policy making including the justice positions. The prime minister, himself an [[İmam Hatip school]] (received religious education) graduate, do not see any wrong in tens of thousands of Koranic school graduates who were appointed as judges becoming the part of higher courts.

On May 2007, the head of the top court in Turkey has asked prosecutors to consider whether Erdogan should be charged over critical comments regarding the 2007 Presidential elections. Mr Erdogan said the ruling was "a disgrace to the justice system". Erdogan criticized the [[Constitutional Court]] which declared the presidential vote was invalid, because the boycott of other parties meant there was no quorum. Prosecutors have already investigated his earlier comments, including saying it had fired a "bullet at democracy". [[Tulay Tugcu]], head of the Constitutional Court, condemned Erdogan for "threats, insults and hostility" towards justice system<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6705241.stm</ref>.

====Terrorism & Security====

He was investigated by Turkish prosecutors for allegedly using the word 'Honorable' (''Sayın'') when referring to the terrorist [[Kurdistan Workers Party|PKK]] leader [[Abdullah Ocalan]] in a 2000 interview with [[Special Broadcasting Service|SBS Radio]] [http://www.playfuls.com/news_10_20979-Prosecutors-Launch-Investigation-Into-Turkish-Prime-Minister.html] [http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-03-26-voa26.cfm]. However, in [[April]] [[2007]], the prosecutors decided not to open a case against him, saying they found ''no element of criminal offence'' in the interview.<ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00E7DB173FF935A35757C0A9619C8B63&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fE%2fErdogan%2c%20Recep%20Tayyip Prosecutors Drop Investigation Of Prime Minister] - [[The New York Times]], [[6 April]], [[2007]].</ref> The PKK is a militant group listed as a [[terrorism|terrorist]] organization internationally by [[Kurdistan Workers Party/States Listed as Terrorist|a number of states and organizations]], including the [[USA]], [[NATO]], and the [[EU]].<ref name=EUTerrorList>[http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/45394.htm "Council Decision"], [[Council of the European Union]], [[December 21]] [[2005]]</ref>

Erdogan had passed several reforms such as: giving the EU Court of Human Rights supremacy over Turkish courts, diminishing the powers of the 1991 Anti-Terror Law which had constrained Turkey’s democratization, and passing a partial amnesty to reduce penalties faced by many members of the Kurdish terrorist organization PKK who surrendered to the government<ref name="policies"/>.

===Foreign Policies===

====EU====

:see [[Accession of Turkey to the European Union]]

He made membership in the European Union his primary objective.

In [[May 2004]], he became the first Turkish Prime Minister to visit [[Greece]] since [[1988]], and the first to visit the [[Turks of Western Thrace|Turkish minority]] of [[Thrace]] since [[1952]]. The visit was remarkably congenial on both sides, and Erdoğan scored an important victory when his Greek counterpart, [[Kostas Karamanlis]], declared that Greece would support a Turkish bid for [[European Union]] membership, a major aim of Erdoğan's administration.

====Cyprus====

At the beginning of his term, Erdogan backed down on Turkey's traditional national policy on Cyprus: However; "Erdogan had not said a single word about his policy and only noted that they were in favor of finding a solution to the problem. He effectively issued a message to Denktas, tacitly warning him that they would have already taught him his place if it were not for their respect for his age and position <ref>http://www.hri.org/news/cyprus/tcpr/2003/03-01-31.tcpr.html#09</ref>". Erdogan supported the [[Annan Plan for Cyprus]]. With the disaster of [[2004 Cypriot reunification referendum]] his ideas regarding the issues got closer to the traditional perspective. Also with the fall of Cyprus plan, he become more susceptible to critics on sensitive issues [security related]. When Erdoğan met a resistance of his Cyprus perspective, he raised questions on the "national policy over Cyprus" claiming that he was toying with ‘different formulations for solution’, and he did not hesitate to make a reversal of policy <ref>[http://www.tusiad.us/Content/uploaded/TURKISH%20FOREIGN%20POLICY%20AND%20AKP%20--%20GENCER%20OZCAN.PDF Cyprus] </ref>.

====Iraq====

Faced with demands to intervene; Erdogan pursued a more proactive foreign policy, Erdogan suggested recently that Turkey might intervene. However, he prefers to rely on diplomacy <ref>http://www.forbes.com/business/2007/01/25/turkey-iraq-dink-biz-cx_0126oxford.html</ref>.

==2007 elections==

===Presidency Candidate===

{{seealso|Republic Protests|Turkish presidential election, 2007|Turkish constitutional referendum, 2007}}

On [[April 14]] [[2007]], an estimated 300,000 people marched in [[Ankara]] to protest the possible candidacy of Erdoğan in the [[Turkish presidential election, 2007|2007 presidential election]], afraid that if elected President of Turkey Erdoğan would alter the [[Secularism in Turkey|Turkish secularist state]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6554851.stm "Secular rally targets Turkish PM"], BBC News, April 14, 2007.</ref> Erdoğan announced on [[April 24]], [[2007]] that the party had decided to nominate [[Abdullah Gül]] as the AKP candidate in the presidential election.<ref>[http://english.people.com.cn/200704/24/eng20070424_369332.html "Turkey's ruling party announces FM Gul as presidential candidate"], Xinhua (''People's Daily Online''), April 24, 2007.</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6587061.stm "Turkey 'must have secular leader'"], BBC News, April 24, 2007.</ref> The protests continued over the next several weeks, with over 1 million reported at an [[April 29]] rally in [[Istanbul]],<ref name="Agence France-Presse">{{citeweb|url=http://www.afp.fr/english/news/stories/070429134050.kd2e8gv7.html|title=More than one million rally in Turkey for secularism, democracy|publisher=[[Agence France-Presse]]|accessdate=2007-04-29}}</ref><ref name= Reuters29>{{citeweb|url= http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL2910950920070429|title=One million Turks rally against government|publisher=[[Reuters]]|accessdate=2007-04-30}}</ref> tens of thousands reported at separate protests on [[May 4]] in [[Manisa]] and [[Çanakkale]],<ref name="SkyTurk">{{cite web|title =Manisa ve Çanakkale coştu!|publisher=SKYTURK| url =http://www.skyturk.tv/news.jsp?newsId=64828&c=1| accessdate = 2007-05-05}}</ref><ref name="Milliyet">{{cite web|url=http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2007/05/04/guncel/axgun01.html |title=Saylan: Manisa mitingi önemli|publisher=[[Milliyet]]|language=Turkish|accessdate=2007-05-04}}</ref><ref name="Hurriyet 4 1">{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/6462629.asp?gid=180|title=3 miting tek mesaj|publisher=[[Hürriyet]]|language=Turkish|accessdate=2007-05-05}}</ref> and anywhere from 1 to 2 million in [[İzmir]] on [[May 13]].<ref name="swissinfo">{{citeweb|url=http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/international/ticker/detail/Turks_protest_ahead_of_early_elections.html?siteSect=143&sid=7813908&cKey=1179061645000|title=Turks protest ahead of early elections|publisher=[[Swissinfo]]|accessdate=2007-05-13}}</ref><ref name="Rundschau">{{citeweb|url=http://www.fr-online.de/in_und_ausland/politik/hintergrund/?em_cnt=1135042&sid=259cc1b7e1cee0b231e6a52e05b3dbce|title=Eine Stadt trägt Rot|language=German|publisher=[[Frankfurter Rundschau]]|accessdate=2007-05-15}}</ref><ref name="Izmir rally participation">{{Citeweb|title=İzmir’de Cumhuriyet mitingine rekor katılım|url=http://www.ntvmsnbc.com/news/407811.asp#storyContinues|publisher=[[ntvmsnbc]]|accessdate=2007-05-13}}</ref>

The early elections were called after the failure of the parties in the parliament to agree on the next Turkish president. At the same time, Erdogan claimed the failure to select a president is a Turkish political systems' failure and proposed to change the constitution. The redesign of the position of presidency, moving away from a position that balances powers in the parliament is faced with reaction from the other parties. The final decision will be decided with the [[Turkish constitutional referendum, 2007]].

===General Elections===

{{seealso|Turkish general election, 2007}}

Erdogan called for early general election. The stage of the elections were set for a fight for legitimacy in the eyes of voters between his government, which has its roots in political Islam, and the country’s secular movement. He uses the events at "2007 Presidency elections" as a part of the general election campaign of his party.

==References==

{{reflist|2}}

==External links==

{{commons}}

{{wikiquote|Environment}}

{{wikinews|Pro-secular Turks rally against Erdogan's possible presidential candidacy}}

{{commons|Earth Day}}

*http://www.basbakanlik.gov.tr

{{portalpar|Holidays|Earth day.svg}}

*http://www.akparti.org.tr

*[http://www.wikihow.com/Celebrate-Earth-Day Celebrate Earth Day] How to Celebrate Earth Day from [[WikiHow]]

*[http://www.turkishweekly.net/articles.php?id=8 2003 Speech by Erdogan - "Democracy in the Middle East, Pluralism in Europe: Turkish View"]

*[http://www.dhammakaya.or.th/events/490422_earthday.php Earth Day at Dhammakaya Temple]

*[http://www.radikal.com.tr/haber.php?haberno=198436&tarih=12/09/2006 A supportive article about his political career] {{tr icon}}

*[http://earthday.envirolink.org Earth Day Event Calendar] at the [http://www.envirolink.org EnviroLink Network]

*[http://www.ortadogugazetesi.net/makale_goster.asp?yazid=32&id=1576 An opposive article about his political slogans] {{tr icon}}

*[http://www.earthsite.org/ International Earth Day] - The Official Site - Spring/Vernal Equinox

*[http://www.muayyer.com] www.muayyer.com is a forum site,that who will write to support him or not.

*[http://www.earthsocietyfoundation.org Earth Society Foundation] - Official organization arranging annual equinox Earth Day celebration at the United Nations

<!-- Navigation boxes -->

*[http://www.earthday.net/ Earth Day Network] - Coordinating worldwide events for Earth Day.

{{start box}}{{s-off}}

*[http://www.earthday.gov/ United States Earth Day] - The U.S. government's ''Earth Day'' site.

{{succession box |

*[http://www.earthday.ca/ Earth Day Canada] - The Canadian Official Site for ''Earth Day''

before=[[Nurettin Sözen]] |

*[http://www.kab.org/ Keep America Beautiful] - Keep America Beautiful holds Earth Day cleanup activities in communities nationwide. The organization launched the famous [[Crying Indian]] campaign on Earth Day, 1971.

title=[[List of mayors of Istanbul|Mayor of İstanbul]] |

*[http://www.Earth-Aware.com/ME.htm Earth Awareness (Mother Earth Consciousness)]

years=1994&ndash;1998 |

*[http://www.witsinc.org/ Earth Day St. Louis] - Earth Day Celebration Festival and Events

after=[[Ali Müfit Gürtuna]]

*[http://landscaping.about.com/od/weedsdiseases/a/earth_day.htm Earth Day Celebration]

}}

[[Category:Conservation]]

{{succession box |

[[Category:March observances]]

before=[[Abdullah Gül]] |

[[Category:April observances]]

title=[[List of Prime Ministers of Turkey|Prime Minister of Turkey]] |

[[Category:Environmental awareness days]]

years=2003&ndash;present |

[[Category:Renewable energy]]

after= ''incumbent''

[[Category:Secular holidays]]

}}

[[Category:Sustainability]]

{{end box}}

[[Category:United Nations observances]]

{{Prime Ministers of Turkey}}

[[Category:Environmentalism]]

{{Mayors of İstanbul}}

<!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] -->

<!-- Interwikis -->

{{Persondata

|NAME= Erdoğan, Recep Tayyip

|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=

|SHORT DESCRIPTION=26th Prime Minister of Turkey

|DATE OF BIRTH=[[February 26]] [[1954]]

|PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Istanbul]], [[Turkey]]

|DATE OF DEATH=

|PLACE OF DEATH=

}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Erdogan, Recep Tayyip}}

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[[Category:Prime Ministers of Turkey]]

[[Category:Mayors of Istanbul]]

[[Category:Leaders of political parties in Turkey]]

[[Category:People of Georgian descent]]

[[Category:Muslim politicians]]

[[Category:People from Istanbul]]

[[Category:1954 births]]

[[Category:Living people]]

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[[az:Rəcəp Tayyip Ərdoğan]]

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[[cv:Реджеп Таййип Эрдоан]]

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