The Art of Deception – iD Magazine
FROM FORGER TO PRESIDENT
RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN
“Democracy is like a train— we shall get out when we have arrived at the station we want,” and “The mosques are our barracks, the domes are our helmets, the minarets are our bayonets, and the faithful are our soldiers.” These quotes sound as if they could have come from a hate preacher. And indeed, the man who uttered them was jailed in 1998 for inciting religious hatred. Today, he’s the most powerful person in Turkey.
This man, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, had humble beginnings. He worked to hoist himself up, becoming mayor of Istanbul. Then he served four months in prison for stirring up hatred against other faiths. Was it there that he’d decided to turn such a liberal Turkish state into his puppet? Following his release, he gathered his supporters and founded the now all-dominating Justice and Development Party (AKP). In 2002 Erdogan became the prime minister of Turkey, and in 2014 he was elected president of the country. People view him as a man of action, someone who tackles issues head-on. He modernized Turkey and led it into the 21st century. He is the voice of the common man and represents pious Muslims. It’s a notable and appealing image that Erdogan himself has very meticulously
constructed—and it has been widely transmitted by the Turkish news agencies. And then there’s the man who promotes the Islamicization of the Turkish nation, which breaks down the existing legal structures. The man who threatens journalists, one of whom, Hrant Dink, was prominently assassinated on the street—allegedly by a “nationalistic youth,” and who locks away hundreds of Turkish citizens because they are said to have insulted him. The man who orders tear gas to be fired at demonstrators, who bombs Kurdish adults—and children. The man who allegedly cooperated with ISIS.
Is Erdogan’s public persona just a projection of a psychopathic profile? Psychologist Robert Hare’s checklist shows a number of strong patterns. For one example, there is Erdogan’s manipulative behavior: To this day it is still unclear if he has a university degree. His diploma appears bogus, with several glaring discrepancies. And the head of the university who had vouched for it is Erdogan’s ally. (A four-year university degree is a prerequisite for being Turkey’s president.)
Yet another telltale indication of a psychopath is the refusal to uphold agreements. The death penalty was abolished in 2004, but Erdogan wants to reinstate it. And despite his stated willingness to establish a commission to investigate the Armenian Genocide he denies that the massacre ever occurred. He has even razed the Statue of Humanity, which was a hopeful symbol of Turks and Armenians coming together. Today there is a statue to cheese and honey…