1. BORN FEB. 26, 1954, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan began his political career as the mayor of Istanbul, Turkey, from 1994 to 1998. Prior to that, he was a member of the Turkish Welfare Party and the founder and leader of the Justice and Development Party (AKP). 2. In 1999, Erdoğan was sentenced to 10 months in jail but was freed after serving four. He was convicted for inciting religious hatred after reading an Islamic poem, which included the lines: "The mosques are our barracks, the domes our helmets, the minarets our bayonets and the faithful our soldiers ..." RELATED CONTENT Turkey’s Moves Against Dissent 3. He spent 11 years as Turkey's prime minister, beginning in 2003, a year after the formation of the AKP. 4. In 2014, he was Turkey's first directly elected president. Less than two years later, the military attempted a coup to overthrow Erdoğan in July 2016. 5. In April 2017, a referendum supported by Erdoğan that increased the powers of the president won with a slight majority. 6. Erdoğan has denied wanting to impose Islamic values, but critics point to his failed bid to criminalize adultery and attempts to introduce "alcohol-free zones," as evidence otherwise. 7. He attended an Islamic school before earning a management degree from Istanbul's Marmara University. 8. He played semi-professional football (soccer) before his political career. 9. He and his wife, Emine Erdoğan, have been married since 1978 and have two sons and two daughters. 10. Erdoğan was credited with improving Istanbul during his time as mayor but has since been criticized as an autocratic leader who silences opposition and dissent...