“Absolute power corrupts absolutely” |

Harut Sasunian

www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

Abdullah Bozkurt wrote in the Nordic Observer that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has shrouded himself in the attributes of God or Allah. Erdogan’s subservient inner circle reinforces this self-aggrandizing and exaggerated view by claiming to have divine powers. The article is titled “Turkish President Suffers from Theocratism, Worshipped by the Attributes of Allah and the Prophet.”

Bozkurt begins his article by describing Erdogan as “a leader who believes he is more than capable and who apparently suffers from a God complex… Erdogan has thoroughly defeated the opposition, jailed critics and opponents, concentrated all levers of power in his own hands, destroyed checks and balances, and become the sole decision-maker on all matters in his country. His overconfidence in his own abilities and infallibility, combined with surrounding himself with yes-men, reinforces his narcissistic personality and solidifies his sense of superiority. He considers himself the caliph, the leader of the entire Muslim community worldwide, and therefore deems himself worthy of special attention.”

Bozkurt recalled that after Erdogan’s party (AKP) lost the March 2024 parliamentary elections, he said on April 17: “Ladies and gentlemen! Let everyone see and know this: it’s not over until we say it’s over.” This seemingly innocent statement ended up having “shocking consequences… in the context of Islamist political circles, [challenging] Allah’s Divine Will is one of the six pillars of Islam, meaning that Allah is the ultimate decision-maker and everything can only happen according to his Divine Will. This statement reflects the inner thoughts of Erdogan, who has become accustomed to being the final arbiter of Turkey’s affairs after a long reign of near-absolute power. Erdogan does not say these words out of thin air; he has long viewed himself in such a pious manner. The pious praise of his followers has undoubtedly helped shape the president’s mentality. ”

“We are here for mercy, not for anger. Our mercy will prevail over our anger,” Erdogan said during a speech at a campaign rally in March 2024. Erdogan’s way of describing his government’s response to critics and opponents is “a direct reference to the unique attributes of Allah in the traditional Islamic school of thought, in which the Islamic prophet Muhammad said: ‘When Allah gave the order for creation, He promised to write in the book He wrote: My mercy prevails over my anger.'” The National, the newspaper of the opposition Islamist Sadet party, wrote that Erdogan “surprised the audience by associating himself with Allah’s attributes.”

Erdogan’s colleagues and senior members of the ruling party offer flattery and make exaggerated statements that reinforce Erdogan’s claim to higher power. Here are some examples Bozkurt provides:

“In July 2011, AKP’s then-deputy in Bursa, Huseyin Shahin, said after talking and visiting with Erdogan, ‘Even touching our respected prime minister [Erdogan]I believe it is an act of worship. I say that because we are energized by his presence.”

“Fevai Arslan, another MP from Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party, said in January 2014, ‘Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a leader who has all the qualities of God in one. They want to stop him.'”

“Long-time AKP MP Zulfu Tolga Aghar compared Erdogan to God in an August 2019 speech, saying: ‘When we are told about the president, it feels like someone is telling us about Allah.’”

“Don’t doubt the love and respect that the people under this roof have for our prime minister,” Ismail Hakkı Eser, then head of the AKP’s provincial office in Aydın, told the crowd of about 1,500 party loyalists in November 2009. [Erdogan]…We are loyal to our Prime Minister; he is like our second prophet.”

“In February 2013, former EU Affairs Minister Egemen Baghish declared several cities holy sites, similar to the Islamic holy sites of Mecca and Medina, saying: ‘Rize, Istanbul and Sirte are holy cities because these three cities played an important role in the birth of the greatest leaders in the history of the Republic of Turkey.’

Rize is the hometown of Erdogan’s family, while Istanbul is where he grew up and entered politics. Silter is his wife’s hometown and the constituency where he was first elected to parliament in the March 2003 re-election. Despite allegations of involvement in a multi-million dollar corruption scheme, Erdogan supported Bages and appointed him ambassador to the Czech Republic.

“Some even say Erdogan has surpassed Islam’s prophets. Efkan Ala, then interior minister, said, ‘The Prophet Muhammad was overcome by pride, so God warned him. We, on the other hand, will not be tempted by pride.’ Ala’s successor, Suleyman Soylu, claimed in December 2021 that the work of Erdogan’s government was the work of Allah. ‘Don’t just look at what we did. We didn’t do it by ourselves. We believe that Allah made us do it.'”

“In February 2010, Oktay Salar, a politician from the Justice and Development Party who governs the Auf district of Trabzon province, called on people to worship Erdogan and said that thanksgiving prayers similar to Muslim rituals to Allah must be performed because Erdogan is the blessed leader of the Islamic world.”

“Some of Erdogan’s deputies likened his speech to the Hadith, which refers to the sayings and practices of the Prophet Muhammad and is considered the second most authoritative source of knowledge for Muslims after the Quran.”

Bozkurt added: “During his more than two decades in power in Turkey, Erdogan has been hailed as a god many times. Erdogan himself has never refuted these compliments and he seems to enjoy them. In his self-perception, perhaps he feels that he is God, or a messenger chosen by God, who is in power to lead Muslims around the world.”

“To make matters worse, President Erdogan has surrounded himself with yes-men who idolize him and dare not voice opinions that displease him. The people he has chosen to include in his inner circle paints a picture of those who eschew critical thinking and avoid challenging viewpoints in the governance of their country. In reality, Erdogan is nothing more than a thug, a narcissistic dictator who abuses religion to fulfill his political ambitions while making billions for his family and associates through endemic corruption in his government and by profiting from a variety of illegal business activities and criminal enterprises,” Bozkurt concluded.