Erdoğan's world - Turkey and its President | DW Documentary

it's a fine evening in Istanbul and people are preparing for a top soccer game in the beshiktash district of turkey's largest city everyone supports their local Club in a park [Applause] top fans are very loyal we'd give everything for basic tasks and expect nothing back we dedicate our lives and money to the club look this is the bishita eagle this group of fans is called charsha they describe themselves as extreme left-wing critics of the system tattoo all of them are even tattooed with an a for Anarchy these soccer fans are not afraid to stand up to Authority they take part in all the demonstrations because beshiktash is traditionally the club of the kamalists who oppose president erdogan on walls and in shops there are portraits of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk he's seen as the father of the secular Republic founded in 1923. tonight the fans are facing their worst enemy Bishop shahir a team that belongs to Associates of president erdogan [Applause] we charter members from Bishop Tasha on the side of the workers in the oppressed we don't like bashakshia because they are a political team it's a team built up and supported by the government so we hate them this is what the arch enemy looks like no tattoos no alcohol it feels more like being in the schoolyard hey let me see that put it away [Applause] erdogan has grasped all too well the power that soccer has over young people and Society using lavish donations from his industry friends he built the bishop shahir Club from scratch as a vehicle to spread his ideas on the day the stadium was inaugurated the president even graced the pitch himself hey everyone grabs the ball and scores a goal [Applause] trick against a very feeble defense the young fans are looked after by Barack belgili the Municipal Employee is a supporter of the president's party the AK party [Music] our president is very involved in the bishop shahir District he founded the club so it's normal that he's on our side that's why we named our fan group 1453 the date symbolizes the city of Istanbul accidents was conquered by Sultan Mehmet II one of erdogan's idols after the recent earthquake which killed around 45 000 people in Turkey fans chanted hostile anti-government slogans in the stands the government was criticized for its abysmal disaster management [Music] [Applause] dating earthquake of February 6 has weakened erdogan who was until then almost untouchable [Music] God does not leave us without love he does not leave us hungry thirsty and homeless for the last 20 years erdogan has been ruling turkey and its 85 million inhabitants with an iron hand [Music] his policies are a combination of economic liberalism islamism and nationalism turkey has developed under his leadership infrastructure has been modernized and some Industries such as construction have boomed erdogan has long cultivated the image of a Muslim Democrat but his intention today is to re-islamize Turkey he's building thousands of mosques across the country thanks to the Turks Islam has found its true identity to remain unchallenged in his rule erdogan is cracking down on his critics almost the entire press is now loyal to the government allegations of corruption erdogan indulges in great luxury at the state's expense like a modern Sultan he's having a huge Palace built with 1500 rooms I don't care whether they call me a dictator or whatever it goes in one ear and out the other at her family have their summer Villa in a suburb of Istanbul Kemah the father runs several hotels [Music] what should we watch Dad a series [Music] the whole family loves series about the Ottoman Empire a great number of them are produced by Turkish television these successful Blockbusters with their Epic War scenes tell the story of the Ottoman Sultans who brought down the Christian Empire in the Orient they're also a good export to the Arab Muslim world erdogan soon realized how useful it was to revive this Turkish identity and celebrate the victory of Islam over Christianity in His official promotional Clips erdogan follows in the footsteps of Sultan Mehmet II who conquered Constantinople inspired by him he strides proudly past his troops foreign although the balatas are part of the new bourgeoisie they do not vote for the president's party but they are very receptive to The Nostalgia about the Ottoman Empire we're very happy that people all over the world watch these series and that our culture is represented everywhere is the biggest fan of the Turkish series about the Ottoman Empire I think he's seen them all about 15 all together only six but he's been asking us to tell him the history of the Ottoman Empire ever since he was three all about the history of Sultan Mehmet II and his conquest of Constantinople how old was he when he conquered the city 21. 21 yes and which year was it 53 [Music] 1453 yes 1453. are you proud that Karam knows Turkish history so well yeah of course in Turkish we say Nations that don't know their own history are doomed to Extinction erdogan is exploiting the glory of the Ottoman past to Galvanize the national sentiment in kasim Pasha the working-class neighborhood of Istanbul where erdogan grew up he has turned his childhood soccer field into an archery club in the Ottoman Empire the bow was the Horseman's weapon erwan was our neighbor if we met today he would beckon us over [Music] is a childhood friend of erdogan's and one of his loyal followers he's a member of the AK party the justice and development Party founded by the president here it says if you don't know your past you can never have a future much as he focuses on archery today young erdogan's true passion was soccer after a game he'd come through here he was supposed to play for finer butcher he was a good Center forward [Music] Legend has it that the president had a good chance of becoming a professional soccer player but his conservative and religious father was against it look who's behind the car aturu bumps into salahatin erdogan's former soccer coach this is erdogan and this is air to rule this photo was taken 50 years ago he was a very good Center forward and later when he was older he changed position and became a Defender I love him with all my heart even if it kills me even if he loses all his supporters I will still vote for him [Music] erdogan's family background is humble just like this neighborhood his father was a ship Master on the boss for us and his mother a housewife they lived in a traditional wooden house like this [Music] toyed with the idea of becoming an Imam for a while he diligently attended the mosque in the neighborhood he was very religious he performed all his daily prayers and urged young people to pray he had no vices and he could talk to unveiled women and people who drank alcohol very convincingly [Music] erdogan remained loyal to this neighborhood for a long time he lived here until his election as the mayor of Istanbul in 1994. [Music] she says that our president is an international leader runs a grocery store where the erdogan family also came shopping he grew up in our neighborhood went to school here and look how far he's come he's such an important man we're very proud we know him and his children well his daughters grew up here they're part of the family we love Tire he's our mom our dad he's everything to us you know we're behind him whatever he does [Music] erdogan's humble childhood fueled a dislike of the leftist elites who imposed strict secularism on the entire country [Music] he decided to take his first steps into politics with the islamist welfare party and was elected mayor of Istanbul in 1994. the minarets will be our bayonets the domes will be our helmets the mosques will be our barracks and the Believers our soldiers [Music] this fundamentalist and nationalist poem went down badly in secular turkey he was sentenced to 10 months in prison of which he served for and first and foremost a Muslim after his release erdogan radically changed his strategy he now concealed his intentions and presented himself as a Muslim Democrat from today onwards nothing will be the same in Turkey in 2001 he founded the AK party he achieved one electoral success after the other becoming prime minister in 2003 erdogan sought reforms and endeavored to lead the country into European union membership but negotiations have stalled I'm definitely in favor of partnership with turkey but not EU membership since turkey's application was turned down erdogan has maintained a conflicted relationship with Europe he regularly threatens to allow Syrian refugees to travel on to Europe if the refugees cannot live honorably on their own soil in their own countries we must all jointly bear the burden he has laid claim to part of the territory of neighboring Greece and even threatened War Greece take a look at our history if you keep provoking us there will be severe consequences since the war in Ukraine erdogan has strategized on turkey's NATO membership and his close ties with Putin to strengthen his position and play The Peacemaker [Music] but as an alleged Peacemaker erdogan did not hesitate to bomb Northern Syria and take action against the Kurds his arch enemies to strengthen his voter base [Music] on the national stage erdogan has been returning to his original principles of Islam and nationalism for several years now the Bourgeois and conservative social class that emerged during his rule continues to support him tenure the number of construction companies has increased by 43 in 10 years the turnover of the industry has exploded peaking at 126 billion euros in 2017. but now this system is starting to crumble it is precisely these construction companies and the authorities who are held responsible for the consequences of the devastating earthquake that hit Southern turkey in February new apartment blocks collapsed in the Quake like a house of cards these fragile new buildings did not always meet the standards for earthquake resistant construction building permits were often obtained by bribery a few developers were arrested to appease the population's anger but on a political level no one has suffered any consequences reporting on corruption in Turkey is a risky business according to reporters Without Borders turkey is one of the most repressive countries in the world regarding the media many journalists have been arrested barish terkulu knows Turkish prisons only too well the investigative journalists spent two years of his life Behind Bars this morning he's preparing for his next trial [Music] when the journalist like me writes about corruption in the state there is a risk of being sued and arrested I've already been arrested twice it means that your reputation is damaged and you'll be targeted by the pro-government Press Islamic brotherhood or the criminal organizations supported by the president of the Republic so yes being a journalist in Turkey is dangerous is a best-selling author his books make the rulers very uncomfortable this book is one of the best-selling books in Turkey it's the second volume of a series of books researching those in power the first volume metastasis has sold about 400 000 copies with the second volume we're already at over 200 000 copies that is currently one of the best-selling books and also the book that attracts the most complaints denounces the infiltration of the state by islamist sects he reports how erdogan has enabled them to establish themselves at the heart of the system in strategic positions in the Army and police [Music] on the way to court the journalist describes an extremely corrupt system to us [Music] many skyscrapers have been built during erdogan's Reign most of them by companies close to the government Building Bridges is another way for these companies to get rich companies that win a bid to build a bridge are often very close to the government the government also guarantees a minimum number of paid Crossings this means that the provider continues to make money from tolls after completing the bridge but it's not just drivers who pay it's also the state due to due to this guarantee that 770 million euros per year alone for the most recently built Bridge the sultan Salim Bridge [Music] and other bold journalists want to know what the state is getting in return for the extortionate sums they provide to the president's business friends in 2014 when some members of the government were under investigation for corruption recordings of compromising phone conversations attributed to erdogan and his son Bilal surfaced on the internet there's an anti-corruption investigation right right they'll be doing a house search do you understand listen whatever you've got in your house get rid of it got it what do you mean father there's only cash in the safe that's what I mean Bilal allegedly called his father back a few hours later good evening did you get rid of everything not all of it not yet father let me explain there are still 30 million euros we can't hide the erdogan family later complained about the conspiracy and the investigation was stopped judges and police officers investigating the case were transferred or imprisoned since then journalists like tercolu who research corruption have been systematically prosecuted the state has filed 33 lawsuits against his latest work and he faces up to 158 years in prison how do I feel I'm so used to it now I don't feel anything anymore in front of the court we are monitored by plainclothes police officers who listen in on the entire interview you know there has never been Justice in Turkey today is not a decisive hearing but the Judiciary in Turkey is so politicized that the outcome of such a trial is bound to be biased [Music] the hearing yields nothing concrete but turkulu suspects that it will not be his last [Music] erdogan's other major project is to advance the islamization of society since taking office he has been busy breaking down the secular character of ataturk's republic in 2013 he lifted the ban on headscarves in the Civil Service and in schools in his 20 years of office he's fortified the dnet the powerful religious Affairs Authority increasing its budget 20-fold to 1 billion euros in 2018. it's expected to rise to 1.6 billion euros in 2023 erdogan fulfilled one of his greatest promises in July 2020 turning the Aya Sophia which had been a museum since 1934 into a mosque again the Byzantine mosaics are now hidden behind white cloth when the Supreme head of the dionette Imam Ali arbash climbs the pulpit he does so like an ottoman conqueror with a scimiter in his hand my honorable Muslim brothers and sisters erdogan is in the front row listening attentively to his imam's politicized sermon all over the world mosques are being attacked forcibly closed even bombed or destroyed millions of Muslims are oppressed erdogan has had more than 14 000 new mosques built since 2003. his Flagship project the mega Mast chamlaja is built right on the boss for us it costs 280 million euros and it's a mom is very proud of this place of worship as you can see it was built true to the ottoman style of architecture measured by the height and the width of the Dome it's the largest mosque in Turkey maybe even in the world as far as the architecture of religious buildings goes it's the top of the league we could say that thanks to the Turks Islam has found its true identity [Music] for anyone who openly opposes erdogan's religious project the consequences can be severe [Music] playing here with her son on a beach in the south of the country has had a bitter experience I like this country very much it's natural beauty and climate the problem is some of the people who live around me I don't have a problem with them but they have one with me [Music] Paula is an activist in the association of Atheism in Turkey she's been threatened by the clergy because of her public statements and lives in constant fear of attack I'm afraid for my own safety and for my son I always keep an eye on him even if I'm just sitting here and he's playing [Music] Paula was forced to leave the capitol but she still hasn't given up her activism [Music] tonight she has an appointment in Izmir the third largest city in the country it's a laid-back coastal city on the Aegean Sea it's also a stronghold of the kamales left in this suburb Pala is looking for karaman's Cafe he's a man who like her is being pressured by the clergyman welcome for years we've only met virtually now we're meeting in person yes we've never met but she's always supported me we've communicated a lot over social media feels strange now karaman is not just a cafe owner he's also a high school history teacher he had the audacity to show his students Cosmos a documentary about the origin of the universe which the religious authorities did not like of course people can be very religious but they should also be able to think and reflect for themselves you can be devout and enlightened at the same time of course but once you start asking questions you quickly start doubting yes little by little you lose your religious certainties and become less naive after showing the film to his students hakraman got into trouble with the education authorities they accused me of showing a documentary about Atheism in a country where 97 of the population is Muslims since I was sure I'd be fired I opened a cafe and called it Cosmos come the vast majority of kahraman students support him this documentary presents facts supported by the international scientific literature showing the film does not contradict religion this is not propaganda is there we've all learned a lot from him personally I think he's helped us to structure our thoughts better over there president erdogan is pushing islamization harassing the press and putting political opponents under pressure but he has less of a grip on the severe economic crisis affecting the country he may have always had overwhelming majorities in rural areas but now people can barely afford to eat and he's losing popularity there despite winning the latest election on the Black Sea is where the president's family comes from [Music] girls family have been growing tea for Generations harvesting the tea leaves with shears is exhausting work according to official figures inflation is Galloping at 64 percent but independent economists say it's closer to 140 percent this is making it difficult for yieldies and her family to get by for some years now we have been earning much less we don't make enough money anymore living costs have gone up so much my husband is retired but he still has to work if he didn't work we wouldn't make it we have only a small Plantation we Harvest just 2.5 tons of tea per year and then we have to pay for the fertilizer the gasoline the workers wages in the end there is nothing left not ascent the economic crisis is caused partly by erdogan's poor Economic Policy decisions Jack anger is growing among the farmers and the working class do you expect any help from the state a York no what should the state give us we will keep working keep growing our tea harvesting our crops and vegetables I still have hope really hope is a good thing we're a strong country and a strong people if we manage to join forces and believe in ourselves together as a country and to people then we can move mountains foreign [Music]

Channel: DW Documentary

Views: 204,137

Keywords: Documentary, Documentaries, documentaries, DW documentary, full documentary, DW, documentary 2022, documentary 2023, Turkey, AK Party, earthquake, press freedom, economy, corruption, Erdoğan

Id: WS99QTC2Hbo

Length: 28min 26sec (1706 seconds)

Published: Mon May 29 2023