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Erdogan Denies He Is a King

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s authoritarian tendencies are starting to draw some worrying historical comparisons.
Turkish riot police use water cannon to disperse demonstrators during a protest against the destruction of trees in a park brought about by a pedestrian project, in Taksim Square in central Istanbul May 31, 2013. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST ENVIRONMENT CRIME LAW TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTX106X6

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was met by a crowd of supporters in Istanbul on May 29, during the opening of the newly restored Ottoman era “Archer’s Lodge,” chanting, “The king of prime ministers is from Kasimpasa.” That is the district where Erdogan grew up, and which is known to be one of Istanbul’s roughest areas. 

“I am not a king but a prime minister elected with the nation’s votes,” Erdogan responded, according to the Dogan News agency, adding, “I am your servant, not your master.” One can understand Erdogan’s touchiness, given that his authoritarian tendencies have started to come under increasing scrutiny.

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