Turkish lawmaker: President Erdogan merits Nobel Prize

By Aynur Ekiz

ANKARA (AA) - A senior Turkish lawmaker called for a Nobel Prize to be awarded to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Yalcin Akdogan, former deputy prime minister, spoke to Anadolu Agency on his new book: "Political leadership and Erdogan".

Akdogan, a lawmaker from the capital Ankara, said Erdogan should be "much better understood" and that his book would help towards this end.

"Our president is one of the few figures in the world who conduct politics, resonate and show leadership at the global level," said Akdogan.

He underlined that along with the Turkey's justified ideals and interests, it was of vital importance to express Erdogan's leadership, he said.

Akdogan has been Erdogan's chief advisor since the establishment of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party in 2001.

After its establishment, Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party won Turkey's November 2002 general elections, taking two thirds of the seats in parliament and becoming the first party to win an outright majority in over a decade.

During his time as prime minister, Erdogan underwent general elections in 2007 and 2011, both times returning the AK Party to power with a greater share of the vote.

The party also performed well in local elections in 2004, 2009 and 2014 when it secured 18 out of 30 mayoral seats in larger cities.

Akdogan recalled that Erdogan also managed to resist the deadly 2016 coup attempt in Turkey.

"For the first time [in Turkey's history], a leader defeated a coup attempt with the people's support," said Akdogan.

He added: "Even his protection of democracy alone deserves him an international prize."

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup on July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

* Writing by Muhammet Emin Avundukluoglu