To understand the critical developments occurring in Turkey today, it's crucial to consider the past. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will mark 20 years in politics with the coming local elections on March 30. When the Islamist Welfare Party (RP) scored a historic success on March 27, 1994 topping the polls in 28 provinces including in the capital Ankara, Erdogan was elected for the first time into office as the mayor of Istanbul.
The RP promised to close down dozens of unlicensed bars and restaurants serving alcohol that had operated with impunity for years in Beyoglu, on the European side. As the new mayor, Erdogan also announced plans for a large mosque and Islamic study center in Taksim Square as part of what he called the “cultural cleansing” of Beyoglu.