Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to announce shock retirement from politics?

  • By Smith Alexander
  • Ankara
  • Last updated on

Turkish Prime Minister created a stir on Sunday when rumors have surfaced that his career was over.

Sad news for Erdoğan fans. Speculation had been rife that the Turkish Prime Minister is about to announce his retirement from politics, at age 71, with immediate effect.

UPDATE 23/02/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Being a political figure isn't fun anymore

“As we get older, there are phases of life that we enter into, and being a political figure just isn't fun anymore,” he might have said, says a source who remained anonymous. Other reports hinted that he may branch out into other creative fields he is better at (and more interested in), though they didn't provide any details.

#ThankYouRecep Tayyip

For a little while on Sunday evening, #ThankYouRecep Tayyip was a trending hashtag on Twitter. As many fans reminisce and look back on all the unforgettable memories, some may wonder what about now made him make the decision.

“Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was unlike any other political figure we’ve ever seen! #ThankYouRecep Tayyip”
— @universalObserver, 22 Feb 2026
“I thought Recep Tayyip Erdoğan retired about 5 years ago?!?”
— @millythom, 22 Feb 2026

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