Hurriyet

Some outtakes from 24 hours spent with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan by CNN Turk's Cuneyt Ozdemir have cast a light on some of the more interesting personal sides to the Prime Minister. From the kind of music he listens to in his official car, to the fact that he writes down everything that has happened to him that day at the end of each day, Erdogan reveals details which many might not have known before. Some notes by Ozdemir following his 24 hours with Erdogan:

He keeps a diary
 
The Prime Minister keeps a diary. Every evening on arriving home he writes down what has happened to him that day. It is a detailed description of who he has met with and what has been done. Erdogan's head assistant Yalcin Akdogan says that there are plans to publish an official diary kept by Erdogan every 6 months or so.
 
He listens to "Kral FM"
 
The Prime Minister listens to "Kral FM" in his car. (A Turkish mostly pop station.) His official chauffeur says that the Erdogan enjoys fast cars, and that he is not uncomfortable when the convoy speeds. Daily newspapers can be seen spread all over his car and his plane.
 
Travels with toys
 
The baggage trunk in the official car has toys in it. When Ozdemir asks why they are there, the answer is "The Prime Minister loves children. We carry toys and chocolate in the back of the car. To pass out to children."
 
The Prime Minister is looking for a new home
 
Erdogan mentions that he is looking for a new house in Istanbul, as the one they have now is in a building which has no official permit. The fact that it has no permit was uncovered by a journalist in the run up to elections for Istanbul Mayor in 1994, causing big trouble for Erdogan in the media. When Ozdemir inquires whether the PM and his wife will look for a "yali," or Bosphorus side house, the PM replies "no, that wouldn't fit our style." At this point, Industry Minister Ali Coskun mentions that real estate prices are rising, at which the PM laughs. Ozdemir points out he doesn't find this funny at all.