Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Burhan Ozbilici AP/Press Association Images. All rights reserved.Following a meeting with leaders of civil society institutions in Konya, President Erdoğan went to Trabzon to meet with AKP party members on 15 October 2016. While discussing the coup attempt, alleged to have been planned and carried out by Fethullah Gülen followers, Erdoğan said: “What have I always said to you, do you remember? I have always said ‘aren’t we all going to die one day?’ But there is a difference between dying like a man and dying like a madam. We’ll die, of course; but we shall die like men!”
These remarks have attracted criticism from women’s groups, who accuse the president of making discriminatory remarks towards women. In fact, Erdoğan’s attitude to gender issues has been criticised on many occasions in Turkey for being misogynistic. Many believe this to have been caused by his Islamic identity. However, Erdogan’s misogyny can be more adequately explained by the reincarnation of Cato the Elder in ancient Rome within Erdogan’s political stance as a leader.
Cato’s conservative policy on women
Cato the Elder was a conservative traditionalist, praetor, consul, and governor in ancient Rome. Cato was not only a fascinating political figure in Rome, he also an important role model for conservatives in the Senate.
