Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister, has won three elections – two by landslide majorities – and delivered a sustained economic boom. Yet these protests did not come out of the blue. Mr Erdogan leads the Justice and Development party (AK), whose Islamist leanings appear increasingly at odds with the secular republic forged by Ataturk 90 years ago. When the prime minister urges Turks to have “more than three children”, tells people who drink that they are “alcoholics” – and then restricts the sale of alcohol – many naturally question his intentions.