PM Erdoğan uses hologram to address İzmir party members for first time in Turkey

İZMİR

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s holographic image is reflected to the AKP's party meeting in İzmir. AA photo

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has introduced the latest state-of-the-art innovation to Turkish politics, resorting to a tool usually found only in science-fiction books: The hologram.3D holographic beams reflected Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s image as he addressed a party meeting in İzmir on Jan. 26.“We are going to elections in the shadow of attacks prepared by treasonous networks. I urge all my mayoral candidates to not waste any of their time,” a holographic Erdoğan told the meeting via his 3D avatar.With the move, the prime minister seems to be following in the footsteps of Indian politician Nerendra Modi, who was the first to use the technology in his election campaign.The meeting was held to introduce local district mayoral candidates in İzmir, where the AKP’s campaign has been put in some difficulty due to graft allegations targeting a relative of its municipal candidate, former Transport Minister Binali Yıldırım.The AKP is targeting the province, traditionally a bastion of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), as a key battlefield in the upcoming local elections.Another recent surprise is the AKP’s slogan for the Aegean province, which includes the English word “by”: “Çok kolay [very easy] BY Binalı Yıldırım.”Yıldırım’s brother-in-law is among the suspects of a fraud investigation into transactions at the İzmir commercial harbor.