Conversation so far:
What happened with Erdogan in the general elections?
The elections of 2002 were the first elections in which Erdoğan participated as a party leader.
Are there any other interesting aspects about the elections of 2002 besides the fact these were the first elections that Recep Tayyip Erdoğan participated as a party leader?
The AKP won 34.3% of the national vote and formed the new government.

Question: Why did people protest Erdogan?
Self-contained rewrite: Why did people protest Erdogan?