Türkiye (MNN) — When the law is silent, people shout!
Zıpla, Zıpla, Zıplamayan Tayyipçi!
“Jump! Jump! The ones who don’t jump are Tayyip’s supporters!”
Hundreds of thousands of protesters, many of whom are students, have gathered across Turkish cities to protest President Erdoğan’s actions. This time, Erdoğan has sparked outrage by targeting his main rival, Ekrem İmamoğlu.
Ekrem İmamoğlu (Photo is a representative stock image courtesy of Medyascope TV via Wikimedia Commons)
On March 18, Istanbul University announced that it had annulled Ekrem İmamoğlu’s degree, effectively barring him from running in the upcoming presidential election. Although the official excuse was to prevent him from running, the move is widely seen as retaliation due to İmamoğlu being nominated as the presidential candidate for the main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), in the 2028 elections. The following day, Erdoğan had İmamoğlu arrested, despite a lack of evidence or a court decision. This was the breaking point, leading to nationwide protests. Over 1,100 people have been arrested so far.
Local believer Emre* shares, “The people that protest are the majority of university students protesting to protect their right to keep their degree, to have an assurance that they will be able to keep their degree after they graduate.”
What sets these protests apart is their nationwide scale. A chart mapping the protests shows demonstrations taking place in nearly every city across Türkiye.
“These recent happenings are scary because the government is using their power to shut down opposition, and that’s not a good sign for the future of politics in Türkiye,” he adds.
Protesters shout “Hak, Hukuk, Adalet!” which means “Rights, Law, Justice!” Their signs read: Adalet yok emir var (“There is no justice, there is order”), Hukuk susar halk bağırır! (“When the law is silent, the people shout!”), and Bu devirde kimse padişah değil (“In this era, no one is a sultan”) — expressing their discontent with the country’s growing oppression of freedoms and the persecution of opposition.
Emre explains, “What protesters are afraid of is future security, because what we see here is the government more and more abusing their power.”
Although Turkish law protects the right to protest, the police have frequently overstepped, using tear gas, rubber bullets, and other forceful methods. The safety of protesters is a growing concern, and prayers for peace and de-escalation are urgently needed.
“Pray that the protests succeed, that justice will be served, and a better Türkiye will come soon,” Emre says.
He also asks for prayers that the protests remain focused on their core goals and that the government does not use the presence of any separatist or terrorist elements to discredit the protesters.
Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Faruk Melik ÇEVİK via Unsplash.
*Full name withheld for security.
