When news broke last Friday that Turkish citizens were protesting against the government headed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, it was all my family could talk about.
My parents, both born and bred Turks, called family and friends and examined all the different news coverage in the media. From watching live video of demonstrations taking place in both Istanbul and the capital city Ankara to reading through numerous amounts of coverage from different news sources, this past weekend was entirely consumed of discussing the future of Turkiye.
Turkey is currently governed by Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) which was elected 11 years ago after advocating for a strong economy focused on joining the European Union. The economy is now stable and booming, but the country, split between Europe and the Middle East only by the Bosporus strait running through Istanbul, is not any closer to joining the EU than it was 11 years ago. In fact, Erdogan’s extremist Islamic regime is slowly working its way into governing decisions and plaguing the democracy that is founded on keeping religion and politics separate.
From Taksim Square to Izmir, Turkish, protesters are chanting and clanging their pots and pans for Erdogan to step down from his post. Although he was democratically elected, Erdogan gradually started implementing his hidden agenda of transforming the secular country into a religious state. In addition to the recent curbs on alcohol consumption, he advocated stricter dress codes for women and how many children they should have, commenced curriculum change in schools and even prohibited people celebrating national holidays. This all came to a boil last week when the police attacked, without provocation, a few environmentally conscious protesters who occupied Gezi park, the last green park left in Istanbul that Erdogan plans to turn into a shopping mall.
The Prime Minister’s response to all of this has unsurprisingly been negative, where he believes the citizens are just wasting their time. Erdogan, who I unfortunately have to share a last name with, obviously has no intention of leaving his position. Instead, he enlisted the Police force that employed violence in its attempt to control the protests. So far, more than 1,000 people have been injured and four people have reportedly died.
Even with the lack of internet access and telephone service, the protestors are causing quite a stir around the world. Recognized as breaking news by numerous media outlets including TIME and Al Jazeera English, Turkish citizens have successfully gotten the attention they need to start shifting governmental changes forward, not backward, like Erdogan intended.
Democracy is something Americans take for granted. The freedom to speak your opinions, the freedom to practice any religion, the freedom to write these exact words… these are precious things overlooked in this country. According to Daniel Pipes’ LA Times article “The good news in Turkey,” the AKP sent more journalists to jail than any other state in the world and imposed limitations on public displays of affection, actions that beget the Islamic-based government Erdogan so eagerly wants to practice.
When considering how much progress Turkey has achieved in the past century, it’s unbelievable how much it has grown, not only economically but also culturally. Turkey once was stereotyped as a backwards country stuck between Europe and the Middle East, but it’s vast size and prominence in that region has necessitated the opening of doors to all different types of people and businesses, enriching the culture and feeding the economy.
How will that continue with a dictator Prime Minister who thinks the past is his citizens’ best future?
I am Turkish-American and Turkish culture is in my blood. There was never a moment when I doubted my heritage to the country known for its coffee and cotton. I call my mother “Anne” and father “Baba,” and I drink tea on a daily basis and eat baklava on special occasions. Turkish culture is very much prominent within my home – I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Despite my allegiance to Turkey, I cannot help but support the citizens protesting Erdogan. Living in America has helped me realize how valuable democracy really is.
In Turkey today, I might not have the freedom to write this column.
– Melodi Erdogan is a sophomore in journalism and electronic media. You can reach her at [email protected].
