The Turkish government's reactionary counteroffensive continues on all fronts (not just media) (and is supported in Europe)

dossier

“…Around fifty people were arrested in front of the Istanbul Palace of Justice on Friday afternoon. The group had gathered in front of the courthouse for a solidarity rally for 24 students who were taken into custody during protests at Boğaziçi University the previous day. The Turkish police used force against the protesters..." - from theReport “Boğaziçi: 50 Arrests at Solidarity Rally” on March 26, 2021 at ANF about one of the reactionary measures taken by the Turkish government against students, the opposition, journalists... See also other current reports and background articles:

• Türkiye is still considered an EU accession country and a safe country of origin - even despite a new wave of raids against LGBTIQ+ organizations and human rights defenders
  • What security?
    “In Turkey, queer people are once again being demonized as a threat to the family - the government is distracting attention from real problems in society
    Last weekend marked the 46th anniversary of the military coup in Turkey in 1980. Under General Kenan Evren, the army declared martial law on September 12th, suspended the constitution and arrested hundreds of thousands of people within a few days. The military government persecuted leftists, communists, minorities - and, what is less well known, queer communities: gay bars were closed, drag shows were banned and queer people, especially trans sex workers, were criminalized, pushed out of the cities and tortured in prisons.
    It hardly seems coincidental that the Turkish government carried out a nationwide operation entitled “My family is safe” on the anniversary of the coup, which is also associated with memories of massive state repression for queers in Turkey. There were raids and arrests over the weekend in a total of 15 provinces, including Istanbul, Ankara, Mersin and Izmir. 162 people, 13 businesses such as bars and clubs and nine associations are affected, including some of the country's oldest queer associations such as Kaos GL and the Kurdish association Hêvî LGBTI+. The social media accounts and websites of numerous queer organizations were also blocked. In addition, protests against the raids in recent days have resulted in police violence and at least 150 other arrests.
    Increasing criminalization
    The public prosecutor's office is investigating, among other things, "obscenity" under Section 226 of the Turkish Penal Code, which includes "crimes" such as "dissemination of obscene content" and "unnatural sexual acts." Forming clubs to commit a crime, drug possession and prostitution are also mentioned as allegations. This wave of repression is part of a chain of numerous attacks on the queer community under the guise of “protecting the family”. (…)
    “They blame us for their inability to protect families,” says a statement on Instagram from the queer platform Velvele, which was also affected. In recent years, government politicians have repeatedly blamed queer people for the “disintegration” of the family and the low birth rate in the country. The LGBTQ+ movement is part of a foreign conspiracy and wants to undermine Turkish society, said President Erdoğan in 2025 when he ushered in the “Year of the Family” in Turkey. Using queer people as scapegoats for their political failures while talking about safety for families is a mockery on so many levels that it's hard to know where to start…”Article by Hêlîn Dirik on September 16, 2026 in ak online 
  • RAV condemns wave of raids against LGBTIQ+ organizations and human rights defenders in Turkey - The federal government must react diplomatically
    “The RAV strongly condemns the nationwide wave of raids against LGBTIQ organizations, activists and civil society structures carried out by the Turkish police and public prosecutors in recent days. Under the pretext of Operation “Ailem Güvende” (“My Family is Safe”), dozens of people were arrested in several Turkish provinces and investigations were launched against 162 people, nine clubs and 13 companies. In the case of the Kaos GL organization alone, board and control board members were arrested, their homes and offices were searched and evidence was confiscated.
    Demonstrations in front of Istanbul's Çağlayan courthouse were violently broken up by police and protesters were taken into custody.
    At the same time, Turkish courts ordered the blocking of websites and more than 100 social media accounts - including those of Kaos GL, the newspaper Evrensel, Amnesty International Turkey, Barış Akademisyenleri and Medya ve Hukuk Çalışmaları Derneği (MLSA). For years, the MLSA has provided essential legal support to journalists, human rights defenders and activists who are themselves targets of state repression.
    Massive suppression of the right to sexual identity
    The RAV sees this approach as a further blatant violation of freedom of expression, association and assembly as well as the suppression of the right to sexual identity and sexual orientation/self-determination.
    Lawyer and RAV managing director Dr. Luke Theune:What we are experiencing in Turkey is not criminal prosecution in the sense of a constitutional state, but rather the targeted destruction of civil society structures under the guise of “moral law”. When even an organization like MLSA is targeted, it shows that it is not about child protection, but about eliminating those who defend human rights…”Press release from September 17, 2026 
  • LGBTI rights: Despite massive persecution, Turkey is considered “safe”
    “The situation for queer people in Turkey is getting worse. Nevertheless, Turkey is classified as a “safe country of origin” in Germany, which has serious implications for asylum procedures.
    In order to distract from the economic and political failure, the Turkish state has launched a new wave of arrests and persecution against queer people (queer.de reported). Many queer people therefore want to leave the country. Quite a few of them apply for asylum in Germany. This year, asylum seekers from Turkey are once again in third place among the top countries of origin. More asylum seekers are coming from Afghanistan and Syria. It is not known how many of them are queer. It is not easy for people from Turkey to receive asylum in Germany. The rejection rate is high. According to statistics from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), only around ten percent of people from Turkey receive a positive decision. Individual evidence is usually crucial. (…)
    Türkiye is still considered an EU accession country
    The EU suspended accession negotiations with Turkey in 2018. This was justified by the fact that there are many regressions in the areas of democracy, fundamental rights and the rule of law in Turkey. Nevertheless, Turkey is still considered an EU accession country and therefore a safe country of origin. Human rights organizations are outraged about this. “Critical voices, opposition members, journalists and human rights defenders have been persecuted and suppressed in Turkey for years,” says Wiebke Judith, legal policy spokeswoman for Pro Asyl. "In politically charged proceedings, there can be no question of an independent judiciary and constitutional procedures. It is therefore absurd that Turkey is considered a supposedly safe country of origin simply because of its formal status as an EU candidate country. The accession negotiations have been on hold since 2018. The federal government itself has stated that Turkey does not currently sufficiently meet the Copenhagen criteria," emphasizes Wiebke Judith…”Article by Christian Höller from September 17, 2026 on queer.de 
  • In this context, see also the dossier:EU-Turkey deal on the refugee issueand the dossier:Previous BAMF aid becomes a formal deal: Kurds and those politically persecuted are threatened by the “deportation offensive” to Turkey
• Media associations denounce criminalization of journalism in Turkey: “Journalism is treated like a crime” 
  “On Press Freedom Day, media organizations warn of growing repression in Turkey. More and more media professionals are in prison. This also puts society's right to information under pressure. On International Press Freedom Day, several journalist and media organizations warned of a further deterioration of the situation in Turkey. In a joint statement in Ankara, they criticized the increasing criminalization of journalistic work and called for the immediate release of imprisoned media workers.The journalists' association Dicle Firat (DFG), the Association of Women Journalists from Mesopotamia (MKG), the press unions DISK Basın-Iş and Haber-Sen, the Society of Journalists in Southeast Anatolia (GGC) and the Turkish representation of the European Journalists' Association AEJ took part in the press conference. The statement was read out by Kurdish journalist Diren Yurtsever.
  “Journalism is treated like a crime”
  The organizations pointed out that Turkey has fallen further behind in the international press freedom index and is now ranked 163rd out of 180 countries. This development is an expression of a political practice that is putting journalistic work under increasing pressure…”Report from May 3, 2026 at ANF , see also:
  • DFG report: Systematic pressure on journalists in Turkey continues
    “A report from the Kurdish journalists' association DFG documents numerous attacks, investigations and prison sentences against media professionals for April. The organization speaks of systematic pressure on freedom of the press and expression of opinion.
    The Kurdish journalists' association Dicle Firat (DFG) sees media professionals in Turkey continuing to be exposed to extensive pressure. In its published report on rights violations in April, the organization paints a picture of systematic repression against journalists and the critical public.
    Accordingly, interference with basic rights such as life, security and freedom of expression were also widespread last month. Two media companies were the target of attacks or blockades, and the police also searched the homes of three journalists. Three others were arrested and a journalist was taken into custody…”Report from May 5, 2026 at ANF 
• Dozens of left-wing activists, journalists and trade unionists have been arrested in 22 provinces of Türkiye on charges of “terrorism”. 
  "At least 92 people were arrested in a nationwide raid in Turkey on Tuesday. Numerous people from left-wing and socialist groups, trade unions and the press were affected. The police operation began in the early hours of the morning and was primarily directed against members and supporters of the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP), its youth organization SGDF, the Socialist Women's Councils (SKM) and against journalists from the ETHA news agency. Among those arrested are well-known personalities of the Leftists, including the co-chair of the ESP Murat Çepni, who sat for the HDP in the Turkish parliament from 2018 to 2023, the journalists Pınar Gayıp, Züleyha Müldür and Müslüm Koyun, the lawyer Özlem Gümüştaş and dozens of other activists, artists and intellectuals (…) Also members of the union Limter-İş, which represents workers in shipyards, warehouses and shipping, the Kilmajustice Collective Poland Ekoloji and the BEKSAV Cultural Center were arrested during house searches (…) According to an official statement from Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, published on social media, the operation was aimed at alleged members of the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party (MLKP) operating in Turkey is being prosecuted as a “terrorist organization”. The operation was “coordinated in 22 provinces” and included a total of 96 arrests. (…) Human rights organizations have been criticizing for years that left-wing, feminist and Kurdish organizations in particular are being criminalized under the pretext of the fight against terrorism.The arrests are part of a long series of waves of repression against opposition forces in Turkey - especially before elections, peace negotiations or in times of domestic political crises. The organizations concerned see the operation as a targeted attack on political opposition, press freedom and social movements. In an initial reaction, the ESP stated that it would “not be silenced”. Report from February 3, 2026 in AFN News (“Wave of arrests against left-wing structures in Turkey”)
• Lawyers' organizations are relieved by the acquittal of the Istanbul Bar Association, but vehemently criticize the illegitimate procedure
  "... German lawyers' organizations welcome the acquittal of the members of the board of the Istanbul Bar Association. The Federal Bar Association (BRAK), the German Bar Association (DAV), the organizational office of the defense lawyers' associations, the Berlin Bar Association and the Republican Lawyers' Association (RAV) represent the common opinion: acquittal is the only acceptable outcome of this fundamentally illegitimate trial against the organized legal profession. The first instance verdict was made this Friday after a The trial, which lasted several months, took place in a special courtroom on the grounds of the Silivri high-security prison, around 80 kilometers southwest of Istanbul. The background to this was a public statement that the chamber made at the end of 2024 in which it called for an investigation into the killing of two journalists in northern Syria and criticized the arbitrary arrest of journalists, lawyers and other people at a demonstration in Istanbul Terror propaganda. The trial, which received great international attention, began in May 2025, the last hearings took place this week. 28 European bar associations and 19 bar associations were on site (…) Despite the positive verdict, the bar associations point to the ongoing significant constitutional deficits in the Turkish justice system. The international community must finally take measures to put pressure on the Turkish government of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan To establish the rule of law…” Joint press release from January 9, 2026 at RAV online – see the background here below
• Erdoğan's feared opponent Ekrem İmamoğlu remains locked up - the revocation of his degrees is met with fear and widespread resistance from students
  • Türkiye: Erdoğan's feared opponent remains locked away. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu is looking forward to a long process
    “The date for the start of the trial has now been set in the trial against Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and over 400 other defendants. The trial against the CHP politician, who is accused not only of corruption but also of leading a criminal organization, will begin on March 9, 2026. The indictment runs to around 3,700 pages and the required sentence would be more than 2,000 years in prison. For the defendant, it is clear: "The allegations are being used to portray Istanbul's elected administration as a criminal organization and its mayor as a gang leader." The justice system is relying on a deliberate misinterpretation of normal municipal work and on anonymous witnesses. Confidentiality orders prevented even his own legal team from examining the evidence…”Article by Svenja Huck from December 22nd, 2025 in ND online 
  • Students in Turkey demand legal certainty
    “Arbitrary withdrawal of degrees like that of Ekrem İmamoğlu is met with widespread resistance
    The imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu mobilized tens of thousands of people to spontaneously protest in March 2025. Most demanded adherence to constitutional principles and democratic values. But even before İmamoğlu was removed from office and imprisoned, Istanbul University had stripped him of his degree. Student protests immediately formed against this decision, first in Istanbul and then throughout the country. The video, which shows determined youth breaking through a police line, went viral and mobilized tens of thousands in the following days.
    How much is your own studies still worth?
    The students emphasized again and again: It's also about us and our future. Because if even a mayor's certificate could be revoked without solid evidence, what is one's own studies worth? (… ) Political organization at universities is subject to massive repression, both from the state and from armed fascist structures, but is still present. In view of major political trials such as the one against İmamoğlu, this sometimes takes a back seat. The long-term politicization and organization of one's own fellow students is just as relevant as the ability to spontaneously mobilize to protest…”Article by Svenja Huck from December 22nd, 2025 in ND online 
• International solidarity with the editorial team of the Turkish satirical magazine LeMan is growing:  Brutal repression and 5 arrests after the publication of a cartoon
  • Publishers in Turkey show solidarity with satirical magazine Leman
    “Several dozen publishers in Turkey expressed solidarity with the satirical magazine Leman on Wednesday. After false allegations, including by members of the government, that the magazine had published a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed, Leman employees were arrested and the editorial office in Istanbul was occupied by the police. This was followed by riots by Islamists…”Report and documentation in the young world from July 4th, 2025 and to that:
  • Türkiye: EJF-IFJ condemns censorship of satirical magazine LeMan
    “The European and International Federation of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) strongly condemns the arrest of cartoonists and media workers from the satirical magazine LeMan for “incitement to hatred and hostility” and calls for the charges to be dropped.
    On July 2, 2025, Turkish authorities arrested four employees of the satirical magazine LeMan for “incitement to hatred and hostility” in connection with a controversial cartoon depicting the Prophet Mohammed from the June 26 issue. Cartoonist Dogan Pehlevan, editorial director Zafer Aknar, graphic designer Cebrail Okcu and managing director Ali Yavuz are in custody. The public prosecutor's office also initiated a financial investigation into foreign financing against the medium and its employees. Arrest warrants were issued against the French-based owner and another managing director.
    Images of the cartoon, reposted on social media, show two angels shaking hands in the sky over a bombed-out city. One is called Mohammed, the other Moses. Turkish authorities interpreted the cartoon as a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed, and Erdoğan's ruling party described it as an "Islamophobic hate crime." Tuncay Akgun, editor-in-chief of the magazine, denied publishing a cartoon, saying the cartoon was intended to illustrate the suffering of Muslims during armed conflicts, who are depicted with Mohammed - the most common first name - rather than the Prophet.
    In a joint statement The Turkish Journalists' Association (TGS), the Turkish Writers' Association (TYS), the Turkish Journalists' Association (TGC), the Turkish Publishers' Association (TURKYAYBIR) and the Writers' Association PEN criticize the targeted, attack- and violence-oriented discourses following the publication of the cartoon. This also includes protests that took place in front of the magazine's offices in Istanbul on July 1st…” EnglishProtest by the European Federation of Journalists on July 4, 2025 (machine translated)
  • Solidarity with the editorial team of the Turkish magazine Le Man
    “The National Union of Journalists (SNJ) fully supports the editorial team of the satirical magazine Le Man, which is a victim of brutal repression. This attack on journalism and freedom of expression is unacceptable. Together with our international organizations, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the SNJ is calling for the release of the imprisoned colleagues and the dropping of the charges against them.
    Following the arrest of four editorial members of the magazine on July 2nd, Le Man's editor-in-chief, Aslan Özdemir, was arrested on his return to Turkey on Saturday, July 12th. According to the human rights organization MLSA, he is being prosecuted for “public incitement to hatred and hostility.” These arrests follow the publication of a cartoon in the June 26 issue of LeMan. Turkish authorities interpreted the cartoon as a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed, a claim the magazine team formally rejected.
    Sales of the June 26 issue of LeMan were also banned, with orders to immediately remove it from newsstands. The magazine's website and social media were blocked. The IJF and EFJ strongly condemn these new attacks on Turkish media, which come against a backdrop of increasing repression and censorship: "With their attacks on caricatures and cartoons, the Turkish authorities are attacking the highest symbol of freedom of expression. We recall that the role of cartoonists, which is crucial in the media world and in democratic societies, is protected by the European Convention on Human Rights. This allows the dissemination of information that offends, disturbs or... can shock as long as they contribute to the public debate.”
    We reiterate our solidarity with the LeMan Magazine team and demand the immediate release of the currently imprisoned members. Journalism is not a crime.” FrenchPress release from SNJ syndicat de journalistes dated July 14, 2025 (machine translated)
  • Currently see also:Accusation of “membership in a terrorist organization”: Journalist and Sendika.Org employee Ozan Cırık has been in custody for 28 days
• Rallies on the 100th Day of Resistance on March 19 in Turkey: mass arrests this time in the opposition stronghold of İzmir
  • 126 arrests in opposition stronghold Izmir
    “The Turkish government continues to take action against the opposition party CHP: 126 people were arrested in Izmir in a major operation against the city administration. In the Turkish city of Izmir, 126 people were arrested in an operation against the city administration led by the opposition CHP party. According to the state news agency Anadolu, the arrests also affect leading politicians such as former mayor Tunc Soyer and CHP provincial chairman Senol Aslanoglu. A total of 157 arrest warrants were issued in Izmir, reported the broadcaster NTV and the newspaper “Cumhuriyet“…”Report from July 1st, 2025 in tagesschau.de 
  • Erdoğan's next blow: Türkiye: mass arrests in opposition stronghold İzmir
    “Now it's İzmir's turn. In the early hours of Tuesday morning, numerous former and current city administration employees were arrested in the Aegean metropolis on corruption charges. Turkey's third largest city is considered a stronghold of the Kemalist opposition party CHP. Among those arrested are former mayor Tunç Soyer and CHP provincial chairman Şenol Aslanoğlu. According to the public prosecutor's office, arrest warrants were issued against 157 suspects, 109 of which were executed. The allegations have been known for a long time and there was no risk of absconding, CHP deputy chairman Murat Bakan criticized on X the "dawn arrests" as a "political maneuver." President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan himself gave the starting signal for the new operation against the opposition a few days ago with the words "Not only Istanbul, but also other provinces are a catastrophe." The raids in İzmir took place exactly on the 100th day of the arrest of Istanbul mayor and CHP presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu, for whose release the CHP had called for a large rally that evening…”Article by Nick Brauns in the young world from July 2nd, 2025 
  • 100th day of the meeting: Thousands flocked to Saraçhane
    “On the 104th day of the March 19 uprising and the 100th day of Ekrem İmamoğlu's arrest, the rally called by the CHP began with marches from Vezneciler Metro, Beyazıt and Yenikapı. Thousands flocked to Saraçhane Square. The reactionary attack on Leman magazine was also remembered at the rally, where Ekrem İmamoğlu's message was read out and greetings were given to the detained mayors amid applause…” Turkish.Report from July 1st, 2025 in Sendika.Org (machine translated) with photos and videos
  • March to Saraçhane on the 100th day of the March 19 uprising: “On the streets against the trustees, to resist the order”
    “On the 100th day of the March 19 uprising, people gathered in Vezneciler and marched to Saraçhane under the call of the CHP
    Student clubs from universities across Istanbul gathered ahead of the action scheduled to take place in Saraçhane on the 100th day of the March 19 uprising, with the CHP's call: "To the streets against the trustee, to resist the order"
    The CHP youth associations met in Yenikapı. The women's association of the CHP marched from Beyazıt.
    Response to police refusal to admit university students because they refused to submit to strip searches
    "Yesterday, Sharia followers made death threats against the people. Did you barricade them?"...” Turkish.Report from July 1st, 2025 in Sendika.Org (machine translated) with photos and videos
  • See also:Accusation of “membership in a terrorist organization” against 7 journalists: Sendika editor Ozan Cırık detained for 15 days
• Court reporter Elif Akgül: journalist released from prison in Türkiye
  “Journalist Elif Akgül was released from prison in Istanbul. Your indictment reveals the incompetence of the Turkish judiciary.
  The metal doors of the Bakırköy women's prison in Istanbul open on Monday afternoon. As journalist Elif Akgül sticks her head out, a group of journalists - her closest friends - rush towards her, arms raised, dancing with joy. They give her a big hug and almost instinctively start chanting a well-known feminist slogan. Because those who deprived Elif of her freedom for over 100 days were men. “We are not afraid, we are not silent, we do not obey!” they shout again and again with joy. The short video online can make you cry.
  Elif Akgül, a court reporter who has also written for the taz in the past, was arrested in Istanbul early on a February morning. As is often the case in Turkey, she is accused of membership in a terrorist organization. The evidence against Akgül is weak. In her police interrogation in February, she was asked about a series of protests, such as May Day and Gezi Park, in which she took part as a journalist between 2012 and 2013. For over three months, Elif Akgül sat in prison waiting for prosecutors to gather evidence to draw up a strong terrorism indictment against her. It was a waste of time, to say the least. (…) Elif Akgül is not completely free because she has been banned from leaving the country. She is not allowed to leave Turkey. Their trial is not yet complete either. The first hearing will take place at the end of September…”Article by Ali Çelikkan from June 3, 2025 in the taz online – see the history here below
• Youth Manifesto of the Beyazıt Square Rally: “We will not leave the streets, universities and squares until the problems are solved“
  “The last of the rallies organized by the CHP in Istanbul every Wednesday took place in Beyazıt Square. At the rally, which was attended by many students, the student manifesto was read from the stands. The demands of the youth were listed in 11 articles and it was declared that they would not leave the streets until these demands were met
  The last of the rallies organized by the CHP every Wednesday in Istanbul took place in Beyazıt Square. Tens of thousands of people gathered in Beyazıt Square despite bomb threats, the disruption of demonstrations by declaring any slogan containing the word “Erdoğan” “illegal” and the ban on lighting devices in the square.
  “Attention, students on the line”
  Many university students also took part in the rally. A student each from Istanbul University and Istanbul Technical University gave a speech at the rally and a student from Koç University read out the student manifesto. The speech, which began with the announcement “Attention, students are speaking,” expressed the problems of the youth and listed the demands in 11 points. The rally called for a common struggle and a meeting around the 11 articles calling for the release of all political prisoners, especially Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, and an end to the ban on gatherings and demonstrations in all squares in Turkey, especially Taksim, Saraçhane, METU, Kızılay and Çağlayan.
  Here is the full speech:
      Attention, this is students talking. We are reaching out to all the people in Turkey who are watching us from their workplaces, their homes and their streets and who are worried about the future of their children. As students from all over Türkiye, we read out the resistance manifesto of March 19 and invite everyone to agree on these common demands.
      We are young people who, since birth, have never seen any power other than Erdoğan's palace regime, who have been forced to fight for their existence in the grip of poverty, who have died in accidents at work! We grew up in 81 provinces of the Republic of Turkey, from the barricades of Istanbul University to the METU Revolutionary Stadium, from Dokuz Eylül University to Anadolu University, and had to fight for a dignified and free future in all areas from the economy to the judiciary.
  Today, as young people who have been locked up for days in the AKP's dungeons, who have been tortured in the streets, who have brought hope from their universities to the squares against all the darkness, we express our problems that must be solved immediately!
  1) All political prisoners, especially Ekrem İmamoğlu, Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, must be released.
  2) The municipalities for which trustees have been appointed must be returned to their elected mayors.
  3) The police officers who violated the constitutional order and fundamental rights and freedoms by unconstitutionally preventing the exercise of the right to peaceful demonstrations and protests; who intervened in sexual harassment, sexual assault, torture and torment, and all state officials, especially the governors of Istanbul and Ankara, who gave these orders must be fired.
  4) Citizens detained and arrested solely for participating in peaceful demonstrations must be released immediately. Practices that contradict the guarantees of the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights against the exercise of the right to assemble and demonstrate must be ended and all obstacles affecting the essence of this right removed.
  5) The de facto bans on gatherings and demonstrations in all squares in Turkey, especially in Taksim, Saraçhane, METU, Kızılay and Çağlayan, must be ended. The blockades occupying the squares must be lifted.
  6) It is important to end the pressure on the constitutionally guaranteed right to education and learning and to create an environment in which educational and research activities can be carried out without political or administrative pressure. In this context, the diploma decisions made by Istanbul University must be reversed, the YÖK pressure on universities must stop, and the demands for free and autonomous universities must be accepted. The Ministry of National Education's pressure on high schools must stop and the teachers who have been exiled must be reinstated in their previous positions.
  7) The number of femicides increasing day by day shows us how important the Istanbul Convention is and it must be implemented again. The discriminatory policies that target the private life of individuals and attack the existence of women and LGBTI+ people must end and the pressure on private life must stop immediately.
  8) The citizens of Samandağ who lost their homes in the earthquake should get their land back and investigations should be launched into the injustices suffered.
  9) The Canal Istanbul Project, which was initiated for reasons of profitability and plunder, must be abandoned.
  10) While Istanbul is under threat of an earthquake, IBB officials and city planners who are under arrest when they are supposed to be working to make the city earthquake-proof should be immediately released and reinstated in their positions.
  11) All government officials who made and implemented illegal decisions in these trials should immediately leave their posts and face a fair trial.
  The problems we have raised and their solutions are clear. We hereby declare once again that we will not leave the streets, universities and squares until these problems are resolved and the necessary measures are taken against those responsible!
  It is clear that the ruling regime and the political justice system it has created have no legitimacy in the eyes of the people. In this system, in which the decisions of the Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights are not implemented, the Republic of Turkey has lost its status as a constitutional state and the law is used as one of the tools of power. The most honorable way to put an end to this illegal and repressive one-man regime is the resignation of all those responsible, especially President Erdoğan and the ministers, and the immediate holding of early elections by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey!
  We still raise our voices against this empire of fear that has been created in Turkey for years and against the living conditions we are subjected to. We are on the streets for all the women, children and workers we have lost to this system, we are not giving up.  As the youth of this country, we see the poverty to which we are condemned, how our future is played with like a toy, the embargo on our freedom of thought and how we are prevented from exercising our constitutional rights.
  We are here to build an honorable future in this country.
  We will not allow ourselves to be treated like this!“Turkish.Document dated May 8, 2025 at Sendika.Org (machine translated) – see/listen also:
  • GenZ protests in Turkey: »We cannot ignore what is going on in our country. That’s why everyone is political.«
    “In Turkey, GenZ is raising its voice and courageously taking to the streets since the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. The protests began at universities at the end of March and have now spread across a broad section of society. Generation Z is protesting, organizing and is no longer afraid to raise its voice: "Zıpla! Zıpla! Zıplamayan Tayyipçi (Hop! Hop! Whoever doesn't hop is Tayyip)". Julia Duffner spoke to journalist Pia Masurczak and an activist about why anger and hopelessness turn into political courage. The activist says: "We can't ignore what's going on in our country. That's why everyone is political.”“Contribution from May 7, 2025 on Radio Dreyeckland in cooperation with iz3w 
• Fundraising campaign for independent media in Turkey: Journalism is not a crime. And not for free.
  “The state of press freedom in Turkey is poor. Nevertheless, they do exist: critical journalists who do their work despite all odds and at great personal risk - in contrast to the pro-government media, which paid little attention to the mass protests against the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Instead, they sent baking recipes.
  Since İmamoğlu's arrest, independent media outlets have come under even greater pressure, facing fines, arrests and intimidation.
  To make matters worse, Google parent company Alphabet recently changed its algorithms so that critical media no longer appears on Google Newsturn up . The result is serious loss of income, which further threatens the existence of the independent media because many large Turkish companies shy away from placing direct advertisements for fear of reprisals from the Erdoğan government. That's why the news portal Gazete Duvar had toalready close .
  At this point we would like to make a contribution to supporting independent media in Turkey - a tangible contribution that goes beyond the purely symbolic.
  The newspapers, online portals, podcasts that we would like to support with this campaign were carefully selected based on professional criteria and in coordination with Turkish organizations and experts. We would have loved to have mentioned all of these media here - if only to honor the work of these colleagues. However, all have asked for anonymity because they fear reprisals. We ask for your understanding that we are complying with this wish.
  One thing is clear: no one can take over the fight for freedom of the press and freedom of expression, democracy and the rule of law from the people of Türkiye. But we can stand by them…”PEN Berlin campaign – So far, 21 media outlets and media companies have taken part in this solidarity campaign with free advertisementsdju as well asDJV call for support
• Turmoil in Turkey: The Children of Gezi
  “Young people in particular are organizing resistance against the president. They are also fighting for a future in their own country. (…) Since İmamoğlu's arrest, hardly anyone has the illusion that things could change politically for the better with Erdoğan. “The arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu is seen not only as a deprivation of freedom of an individual, but also as an interference with the will of the people,” writes sociologist Haluk Doğan in an analysis for the non-profit think tank Toplum Çalışmaları Enstitüsü (Institute for Social Research). For this reason, the demonstrations should be viewed not only as a demand for Imamoğlu's release, but also as a demand for social and democratic justice…”Article by Çiğdem Akyol in WoZ from April 24, 2025 
• International organizations condemn attacks on lawyers' independence and the rule of law in Turkey, where protests are spreading to students
  • Students protest against the Erdogan government
    “Whether in Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara, Antalya or other cities: For days now, many students in Turkey have not been going to class and are instead demonstrating against the Erdogan government. The trigger is the announcement that thousands of teachers will be transferred from so-called project schools. The union suspects political reasons, the government speaks of routine. We talk to Dr. about this new level of protests in Turkey. Ismail Küpeli, political scientist at the Ruhr University Bochum“IInterview from April 16, 2025 on rbb's Radio1 , see:
    • Protests in Turkey From the high school to the streets
      “The protests in Turkey are expanding and drawing ever younger people onto the streets. High school students are also venting their anger: tens of thousands of teachers are to be replaced.Many students have not been going to class for days. Instead: sit-ins and protests. In Ankara, Izmir, Antalya, Mersin or Amasya. Or in Istanbul at a spontaneous demonstration in the Besiktas district. The trigger: teachers from project schools are to be relocated - up to 20,000 throughout Türkiye.(…)
      According to media reports, it is primarily those teachers who are considered critical of the government who are being transferred. For example, they are said to have recently taken part in demonstrations against the government after Ekrem İmamoğlu - Istanbul's deposed mayor and possible opponent of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan - was arrested. The affected teachers are said to have discussed this in class. Their positions will now be given to others who are friendly to the Erdoğan government, it is said. This is not legal, said Kemal Irmal from the education union Eğitim Sen to the broadcaster Halk TV. "The teachers are being torn from their normal lives. This is the first time in the history of Turkey. Without criteria and in the middle of the year - this is something illegal," he denounced…”Contribution by Benjamin Weber, ARD Istanbul, from April 15, 2025 in tagesschau.de 
    • Is the problem in high schools just that the teachers are banished to the project schools?
      “It should not be forgotten that the reaction in high schools with the demand “Don't touch my teacher” actually implies the demand for more scientific and contemporary teaching. This requirement will probably also be made at other high schools as project schools. That must be what scares the state…”  Turkish.Post from April 16, 2025 in Sendika.org –  there are also many reports about the protests
    • See also the dossier:House arrest for the board of the education union Eğitim Sen as part of the criminalization of democratic education in Turkey
  • Türkiye: Attacks on legal profession unacceptable. Organizations condemn government attacks on the rule of law
    “The German Lawyers' Association (DAV) is increasingly concerned about the situation of the legal profession in Turkey. Rule-of-law principles such as the right to defense and the independence of the legal profession are repeatedly undermined under pretexts. Together with numerous other international advocacy and human rights organizations, the DAV has now signed a statement asking the international community for support…”Press release from April 14, 2025 from DAV and the full statement (in English) at RAV:
    • Türkiye: Attacks on the legal profession unacceptable
      “International legal and human rights community condemns attempts to undermine the independence of lawyers and the rule of law. The Turkish authorities' escalating attacks on the Istanbul Bar Association, its leadership and members of the bar are an affront to the independence of the legal profession and the rule of law, an international coalition of lawyers, bar associations and human rights organizations warned today…”Report and statement from April 14, 2025 to the RAV 
• Demonstrations and protests in Turkey continue after the holidays, but the Turkish government wants to intimidate opposition, including trade unionists under arrest
  • Trade unionists under arrest. Turkish government wants to intimidate opposition. Federal executive board of the Eğitim-Sen education union arrested. But he remains combative
    “The protests in Turkey against the one-man regime are not abating; conversely, the repression is taking on an increasingly violent dimension. On March 25, the education union Eğitim-Sen called on academic staff to stop work in solidarity with the students and their university boycott. This began after Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu's university degree was canceled and he was deposed as mayor and imprisoned. As a result, all seven federal executive committee members of the union were arrested and placed under house arrest, including electronic ankle bracelets. (…) “The trade union right to call for a strike, which is guaranteed to us by the constitution, was quickly turned into criminalization by the public prosecutors in Ankara and Istanbul,” explained İzzet İldeş, one of the Eğitim-Sen federal executive board members placed under house arrest, in an interview with jW. An investigation was initiated on the same day. The court sentenced all seven Eğitim-Sen board members to 15 days of house arrest under court supervision without any legal basis. This cannot be explained legally or logically, but rather a "political method of punishment that is currently being used by the Turkish government directly through the judiciary." By targeting an action by the union that is carried out within the framework of the constitution, the government is trying to intimidate and suppress the opposition, said İldeş. "We, who give a voice to the students' demand for a future, are obviously supposed to be silenced." The message is: action is being taken against the organized opposition."By silencing us, they want to silence society as a whole," said the union official. (…)
    During the protests, calls for nationwide resistance and a general strike are now becoming louder and louder. From the perspective of trade unionist İzzet İldeş, these calls are legitimate and appropriate: »Not only students, but also employees in education, healthcare, workers, women and young people are forced to live under injustice and oppression today. Therefore, resistance at all levels is both legitimate and inevitable. As Eğitim-Sen, we always advocate a peaceful and democratic struggle. According to the trade unionist, Turkey is facing a serious test in terms of democracy, freedom of expression and human rights. But he and the other union members are full of hope in view of the ongoing protests.”Article by Mahir Sahin in the young world from April 10, 2025 
  • What you need to know about the fight for democracy in Turkey
    “First the most important opposition politician is arrested, now there are mass protests. How the Erdoğan system works and why it is crumbling. (…) It has never been more important than now to understand the Erdoğan system. At a time when autocracies are on the rise around the world and the international order is faltering, Turkey may be fighting for its democracy one last time. Understanding this power base also holds the key to how his long-term autocratic rule could end - and what needs to happen to achieve this. Because not everything is lost in Turkey yet. (…) The political scientist [Küpeli] believes that, in addition to the unity of his opponents, Erdoğan was also surprised by the mobilization power of the young generation. There was probably a hope in government circles that the 20-year-olds, who only knew the AKP at the top of the state, would simply accept İmamoğlu's arrest - that the status quo and custom would cement rule. “Erdoğan and the AKP underestimated that – and to be honest, so did I,” says Küpeli. It seems as if the moment has now come when years of dissatisfaction over oppression are venting on the streets. (…)
    In his text, İmamoğlu also criticizes the weak international reaction to his arrest. It's a criticism that Ismail Küpeli agrees with: »Actually, a lot could be done. Turkey still depends on good relations with Germany and the EU - both in the area of ​​the customs union and in terms of investments." According to Küpeli, it would also help if German politicians expressed themselves more clearly "so that Erdoğan sees that he not only has millions of people against him in his own country, but that the West also positions itself differently." However, Küpeli has little hope of tailwind from the EU, especially with regard to other authoritarian regimes such as Hungary. »How do you want to criticize Turkey for things that are also happening in the EU countries? That's the big problem.« (…) But something gives him hope, says Küpeli. "People keep taking to the streets even though they know that the police will attack them and that they may experience torture in custody." Democracy in Turkey will not fail because too few people stand up for it“…”Article by Marc Latsch from April 11, 2025 in Perspective Daily 
  • “We will not remain silent against strip searches and sexual violence!”
    “It was commonplace for women arrested during protests in Ankara to be strip-searched. The Psychiatric Association of Türkiye has commented on this issue: “We will not remain silent about the practices of strip searches and sexual violence!“Turkish. Statement of the Central Board of the Psychiatric Association of Türkiye on April 11, 2025 in birgun.net 
  • Demonstrations in Turkey: Students continue protests
    “Thousands of people are once again demonstrating against the government in Istanbul. The opposition CHP and German politicians are calling for the EU to take a stronger position.
    The seventeen largest universities in Istanbul called and everyone came. With a large demonstration in Kadıköy on Tuesday evening, Istanbul students ended the break in protests caused by the holidays last week. Anyone who expected that the protests would slowly die down was disappointed. Despite massive threats of punishment, thousands of students gathered at the ferry pier in Kadıköy and demanded either “democracy and justice”, the release of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu or the resignation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. (…) In a fast-track procedure, the Istanbul public prosecutor's office has already brought charges in 819 cases. Prosecutors are demanding sentences of up to 3 years in prison for participating in banned demonstrations and insulting the president. In a few cases even 5 and 9 years imprisonment are required. (…) The CHP also wants to start a series of major events across the country this weekend, starting in Samsun on the Black Sea. “We will continue to take to the streets until İmamoğlu is free again and the president agrees to early elections,” Özel said on Sunday. “But Erdoğan is afraid of elections, afraid of his political opponents and afraid of the nation!“Article by Wolf Wittenfeld from April 9, 2025 in the taz online 
  • Rebellion against fascism is a right! Organize yourselves in the spring committees!
    “Using the opportunities offered by the insurgent mass movement, we are reorganizing our spaces and giving the movement a new form. Let us organize ourselves into spring committees equipped with the universal principles of May Day to ensure and secure the revolutionary logic, the continuity and the durability of the insurgent impulse…” detailed Turkish appeal from Tek Yol DEVRİM magazine, special edition Spring Uprisingon April 8, 2025 in Sendika (machine translated)
  • Two Turkish investigative reporters arrested in Türkiye
    “Istanbul. Two Turkish journalists have been arrested on suspicion of extortion and threats, Anadolu news agency reported on Thursday. The police searched their homes and confiscated documents. The journalists worked for the daily newspapers Cumhuriyet and Birgün, which are considered critical of the government. Murat Ağırel and Timur Soykan are known for their investigative reports on corruption and organized crime. The aim of the arrests was to "intimidate journalists who criticize the government and the free media," wrote Burhanettin Bulut, deputy leader of the opposition CHP party, on X.”Agency report in the young world from April 11, 2025 (“Investigative reporter arrested in Türkiye”)
  • DJV condemns arrest of journalist
    “The German Journalists' Association expresses its concern about the recent events in Turkey.According to media reports, a Swedish journalist from the magazine Dagens ETC was arrested upon his arrival. According to Turkish media, Joakim Medin is accused of “insulting the president” and “membership in a terrorist organization.” The Turkish authorities are currently taking increased action against media outlets reporting on the protests in the country. (…) The imprisonment of foreign correspondents marks a new level of escalation and illustrates the president's nervousness. However, the truth cannot be suppressed. We journalists are closely monitoring what is happening in Turkey and will not allow ourselves to be silenced.”“DJV report from March 29, 2025 
  • Türkiye: RSF is outraged by the opening of a trial against four journalists who reported on the anti-government demonstrations in Istanbul.
    “They have already been deprived of their freedom for three days for doing their job. This judicial farce must stop and they must be acquitted!
    Judges in Istanbul have jailed four journalists on unjustified charges of “participating in unauthorized demonstrations.” Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is outraged by these arbitrary decisions, which demonstrate the serious interference of political power in the judiciary and are part of a dramatic escalation in the suppression of press freedom - which must end now. RSF calls for the immediate release of these journalists…” EnglishRSF communication from March 27, 25 (machine translated)
• Shopping boycott as an additional form of struggle in Turkey, even if the call was answered with arrest warrants. And cultural workers are now also calling for protests
  • Consumer boycott against Erdoğan. Türkiye: After opposition calls, many shopping centers and markets remained empty
    “As part of the protests against the imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, which have now been going on for two weeks, numerous people in Turkey boycotted all consumption on Wednesday. The opposition had called for people to avoid all forms of spending on this day, including shopping, going to gas stations and restaurants.
    The initiative for a one-day consumption break after the Muslim sugar festival came from student associations, which had already formed the vanguard of the protest movement against İmamoğlu's deposition and imprisonment in recent weeks with demonstrations and university boycotts. On Tuesday, Özgür Özel, the leader of İmamoğlu's Kemalist Social Democratic Party (CHP), also came out behind it. »I call on everyone to use their power as consumers and take part in this boycott. The nation is the true owner of the state," said the leader of the strongest opposition party on "The call for a boycott has been heard: shopping centers, markets, cafés and restaurants are empty," the socialist daily newspaper Evrensel reported on its website on Wednesday afternoon, showing pictures of largely deserted shopping malls and shopping streets. In some CHP strongholds, such as Istanbul's Kadıköy district, shopkeepers closed their businesses in solidarity.
    It is not known how many people actually joined the boycott nationwide. But the call already caused unrest in the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Trade Minister Ömer Bolat, who was demonstratively pictured on social media with full bags while shopping, spoke of "sabotage of the economy" (...) The Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office has meanwhile initiated investigations against supporters of the boycott call for "incitement to hatred and discrimination" and "stirring up hostilities in public." The radio and television regulator threatened punitive measures against broadcasters that broadcast the boycott call. The CHP had already called for a boycott of pro-government companies last week, including the German car manufacturers Volkswagen and Audi, which advertise in AKP-affiliated media. However, the publication of a list of company names to be boycotted was banned by the court.”Article by Nick Brauns in the young world from April 3rd, 2025 
  • Students call for a shopping boycott
    “University clubs and youth organizations in Turkey are calling for a shopping boycott on Wednesday to protest against the arrest of students following Imamoğlu's arrest. His CHP party supports the campaign.
    Numerous university clubs, student groups and youth organizations in Turkey called for a shopping boycott on Wednesday to protest against the arrest of students following the imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu. “We are taking advantage of our economic strength, taking a one-day break from consumption after the sugar festival and recommending not to buy anything on April 2nd,” said a statement distributed by dozens of groups on the online service X on Tuesday…”Report from April 1, 2025 at ANF 
  • That's the only answer they can give: arrest warrants for 16 people who called for a boycott
    “An arrest warrant was issued against 16 people, including social media influencers, for “preventing ordinary economic activity” and “inciting public hatred and hostility” for sharing boycott posts on social media. 6 people were arrested…” Turkish.Report from April 3, 2025 at Sendika.Org 
  • “CN violence
    In addition to the reports of police violence during the protests and torture in prisons, there are now reports of sexual violence and attacks against protesters by police officers. The police dismiss all allegations as false reports and will probably not take any action against the perpetrators“Post from Dr. Ismail Küpeli from April 3, 2025 on bsky to the TurkishArticle on birgun.net 
  • Culture Clash in Turkey: With Rousseau, Pokémon and Gasmas