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A new generation of young Turks is at the forefront of mass protests against President Tayyip Erdogan\u2019s government, demanding change in a country they see as increasingly authoritarian.<\/p>\n
Demonstrations erupted after Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a popular opposition figure, was jailed pending trial on corruption charges. Unlike older generations who remember the heavy crackdown on the 2013 anti-government Gezi Park protests, today\u2019s young protesters say they are undeterred by the risks.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think growing up under just one regime makes us a generation looking for change, looking for proof we live in a democracy,\u201d said Yezan Atesyan, a 20-year-old student at Middle East Technical University (METU).<\/p>\n
\u201cThe idea of a power that lasts forever scares us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hundreds of thousands of Turks nationwide have heeded opposition calls to protest since Imamoglu was detained last week.<\/p>\n
Protests have been mostly peaceful, but more than 2,000 people have been detained.<\/p>\n
The main opposition Republican People\u2019s Party (CHP), other opposition parties, rights groups and some Western powers have all said the case against Imamoglu is a politicised effort to eliminate a potential electoral threat to Erdogan.<\/p>\n
The government denies any influence over the judiciary and says the courts are independent.<\/p>\n
Students from across Turkey have mobilized, facing police blockades and water cannon trucks. Drone footage from METU captured clashes between protesters and state security forces.<\/p>\n
Atesyan said all were targetted in the crackdown: \u201cNot just minorities, not just women, not just the LGBT community \u2013 it is against all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beyond political frustration, economic hardship has fueled the unrest. High inflation and unemployment have made young people feel their future is slipping away.<\/p>\n
\u201cI graduated in 2024, but I can\u2019t find a job, and my family struggles financially,\u201d said 25-year-old protester Duygu at an opposition rally in Istanbul.<\/p>\n
She fears for her safety but also worries about her friends. \u201cSome of them have already been detained.\u201d<\/p>\n
Concerns over the state\u2019s response are growing. \u201cI don\u2019t want to show my face because the police could come for me,\u201d said Duygu, who wears a mask at protests. \u201cIf that happens, it would devastate my family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the risks, demonstrators remain resolute.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis feels like our last chance,\u201d Atesyan said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we don\u2019t succeed, many of us will have to leave Turkey.\u201d<\/p>\n
The government dismisses the protests as politically motivated, but the youth-driven unrest signals a growing divide.<\/p>\n
\u201cImamoglu represents hope,\u201d Atesyan said. \u201cThe possibility of real change.\u201d<\/p>\n
As protests continue, young Turks insist their demands are simple: democracy, accountability, and a future worth staying for. [Reuters]<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n