Sing me a song that brings hope
Journalists spent last Sunday taking part in a protest in the rain. Their demands were clear: freedom for journalists, democracy for the country. This initiative, aimed at reminding the public of a constitutional right, was met by the regime with a blockade of around a thousand police officers. The journalists were forced to share their legitimate demands with the public amidst this heavy atmosphere of repression.
The key element distinguishing this protest from others was that it took place through the journalists’ direct appeal to the public. Journalists wanted to feel they were not alone in this darkness, and indeed they were not. The presence of hundreds of readers and viewers standing shoulder to shoulder for İsmail Arı, Merdan Yanardağ, Alican Uludağ and their other detained colleagues became the greatest assurance for those who continue to practise this profession with honour.
NO KINGS
It seems the regime was also aware of the potential of this solidarity. Behind this intense effort to obstruct lies a single fear: the risk that the courage within that ‘ordinary’ person might be contagious, in the face of the regime’s attempts to establish a climate of fear.
The palace regime has today mobilised all its power to stifle the desire for change taking root in society. The media, the judiciary and the bureaucracy; every available instrument is being used to crush the people’s hope. The message the government is sending to society is crystal clear: “Whether you like it or not, whether you’re satisfied or not, you’re at my mercy.” The entire strategy is built on spreading a collective sense of hopelessness that will last until election day. They are attempting to make despair a permanent form of governance through intimidation, suppression and punishment.
The regime believes that the current global political climate is also working in its favour. The palace regime is constructing Turkey’s political climate on this wave, citing the chaos in the Middle East and the presence of authoritarian leaders worldwide as references. Based on this assumption, they are acting with even greater audacity, drawing strength from the comfort afforded by clinging to the US orbit. By removing the people from the equation and relying solely on relations established with heads of state, they are calculating a permanent regime through this ‘new world order’.
However, those captivated by Trump’s voice fail to hear the cry of “No kings” from the millions filling the streets. Humanity stands at a major crossroads. Authoritarian leaders are being challenged not only in the US but everywhere, from Hungary to the heart of Europe. The elections scheduled for 2026 and 2027 have already begun to haunt these leaders’ nightmares. It is only a matter of time before the international climate, in which the Palace places so much trust, turns into a powerful headwind. For a regime grappling with social stagnation at home, the biggest surprise may well come from this wave of change abroad.
MARCHING TOGETHER
Erdoğan and the AKP have long relied on a tried-and-tested formula: setting the agenda through the opposition. The more they fail to resolve the country’s real problems, the more adept they become at drawing the opposition into the arena of their choosing and engaging in social engineering.
The Palace regime has managed to survive until now by dividing social opposition into ‘departments’. Such a system has been established that those with grievances rebel and shout, yet others do not hear this voice or even if they do, they cannot stand together. Rather than banning dissent entirely, the regime prevented dissent from uniting. Once this barrier was in place, the rest was easy: lining up the components of the opposition and taking them out one by one...
However, the people manage to find their own solutions, even if only by instinct. Viewing Sunday’s event, where journalists and readers came together, from this perspective is of vital importance. What unfolded that day offered the regime a small yet effective ‘preview’ of how this established system could be disrupted.
The core message of this preview is clear: no opposition group that fails to unite in direct opposition to the regime and its functioning stands a chance of success on its own. This reality holds true for the worker, the municipality mayor, and the journalist alike. The social energy generated by marching together and singing in unison cannot be measured by any apparatus of repression.
The formula is no secret; on the contrary, it is very familiar: Unite and take action.
Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Bana bir şarkı söyle içinde umut olsun, published in BirGün newspaper on March 31, 2026.
