The people refuse to obey
Despite all the oppression from the government, students, artists, and citizens are not backing down. Students are raising their voices even louder against arrests and detentions, filling the squares. Artists and citizens are speaking out against injustice.
The protests that started after the coup attempt on 19 March, which resulted in the arrest of many people, including İstanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, continue. The waves of detentions and arrests against citizens practising their democratic rights on the streets are not working. While 298 students are left deprived of their freedom in prisons, the struggle for justice of citizens, whose numbers increase after each arrest, is growing. Against the climate of fear and suppression that is being created, students emphasise that they will continue to seek their rights from campuses to the streets. Artists and citizens also declare that they will not hold back. Neighbourhoods and squares are echoing with the voices of millions of people.
RALLY IN ŞİŞLİ
Following the call of the CHP İstanbul Provincial Organisation, a rally was held in front of Şişli Municipality for Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan, who was arrested and replaced by a government-appointed trustee. Thousands who joined the rally once again shouted their demands for justice and freedom.
UNIVERSITY DOES NOT SUBMIT
The Council of Higher Education (YÖK) sent a notice to universities, ordering that ‘judicial and administrative’ action be taken against academics and administrative staff who called for a boycott. In response, students came together to protest YÖK. Police prevented Bilkent University students from leaving campus to march to YÖK and demanded they show their faces.
However, despite all police obstruction, Bilkent students broke through the barricades and made their statements together with students from Hacettepe and Ankara Universities. In their statement, they said: “Let those in power who threaten and target us and our professors through YÖK know this: Our struggle for our future and for a democratic country cannot be silenced by your oppression and threats.”
819 PEOPLE ON TRIAL
While prison sentences of up to 3 years and political bans are being sought for 139 young people detained for exercising their constitutional rights, the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office announced that 20 investigations have been launched and public lawsuits have been filed against 819 individuals. In the statement, it was noted: “Of those prosecuted, 278 are currently in custody, and 10 suspects are fugitives.”
INTIMIDATION OF ARTISTS!
Artist Sevinç Eratalay was detained in Antalya due to a social media post in which she shared a photo of Mahir Çayan on the anniversary of the Kızıldere Massacre. SOL Party reacted to Eratalay’s detention, stating, “Release the revolutionary voice of the people immediately.” In her post, Eratalay had included a portion of the song Mahir’in Türküsü, which she performed herself. The post also featured a photo of a citizen carrying a portrait of Mahir Çayan. Based on a prosecutor’s decision, Eratalay was taken into custody on the grounds of “propagandising for THKP-C.” She was released after giving her statement at the police station.
SENTENCE FOR THE ELVAN FAMILY
A verdict has been announced in the case against the family of Berkin Elvan, the 15-year-old who died on 16 June 2014 after spending 269 days in a coma due to being struck in the head by a tear gas canister fired by police during the Gezi Park protests. The İstanbul 43rd Criminal Court of First Instance sentenced Berkin’s mother Gülsüm Elvan and father Sami Elvan to prison on charges of “insulting the President.” Gülsüm Elvan was sentenced to 11 months and 20 days, and Sami Elvan to 1 year, 2 months, and 17 days. The court ruled to defer the announcement of the verdict (HAGB).
Note: This text has been translated from the original Turkish version titled Bu halk biat etmez, published in BirGün newspaper on April 10, 2025.
