The regime is no different from the military junta

Politics Service

The wave of protests that swept across large sections of society threw the Palace off balance. The resistance that began in universities and spread to the streets and squares shook the regime, which no longer had a narrative to convince the people, to its core.

While the rise of social opposition has changed the course of politics, the regime, which has instrumentalised the judiciary, is trying to suppress society with its increasingly repressive policies. However, this narrative of suppression is becoming more and more futile with each passing day.

THE MOST REPRESSIVE REGIME IN HISTORY

On the one hand, the regime shouts slogans about democracy, while on the other hand, it arrests and detains people on fabricated charges, draws up empty indictments, and carries out dawn raids to eliminate all potential opposition forces.

The results of the pressure policy that the Palace has been applying to all groups since 19 March have produced outcomes reminiscent of coup days:

NEARLY 500 ARRESTS

Following the resistance that rose up after the operation launched against İstanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and his colleagues, including mayors, nearly 3,000 people were detained in a period of nearly two months. Over 500 citizens, mostly young people, were arrested.

Allegations of torture during detention and arrest have frequently been raised, and in addition to all this, the Palace regime has implemented numerous measures such as searching the homes of young people's families and opening disciplinary investigations in state-run dormitories.

Despite all this, every new operation by the regime was met with resistance from the people. Large sections of the population, who refused to accept the regime's narrative of repression, stood by their friends who were detained and arrested through various forms of action.

University campuses, high schools, and streets have been transformed into areas of resistance as a result of this defiance. The palace regime, seeking to establish a climate of fear, has targeted students, journalists, artists, and all those who raise their voices.

NO CRIME

After the operations, the charges brought against citizens were such that they prompted the response, ‘There is no crime.’ The grounds for arresting citizens who were detained almost at random included ‘violation of Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations,’ ‘damage to public property,’ and ‘resisting a public official.’ Legal experts pointed out that the arrests were politically motivated. In their assessments, they emphasised that the only criminal element in the operations was the will of the millions who stood against the palace regime.

DO NOT MENTION ERDOĞAN'S NAME

One of the most striking details of the protests was the police intervention against slogans mentioning the name of AKP President Tayyip Erdoğan. Slogans such as ‘Erdoğan without a diploma’ were frequently met with police announcements warning that ‘the slogans you are chanting are illegal.’ Insulting the president was again used as a cover for the arrests. Even the slightest criticism that could damage Erdoğan's leadership cult was concealed under the charge of ‘insult.’

From the moment the barricade was dismantled at İstanbul University, the atmosphere of repression gradually intensified. In dawn raids targeting 47 people during the first week of the protests, the number quickly rose to over 100. Operations spread to cities such as Bursa, Ankara, and İzmir, followed by a series of arrests and detentions.

Although every action was suppressed by police blockades, resistance against the regime, which sought to turn the country into an open-air prison, continued in various forms. The resistance of young people, who resorted to academic boycotts and consumer boycotts in response to the repressive policies, was intended to be halted by the holiday, but on 1 May, attempts were made to bring life to a standstill in İstanbul. Over 400 citizens were detained on 1 May.

Meanwhile, journalists covering the news and artists calling for support for the protests were also targeted in operations aimed at silencing them. The operations launched following the widespread resistance across the country produced results contrary to the regime's intentions. As the grounds for social struggle grew stronger, the people united against the palace regime did not back down in the face of all these repressive policies.

Finally, the police's harsh intervention against young people who wanted to protest against the reactionary Nureddin Yıldız at Boğaziçi University drew attention. Six of the 97 people detained were issued arrest warrants. Students who made a statement in front of the courthouse once again told the Palace, as they had in previous operations, ‘We do not accept your verdicts.’.

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A TALE OF THE DEMOCRACY DREAM

AKP President Erdoğan made statements regarding the dissolution of the PKK and the disarmament process. Erdoğan, who frequently emphasised ‘brotherhood,’ said, ‘Malazgirt is a shared victory for Kurds, Turks, and Arabs.’ Saying that ‘we are building our greatest achievement’ for a ‘terror-free Turkey’, Erdoğan argued that the completion of the process would strengthen Turkey's democracy and bring greater peace.

Frequently referring to ‘Turkish, Kurdish and Arab brotherhood’, Erdoğan said, ‘We know where we are going. This is our biggest difference from the opposition. Our cause is great. Turks, Kurds, and Arabs have existed together, fought together, and experienced both victory and defeat together. Geography and history have bound Kurds, Turks, and Arabs together in an indissoluble bond. Malazgirt is a shared victory for Kurds, Turks, and Arabs. Çaldıran is a shared victory for Kurds, Turks and Arabs. When we formed an alliance in this geography, we grew stronger and ruled the world. However, we also experienced a period of decline together. When we turned against each other, we grew weaker, and foreign powers are well aware of this. They are trying every means to turn us against each other.

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I REFUSE TO DEFEND MYSELF

Journalist Furkan Karabay was detained on the grounds of his social media posts and a video he prepared on YouTube. After being processed by the police, Karabay was referred to court with a request for detention and was subsequently arrested.

Furkan Karabay stated in his defence at the İstanbul 1st Criminal Court of Peace, where he was arrested, ‘This is my third time in court, and I have been arrested twice before. My purpose here is to oppose the so-called judicial officials in court robes who have formed a gang. I consider it an injustice to defend myself in courts that arrest 20-year-old young people", he said, refusing to defend himself. Journalist Barış Pehlivan, who reported the news of the arrest, shared the following statement on social media: ‘Journalist Furkan Karabay has been taken into custody.

The charges are “targeting individuals involved in counter-terrorism operations” and ’insulting the president.’

The reason cited is a video he prepared for YouTube and his social media posts.’ Karabay had previously been sentenced to two years and one month in prison in a case brought against him following complaints by AKP Chairman and President Tayyip Erdoğan and his children Bilal Erdoğan, Ahmet Burak Erdoğan, and Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar.

Note: This text has been translated from the original Turkish version titled Rejim, darbe dönemlerini aratmıyor, published in BirGün newspaper on May 16, 2025.