PERSONAL: Young Turks drive protests against Erdogan as new generation seeks change

Record ID: 1987599

  • Title: PERSONAL: Young Turks drive protests against Erdogan as new generation seeks change
  • Date: 1st April 2025
  • Summary: ANKARA, TURKEY (MARCH 29, 2025) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIVERSITY STUDENT WHO PARTICIPATED IN PROTESTS, YEZAN ATESYAN, 20, SAYING: "What makes me see a lot of hope of what happens the last weeks is we all now aware of the idea that these attacks are on all of us. It's not going to be always on the minorities. It's not going to be always on women. It's not going to
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: ARRESTS CRACKDOWN IMAMOGLU MAYOR RALLY STUDENTS TURKEY
  • Location: ANKARA AND ISTANBUL, TURKEY
  • City: ANKARA AND ISTANBUL, TURKEY
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: Fundamental Rights/Civil Liberties,Europe,Middle East,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA003324001042025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: A new generation of young Turks is at the forefront of mass protests against President Tayyip Erdogan’s government, demanding change in a country they see as increasingly authoritarian.
    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’s young protesters say they are undeterred by the risks.
    “I think growing up under just one regime makes us a generation looking for change, looking for proof we live in a democracy,” said Yezan Atesyan, a 20-year-old student at Middle East Technical University (METU).
    “The idea of a power that lasts forever scares us,” he added.
    Hundreds of thousands of Turks nationwide have heeded opposition calls to protest since Imamoglu was detained last week.
    Protests have been mostly peaceful, but more than 2,000 people have been detained.
    The main opposition Republican People's 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.
    The government denies any influence over the judiciary and says the courts are independent.
    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.
    Atesyan said all were targeted in the crackdown: "Not just minorities, not just women, not just the LGBT community — it is against all of us."
    Beyond political frustration, economic hardship has fuelled the unrest. High inflation and unemployment have made young people feel their future is slipping away.
    “I graduated in 2024, but I can’t find a job, and my family struggles financially,” said 25-year-old protester Duygu at an opposition rally in Istanbul.
    She fears for her safety but also worries about her friends. “Some of them have already been detained.”
    Concerns over the state's response are growing. “I don’t want to show my face because the police could come for me,” said Duygu, who wears a mask at protests. “If that happens, it would devastate my family.”
    Despite the risks, demonstrators remain resolute.
    “This feels like our last chance,” Atesyan said. “If we don’t succeed, many of us will have to leave Turkey.”
    The government dismisses the protests as politically motivated, but the youth-driven unrest signals a growing divide. “Imamoglu represents hope,” Atesyan said. “The possibility of real change.”
    As protests continue, young Turks insist their demands are simple: democracy, accountability, and a future worth staying for.
    (Production: Mert Ozkan, Emilie Madi, Ali Kucukgocmen)
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