Interference in univerity affairs by Turkey's regime has sparked resistance by staff and students. Could this be the start of a new youth movement, writes Muhsin Yorulmaz?
Muhsin Yorulmaz
President Recep Tayyip Erdo臒an鈥檚 Justice and Development Party (AKP) suffered a historic defeat in Turkey鈥檚 local elections that even they could not spin as a victory.
Following the AKP鈥檚 loss of the three biggest economic centres of Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara, Erdo臒an鈥檚 balcony speech sounded defeated and defensive.
How did this happen? What role was, and will be played by the country鈥檚 main leftist coalition party, the People鈥檚 Democratic Party (HDP)?
In common with many other countries, Turkey鈥檚 socialist movement has been marked by the dominance of men in positions of leadership and authority.
The patriarchy is a social order that has become dominant globally over the course of millennia and which connects with oppressive conceptions of the family, exploitation and inheritance 鈥 in short, with social class. Socialists cannot stand by as it recreates itself in the very structures we claim exist to overturn social stratification and oppression.
Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin was said to have remarked that there are decades in which nothing happens, and weeks in which decades happen. Muhsin Yorulmaz writes that, in Turkey, there is no escaping this particular truism.
Because of the rapid rate of betrayals, shifting alliances and crises, it becomes difficult to summarise what the Turkish government or state are 鈥渢hinking鈥 in a given week, even for those of us who speak Turkish.
In the aftermath of Turkey鈥檚 June 24 elections, 鈥渨on鈥 amid fraud and intimidation by President Recep Tayyip Erdo臒an and the alliance between his Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Muhsin Yorulmaz takes a look at the post-election climate.
By now, it is widely known that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo臒an 鈥渨on the election鈥 in his country. But Muhsin Yorulmaz writes that the authoritarian leader鈥檚 support is waning.