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THE GEZİ PARK PROTESTS AND YOUTH IN TURKEY: PERCEPTION OF HÜRRİYET COLUMNISTS

Year 2014, Volume: 6 Issue: 1, 92 - 105, 01.06.2014

Şebnem Cansun

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate how the columnists of Hürriyet (Liberty), one of the most sold national dailies in Turkey, characterized the role of youth in the Gezi Park protests. The protests started on May 28, 2013 in Istanbul. The protesters initially stood up against an urban development plan that would have resulted in the park’s demolition. However, the protests, fueled by a disproportionately aggressive response by the police, soon turned into an anti-government movement all around the country with no centralized leadership. Youth served as the locomotive of the protests, using social media extensively for organizational purposes. Their main concern was to fight against intrusions on their lives. This research focuses on the first three weeks of the so-called ‘Gezi Park protests’. All the Hürriyet columnists, except four who are usually preoccupied with subjects other than politics, wrote more than 50 percent of their articles on the Gezi Park protests. However, 32 percent of these made no mention of youth in these writings, and only 12 percent mentioned youth in half or more of their writings. Quantitatively speaking, columnists did not place significant emphasis on the position of youth. The protests constitute an urban movement, started by young people, and supported by the middle class

Keywords

Gezi Park protests Turkish politics Turkish youth JDP

References

  • Aktay, Yasin (June 22, 2013), “Gezi’deki komplo ve sosyoloji” (The conspiracy at Gezi and sociology), Yeni Şafak.
  • Alphan, Melis (June 10, 2013), çArşı’ya teşekkür (Thanks to çArşı), Hürriyet.
  • Arman, Ayşe (June 6, 2013), “Kucak meselesi” (Lap issue), Hürriyet.
  • Çandar, Cengiz (June 2, 2013), “İstanbul ayağa kalktı; Başbakan meydan okuyor”
  • (Istanbul stood up, Prime Minister defies), Hürriyet. Çekirge, Fatih (June 4, 2013), “Taksim saat 03.15. Neden o aracı tekmeliyorsun?”
  • (Taksim, at 3.15 AM. Why are you kicking that vehicle?), Hürriyet. Dilipak, Abdurrahman (June 3, 2013), “Erdoğan’ın ayağında üç pranga” (Three shackles on Erdoğan’s foot), Yeni Akit.
  • Dumanlı, Ekrem (June 3, 2013), “Basiret lütfen” (Foresight please), Zaman.
  • (June 22, 2013) “Erdoğan says interest rate lobby only winner in Turkey protests”, Today’s interest-rate-lobby-only-winner-in-turkey-protests.html [Accessed 8.30.2013] http://www.todayszaman.com/news-318984-erdogan-says
  • Genç, Nihat (2013), Direniş Günleri Gezi’den Tahrir’e (Days of resistance from
  • Gezi to Tahrir), İstanbul: Kırmızı Kedi. Göle, Nilüfer (2013), “Gezi, Anatomy of a Public Square Movement”, Insight Turkey, Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 7-14.
  • Hakan, Ahmet (June 6, 2003), “Aşk olsun size çocuklar aşk olsun” (Well-done kids), Hürriyet.
  • Hakan, Ahmet (June 4, 2013), “Kimse anlatmıyor, bari ben anlatayım” (Since no one else is explaining, it may as well be me), Hürriyet.
  • Harding, Luke (June 10, 2013), “Turkish protesters embrace Erdoğan insult and start http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/10/turkish-protesters-capuling- erdogan [Accessed 7.23.2013]. craze”, The Guardian,
  • Katik, Mevlüt (June 4, 2013), “Turks deprived of TV turn to Twitter for protest news”, BBC, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22756884 [Accessed 23.2013]
  • Kongar, Emre & Küçükkaya, Aykut (2013), Gezi Direnişi (Gezi resistance),
  • İstanbul: Cumhuriyet Kitapları. Lüküslü, Demet Gülden (2005), La jeunesse Turque actuelle: la fin du mythe de la jeunesse, Ph.D. thesis under the supervision of François Dubet, École des
  • Hautes Études en sciences sociales, Paris. Lüküslü, Demet (2011), “New youth movements using internet and computer technology and a search for new politics in Turkey”, (in Aslı Telli-Aydemir, ed.,
  • Katılımın e-hali, Gençlerin Sanal Alemi (Civicweb: Internet, youth and civic participation)), İstanbul: Alternatif Bilişim, pp. 48-67. Mocoş, Ebru (2013), “Direnişin sembolleri veya revolution will be tweeted” (The symbols of the revolution or revolution will be tweeted), (in Nuray Sancar, ed.,
  • Sıcak Haziran, Sonraki Direnişe Mektup (Hot June, A Letter to the Future Resistance), İstanbul: Evrensel Kültür Kitaplığı, pp. 113-122. Özkök, Ertuğrul (June 6, 2013), “Beddua yerine hayır duası” (Good prayer rather than malediction), Hürriyet.
  • Özkök, Ertuğrul (June 4, 2013), “O vapurdan Tansu da inebilirdi” (Tansu might have also gotten off that boat), Hürriyet.
  • (June 9, 2013), “‘Patience has its limits,’ Turkish PM Erdoğan tells Taksim Gezi Park http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/patience-has-its-limits-turkish-pm-erdogan- tells-taksim-gezi-park-demonstrators.aspx?pageID=238&nid=48516 22.2013]. Hürriyet Daily News, Accessed
  • (June 11, 2013) “Prof. Ayata’dan, Gezi Parkı eylemcileri için ‘Cem Yılmaz çocukları’ yorumu” (Prof. Ayata describes the Gezi Park activists as ‘The children of Cem Yılmaz’), T24 Independent Internet Daily, http://t24.com.tr/haber/prof- ayatadan-gezi-parki-eylemcileri-icin-cem-yilmaz-cocuklari-yorumu/231748 Accessed 7.23.2013].
  • Sancar, Nuray (2013), Sıcak Haziran, Sonraki Direnişe Mektup (Hot June, A
  • Letter to the Future Resistance), İstanbul: Evrensel Kültür Kitaplığı. Seçim http://secim2011.ntvmsnbc.com/ [Accessed 1.8.2011]. Ntvmsnbc Seçim (Ntvmsnbc Election),
  • Telli-Aydemir, Aslı, ed. (2011), Katılımın e-hali, Gençlerin Sanal Alemi
  • (Civicweb: Internet, youth and civic participation), İstanbul: Alternatif Bilişim. Saka, Erkan (2011), “Blogging ve Gençliğin Internet üzerinden Katılım süreçleri üzerine bir deneme” (Blogging as a tool of e-participation in public debates), (in
  • Aslı Telli-Aydemir-ed., Katılımın e-hali, Gençlerin Sanal Alemi (Civicweb: Internet, youth and civic participation)), İstanbul: Alternatif Bilişim, pp. 331-342. Tokbaş, Yonca (June 1, 2013). “Güllerin içinden değil biber gazının içindeeen canıııım ” (Not through flowers, but through pepper spray, sweetie), Hürriyet.
  • (June 7, 2013), “Turkish PM Erdoğan calls for ‘immediate end’ to Gezi Park protests”, Hürriyet Daily News, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-pm- erdogan-calls-for-immediate-end-to-gezi-park-protests- aspx?PageID=238&NID=48381&NewsCatID=3 [Accessed 8.30.2013].
  • Yınanç, Barçın (June 4, 2013), “Turkey’s apolitical youth turns activist thanks to
  • PM Erdoğan”, Hürriyet Daily News. Zizek, Slavoj (2013), Dünyadaki İsyanların Anlamı (The meaning of the worldly protests), İstanbul: Agora Kitaplığı.

Year 2014, Volume: 6 Issue: 1, 92 - 105, 01.06.2014

Şebnem Cansun

Abstract

References

  • Aktay, Yasin (June 22, 2013), “Gezi’deki komplo ve sosyoloji” (The conspiracy at Gezi and sociology), Yeni Şafak.
  • Alphan, Melis (June 10, 2013), çArşı’ya teşekkür (Thanks to çArşı), Hürriyet.
  • Arman, Ayşe (June 6, 2013), “Kucak meselesi” (Lap issue), Hürriyet.
  • Çandar, Cengiz (June 2, 2013), “İstanbul ayağa kalktı; Başbakan meydan okuyor”
  • (Istanbul stood up, Prime Minister defies), Hürriyet. Çekirge, Fatih (June 4, 2013), “Taksim saat 03.15. Neden o aracı tekmeliyorsun?”
  • (Taksim, at 3.15 AM. Why are you kicking that vehicle?), Hürriyet. Dilipak, Abdurrahman (June 3, 2013), “Erdoğan’ın ayağında üç pranga” (Three shackles on Erdoğan’s foot), Yeni Akit.
  • Dumanlı, Ekrem (June 3, 2013), “Basiret lütfen” (Foresight please), Zaman.
  • (June 22, 2013) “Erdoğan says interest rate lobby only winner in Turkey protests”, Today’s interest-rate-lobby-only-winner-in-turkey-protests.html [Accessed 8.30.2013] http://www.todayszaman.com/news-318984-erdogan-says
  • Genç, Nihat (2013), Direniş Günleri Gezi’den Tahrir’e (Days of resistance from
  • Gezi to Tahrir), İstanbul: Kırmızı Kedi. Göle, Nilüfer (2013), “Gezi, Anatomy of a Public Square Movement”, Insight Turkey, Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 7-14.
  • Hakan, Ahmet (June 6, 2003), “Aşk olsun size çocuklar aşk olsun” (Well-done kids), Hürriyet.
  • Hakan, Ahmet (June 4, 2013), “Kimse anlatmıyor, bari ben anlatayım” (Since no one else is explaining, it may as well be me), Hürriyet.
  • Harding, Luke (June 10, 2013), “Turkish protesters embrace Erdoğan insult and start http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/10/turkish-protesters-capuling- erdogan [Accessed 7.23.2013]. craze”, The Guardian,
  • Katik, Mevlüt (June 4, 2013), “Turks deprived of TV turn to Twitter for protest news”, BBC, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22756884 [Accessed 23.2013]
  • Kongar, Emre & Küçükkaya, Aykut (2013), Gezi Direnişi (Gezi resistance),
  • İstanbul: Cumhuriyet Kitapları. Lüküslü, Demet Gülden (2005), La jeunesse Turque actuelle: la fin du mythe de la jeunesse, Ph.D. thesis under the supervision of François Dubet, École des
  • Hautes Études en sciences sociales, Paris. Lüküslü, Demet (2011), “New youth movements using internet and computer technology and a search for new politics in Turkey”, (in Aslı Telli-Aydemir, ed.,
  • Katılımın e-hali, Gençlerin Sanal Alemi (Civicweb: Internet, youth and civic participation)), İstanbul: Alternatif Bilişim, pp. 48-67. Mocoş, Ebru (2013), “Direnişin sembolleri veya revolution will be tweeted” (The symbols of the revolution or revolution will be tweeted), (in Nuray Sancar, ed.,
  • Sıcak Haziran, Sonraki Direnişe Mektup (Hot June, A Letter to the Future Resistance), İstanbul: Evrensel Kültür Kitaplığı, pp. 113-122. Özkök, Ertuğrul (June 6, 2013), “Beddua yerine hayır duası” (Good prayer rather than malediction), Hürriyet.
  • Özkök, Ertuğrul (June 4, 2013), “O vapurdan Tansu da inebilirdi” (Tansu might have also gotten off that boat), Hürriyet.
  • (June 9, 2013), “‘Patience has its limits,’ Turkish PM Erdoğan tells Taksim Gezi Park http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/patience-has-its-limits-turkish-pm-erdogan- tells-taksim-gezi-park-demonstrators.aspx?pageID=238&nid=48516 22.2013]. Hürriyet Daily News, Accessed
  • (June 11, 2013) “Prof. Ayata’dan, Gezi Parkı eylemcileri için ‘Cem Yılmaz çocukları’ yorumu” (Prof. Ayata describes the Gezi Park activists as ‘The children of Cem Yılmaz’), T24 Independent Internet Daily, http://t24.com.tr/haber/prof- ayatadan-gezi-parki-eylemcileri-icin-cem-yilmaz-cocuklari-yorumu/231748 Accessed 7.23.2013].
  • Sancar, Nuray (2013), Sıcak Haziran, Sonraki Direnişe Mektup (Hot June, A
  • Letter to the Future Resistance), İstanbul: Evrensel Kültür Kitaplığı. Seçim http://secim2011.ntvmsnbc.com/ [Accessed 1.8.2011]. Ntvmsnbc Seçim (Ntvmsnbc Election),
  • Telli-Aydemir, Aslı, ed. (2011), Katılımın e-hali, Gençlerin Sanal Alemi
  • (Civicweb: Internet, youth and civic participation), İstanbul: Alternatif Bilişim. Saka, Erkan (2011), “Blogging ve Gençliğin Internet üzerinden Katılım süreçleri üzerine bir deneme” (Blogging as a tool of e-participation in public debates), (in
  • Aslı Telli-Aydemir-ed., Katılımın e-hali, Gençlerin Sanal Alemi (Civicweb: Internet, youth and civic participation)), İstanbul: Alternatif Bilişim, pp. 331-342. Tokbaş, Yonca (June 1, 2013). “Güllerin içinden değil biber gazının içindeeen canıııım ” (Not through flowers, but through pepper spray, sweetie), Hürriyet.
  • (June 7, 2013), “Turkish PM Erdoğan calls for ‘immediate end’ to Gezi Park protests”, Hürriyet Daily News, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-pm- erdogan-calls-for-immediate-end-to-gezi-park-protests- aspx?PageID=238&NID=48381&NewsCatID=3 [Accessed 8.30.2013].
  • Yınanç, Barçın (June 4, 2013), “Turkey’s apolitical youth turns activist thanks to
  • PM Erdoğan”, Hürriyet Daily News. Zizek, Slavoj (2013), Dünyadaki İsyanların Anlamı (The meaning of the worldly protests), İstanbul: Agora Kitaplığı.
There are 30 citations in total.

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Journal Section Articles
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Şebnem Cansun

Publication Date June 1, 2014
Published in Issue Year 2014 Volume: 6 Issue: 1

Cite

APA Cansun, Ş. (2014). THE GEZİ PARK PROTESTS AND YOUTH IN TURKEY: PERCEPTION OF HÜRRİYET COLUMNISTS. International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanity Studies, 6(1), 92-105.
AMA Cansun Ş. THE GEZİ PARK PROTESTS AND YOUTH IN TURKEY: PERCEPTION OF HÜRRİYET COLUMNISTS. IJ-SSHS. June 2014;6(1):92-105.
Chicago Cansun, Şebnem. “THE GEZİ PARK PROTESTS AND YOUTH IN TURKEY: PERCEPTION OF HÜRRİYET COLUMNISTS”. International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanity Studies 6, no. 1 (June 2014): 92-105.
EndNote Cansun Ş (June 1, 2014) THE GEZİ PARK PROTESTS AND YOUTH IN TURKEY: PERCEPTION OF HÜRRİYET COLUMNISTS. International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanity Studies 6 1 92–105.
IEEE Ş. Cansun, “THE GEZİ PARK PROTESTS AND YOUTH IN TURKEY: PERCEPTION OF HÜRRİYET COLUMNISTS”, IJ-SSHS, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 92–105, 2014.
ISNAD Cansun, Şebnem. “THE GEZİ PARK PROTESTS AND YOUTH IN TURKEY: PERCEPTION OF HÜRRİYET COLUMNISTS”. International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanity Studies 6/1 (June 2014), 92-105.
JAMA Cansun Ş. THE GEZİ PARK PROTESTS AND YOUTH IN TURKEY: PERCEPTION OF HÜRRİYET COLUMNISTS. IJ-SSHS. 2014;6:92–105.
MLA Cansun, Şebnem. “THE GEZİ PARK PROTESTS AND YOUTH IN TURKEY: PERCEPTION OF HÜRRİYET COLUMNISTS”. International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanity Studies, vol. 6, no. 1, 2014, pp. 92-105.
Vancouver Cansun Ş. THE GEZİ PARK PROTESTS AND YOUTH IN TURKEY: PERCEPTION OF HÜRRİYET COLUMNISTS. IJ-SSHS. 2014;6(1):92-105.