Since 2014, Turkiye has been ruled by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whose presidency has greatly damaged the middle eastern country’s democratic system. Since the military attempted to seize control from Erdoğan in 2016, Turkish politics have become significantly more authoritarian, including forcing social media websites to hide any content relating to protests from Turkish users.
On the nineteenth of March this year, Erdoğan’s main political rival Ekrem İmamoğlu was arrested. The Turkish government claims that he was arrested for corruption, however the arrest comes as many believe that Erdoğan plans to make another grab for power. Erdoğan is in his second term as Turkiye’s president, which is the last the constitution allows for. Because of this many believe that he’s planning to alter the Turkish constitution to allow him more time in office.
The arrest has caused a surge in protests against the government, which have been largely met with police brutality, including pepper spray, water cannons, and general physical violence. While protests against Erdoğan’s government aren’t a new development, these current protests are considered more resilient than past efforts. One development from these protests is a photograph of one protester dressed as a Whirling Dervish, a member of Sufi Muslim religious orders notable for their dancing rituals. The protester mixed the traditional religious clothing with a gas mask as he was pepper sprayed by several police officers. The image was widely circulated around the internet, and the photographer was arrested by Turkish authorities, another step towards authoritarianism.