The İmamoğlu Incident: A Catalyst for Change

I try my best to stay away from politics in the content and articles I produce. However, as we saw with the “İmamoğlu incident,” remaining apolitical in our country is impossible. Even if you try to avoid the headlines, the headlines eventually find you. So, I’ll share my thoughts on recent events and pour my heart out.

How It All Started

As you know, our country’s political system changed with the 2017 referendum, and after the 2018 elections, we transitioned to the new system. In this system, everything depends on the president. The separation of powers has eroded, and the parliament has weakened. I won’t debate whether the presidential system is good or bad—I’m not a political science student, and I don’t know how it functions in other countries.

But one thing I do know is that everything that happens in this country is directly or indirectly because of the president. Every positive or negative development is attributed to him, and this system corrupts everyone. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, pushing the state toward authoritarianism. After the last elections, this process accelerated even further.

There’s been a global shift to the right and a rise in authoritarianism, both in our country and worldwide. Following this trend, first Ümit Özdağ, then Ekrem İmamoğlu, and many others were detained and later arrested. Recent events have now led to protests and demonstrations.

How Was İmamoğlu Arrested?

Some friends ask why the government did this or how they were able to do it. The truth is, they don’t need much of a reason—they did it because they could. When the EU and the U.S. remained silent, it made things even easier. The EU is already preoccupied with its own issues, dealing with Russia, among other things.

As for the corruption allegations against İmamoğlu, those studying law would know better. And regarding the diploma controversy, we should listen to academicians.

Why Are People Protesting?

If this isn’t about İmamoğlu, why are people on the streets? The CHP may be dealing with its internal conflicts, and İmamoğlu might be just a figure in all this—I’m not someone who idolizes him, and I’m sure many protesters feel the same.

The real issue is standing up against injustice and finally saying, Enough!

If this man is guilty of corruption, let him be tried fairly, not in a rushed manner. If he’s innocent, let him compete fairly in the elections—may the best candidate win. Our struggle is about putting an end to these injustices.

İmamoğlu was just the spark—he lit the fire, and now it’s spreading.

Protests have always been appening. Protests have been occurring for a long time, but they were small-scale and couldn’t gain momentum. People wanted to exercise their constitutional right to assemble, but then what? Suddenly, provocateurs would infiltrate the crowds, waving suspicious flags, making the demonstrations lose legitimacy in the eyes of the public.

And whenever protests seemed to grow, even the opposition would side with the government to suppress them. “Wait for the elections, just wait!” they’d say. We haven’t forgotten how some opposition MPs later turned their backs on the people.

This Isn’t the First Time

• Boğaziçi University protests happened.
• Protests erupted when the dollar suddenly skyrocketed.
• People marched in solidarity with Palestine against Israel’s oppression.
• The LGBT+ community held rallies for their rights.

The difference now? The frustration has reached a boiling point. People are no longer willing to stay silent.

Beyond Politics: Why People Are Rising Up

And then there’s Kayseri—where a Syrian man’s alleged harassment of a 6-year-old girl(?) ignited public fury. Out of countless incidents involving refugees, this one became the spark that set off protests. Sometimes, a single event unravels everything.

The Bottom Line

At the end of the day, I just want to live in a country where I don’t have to care about politics. I want my country to progress, to become freer and better. I want to be apolitical. I don’t want to know the names of ministers or MPs. I don’t want the news cycle to be this chaotic.

Some will say, “If you don’t like politics, just ignore it.” But this isn’t about politics anymore. This isn’t about Party A or B, or even Özgür Özel. This is about our future—our youth.

You can still choose to stay apolitical—for now. But if things escalate, neutrality won’t be an option. Peaceful protest is our right, and raising our voices is the only way to be heard.

I wish everyone a future free from the weight of politics—but until then, silence isn’t safety.