One building, several facades: political showcasing in contemporary Turkey.
▻https://www.opendemocracy.net/mrag-p-z-k/one-building-several-facades-political-showcasing-in-contemporary-tur
The state of emergency was lifted shortly after the presidential elections, and a new system secured a permanent state of exception, whereby Erdoğan, as president, has consolidated and expanded his administrative powers. Denouncing those who opposed the demolition of AKM and the Gezi protesters as “terrorists” was a reminder of his power and commitment to smash any dissent.
The struggle over the AKM reveals one permanent aspect of political contention in contemporary Turkey, formed traditionally through leader-embodied ideologies. Meanwhile, solidarity networks and grass-roots initiatives promise today more ways to communicate and interact than ever. These may one day inspire our thinking and acting beyond the usual paradigms.