We received news of a different comrade being unlawfully detained almost every month. In such a grim picture, the youth movement, of course, does not back down from the struggle.
The increasing suppression of social opposition is also affecting the university student movement. While the public raised its voice to some extent during the local and general elections in 2024, unfortunately, it remained much quieter in response to many social issues. That is not a situation that developed spontaneously.
Since the 1970s, the youth movement has always been at the forefront of the struggle. It has led the opposition movements. Factors such as students having less to lose, more free time, and being more dynamic, courageous, and energetic all contributed to the leadership role of youth in the struggle. However, as years passed and the Erdoğan regime became increasingly normalised in Turkey, these factors no longer hold the same relevance in 2024.
It is difficult to claim that Turkey has ever been fully democratic in any period of its history. However, the political pressure regime in 2024 is more tangible than ever, and it is clear that Turkey is drifting further and further from democracy. This year, we encountered more house raids, detentions, and arrests than in previous years. Even voicing our fundamental rights became a reason for detention. From May Day operations to the protests against trustees and arrests related to the İbrahim Kaypakkaya memorial, we received news almost every month about a different comrade being unlawfully detained. On Pride Marches, November 25th and November 20th, LGBT+ individuals and women were attacked again, as they are every year. Many of our friends were detained in house operations simply due to their social media posts.
Universities are increasingly being turned into institutions that serve capital rather than spaces where students can express their voices. We have become people who are surprised by the demonstrations held within the university. The right to education can always be taken away from revolutionary students who are fighting against disciplinary investigations and suspension penalties.
Students’ economic difficulties are one of the determining factors for the youth movement. The KYK loan and scholarship were recently raised to 3,000 TL, which still doesn’t even cover our basic needs. As a result, working while studying has become necessary for many students. Consequently, students who spend their time on more essential needs, like securing an income, often do not have the time to engage in struggle.
For female and LGBTI+ students, the struggle takes on an even more complex nature. While we experience unique forms of oppression simply because of our gender identity or sexual orientation in daily life, significantly, LGBT+ students are hindered from raising their voices. LGBTI+ student communities, already few in universities, are shut down under various pretexts, and new ones are not allowed to be established by trustee rectors. Women and LGBT+ students are subjected to harassment by professors and other students within their universities, yet no action is taken against the perpetrators.
The organisation and participation of young LGBTI+ individuals in the struggle face numerous obstacles. LGBTI+ individuals, already living in fear of their identities being exposed to their families, are further distanced from the struggle as the state criminalises the LGBT+ movement.
Despite such a grim picture, the youth movement continues its struggle. With the slogan “Raids, detentions, pressures cannot defeat us,” it continues to defy the state’s oppressive policies. May Day events, Pride Marches, and International Women’s Day marches are still being carried out with their usual strength and will continue to be. Despite all the repression, and despite the comrades we have lost and those who are imprisoned, the movement is undoubtedly trying to maintain its activity and dynamism.
