PEN International's Statement
Below excerpts from PEN International's statement here.
“PEN International condemns the brutal onslaught on peaceful expression unleashed by the authorities of Türkiye, who continue to show their utter contempt for the rule of law and long-standing determination to silence peaceful dissent. All those held solely for exercising their rights to peaceful expression and assembly must be released. The ever-growing roll back on fundamental rights in the country must end at once.”
Burhan Sönmez, PEN International President.
*On 19 March 2025, over 100 people, including Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, were detained on alleged ‘corruption’ and ‘terrorism’ grounds, in a move widely seen as politically motivated. Massive protests have since erupted in Istanbul – defying a ban on all public demonstrations – and across the country. The authorities temporarily restricted access to social media and messaging platforms in a bid to suppress access to information, and urged X to block access to hundreds of accounts. Journalists who covered the protests reported being subject to police violence. At least ten media workers were detained in morning raids in Istanbul and Izmir on 24 March.
*İmamoğlu’s arrest came at the start of a mounting crackdown as recent months saw the arrests of mayors in big cities like Antalya and Adana, among 17 other mayors and hundreds of officials from the main opposition, Republican People’s party (CHP). Already in February 2025, PEN International joined partners in expressing serious concerns over a surge in press freedom violations, including the growing use of arbitrary arrests, detentions and judicial control measures against journalists.
*PEN joined 17 freedom of expression organisations in calling for the release of 29 Year old journalist Furkan Karabay continues to remain in prison with a whopping 15 year jail sentence being asked for his reporting on corruption and the protests. We featured Karabay as an Empty Chair on our platform and are calling for solidarity and support letters, find out more here.
*According to the Ministry of Interior of Türkiye, 1,133 people have been detained since 19 March. As protests continue to sweep through Türkiye, PEN International called upon the authorities to abide by their national and international obligations and to urgently uphold fundamental rights. The criminal justice system must not be used to target and harass dissenting views.
Long Term Impacts on Young Students
Thanks to public solidarity, many of the arrested students and young protestors were released. However, the repression against them continued, as many were targeted and removed from their universities, schools and jobs, ejected from their dormitories and banned from traveling, all for participating in peaceful protests.
"Entrusted to the People"- A Book Campaign To Support Young Protestors
In a move to support those young people who have been targeted, silenced and punished for defending their fundamental democratic rights, the opposition party CHP (Republican People's Party) launched a book collecting stories of resistance from across the country, with the proceeds given directly to young protestors.
The message read by the 50-year old opposition party leader Özgür Özel:
We wanted to showing solidarity with Presidential Candidate Ekrem for all the victims of the March 19th coup. There's this book, for which I wrote the foreword, Ekrem Imamoğlu wrote the afterword, and you wrote the tales of resistance. It's called "Entrusted to the Nation." We will protect it, without putting a single penny in anyone's pocket, and we will donate all proceeds to the young people victimized by this coup.
- Özgür Özel
You can find the book here.
Reflections from Rising Voices - Echoes Elsewhere
Interviews to media locally and internationally revealed many youths commenting on worsening concerns in the country ranging from corruption to inflation, rent hikes to lack of freedoms and fair opportunities. Problems that echo in many other parts of the world where the youth are speaking up, and facing reprisals.
*What's Happening to Young Dissidents in Turkey Echoes Everywhere - Ege Dündar, Board Member at PEN International, Project Manager of Tomorrow Club
"Young friends, we have nothing to lose. We won't be able to buy a car or a house. We won't have stocks. Even if we succeed in the exams, we'll be singled out in interviews. If we are taken to court, we don't have "our guy" to bail us out. We won't get rich in this corrupt economy. Let's carry on resisting against those stealing our future."
Ayça Örer from Aposto asked the protestors, "Why Are You on the Streets"?
19-Year-old Samet responded:“This is my police, I’m a citizen of this country but it’s normal to beat and arrest me for peacefully protesting. What did I do? I couldn’t find a place in my dormitory; I can only get by sharing the same room with two friends in a student flat. I’m sick of eating pastries and pasta, dad goes under if he sends me 10k liras. When I graduate, I’m one of hundreds of thousands who are unemployed. I work in a photocopy shop for less than the living wage, 8 am until 8 pm. I’m scared about my future. Not about being poor but spending my whole life like this, being forced to leave the country and becoming a penniless worker. When I say this, I get beaten up.”
You can read more personal reflections on Ayça Örer's interview here.
