Younger generation takes stand against coups, for democracy

Young people today join with civilian groups to express their opinions on political issues. Whenever rumors emerge that the armed forces may be preparing for a coup d’état, it is the younger generation that now shows the harshest reaction. They take to the streets in non-violent demonstrations and call on the military to return to its barracks.

Their demonstrations have recently been focused on the approaching public referendum for the government-backed reform package that seeks to introduce vital changes to the Constitution, a remnant of the 1980 coup. Thousands of young people, affiliated with the Young Civilians -- a civil society group known for its creative demonstrations in support of democracy -- and an anti-coup coalition, 70 Million Steps Against Coups, marched down İstiklal Street in Taksim, İstanbul, last week to show their support for the constitutional amendment package.

According to Tansel Parlak from the Young Civilians, it is political diversity that motivates young people to get involved in politics nowadays.

“In the past, it was not possible at all for people to affiliate themselves with a political view and to express themselves. But there has been an increased diversity in politics recently. People used to be divided into two camps -- rightists and leftists -- in the past. But the situation is very different now. There are democrats, for example. And there are liberals. There are conservative democrats. People define themselves more easily now. The ones who did not want to stick to a certain ideology in the past are freer now,” he stated.

Turkey is indeed emerging after long years of silence by young people on politics-related issues. The younger generation before the 1980 coup was very active in the political sense. They started to divide up as either leftists or rightists, and the competition between the two camps grew violent as the coup approached. Ideological clashes between leftist and rightists groups were masterfully exploited by some circles. The nation witnessed the worst leftist and rightist student violence, both on the streets and in the universities. On Sept. 12, 1980 the military declared that it had seized control of the country with the aim of securing law and order. The coup resulted in the depoliticization of the public, especially young people.

Parlak, however, believes that the full depoliticization of the public is a “myth.” “In fact, I do not agree with the myth that people were completely depoliticized after the 1980 coup. It is correct that before the coup, people staged demonstrations and joined political parties when they were 13 or 15 years old. But no one questioned whether that was a healthy trend. We should question it now,” he noted.

According to a statement posted on the website of 70 Million Steps Against Coups, the coalition brings together individuals, civil society organizations and representatives of political parties who do not approve of military takeovers. The coalition has managed to become young people’s most favored group to oppose coups, anti-democratic initiatives and the military’s unceasing aspiration to engage in politics.

The coalition staged its first anti-coup demonstration on June 21, 2008. Nearly 10,000 protestors -- mostly young people -- joined the rally. The rally was the first major reaction to a Constitutional Court ruling that annulled a constitutional amendment that would have done away with a long-standing ban on the Muslim headscarf on university campuses. The group also protested newly emerged claims that there were coup plans against the democratically elected government. Participants were silent from the beginning to the end of the rally, carrying banners that read “Neither the judiciary, nor the military; the nation is the greatest,” “Shoulder-to-shoulder against coups” and “No to juntas, yes to democracy.”

“The coalition condemned the instigators of the Sept. 12 [1980], Feb. 28 [1997] and May 27 [1960] coups in people’s consciences. 70 Million Steps Against Coups will continue to stand against coup plans and illegal acts by Ergenekon,” the statement on the coalition’s website added.

Ergenekon is a clandestine criminal organization accused of working to overthrow the government. Dozens of its members are currently in prison pending trial on coup charges.