Turkey's youth on the frontlines of protests

April 16, 2025

Following the arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on corruption and terrorism charges on March 19, Turkey has experienced widespread protests with university students at the forefront. The protests have expanded to include high school students who are demonstrating in solidarity with teachers affected by controversial reassignment policies announced by the Ministry of Education on April 8. Despite constitutional protections for protest rights, nearly 2,000 citizens have been detained, including 301 students, with at least 43 students still behind bars at the time of writing.

Who is affected

University and high school students participating in protests, with 301 students detained and at least 43 remaining in jail
Teachers and administrators at "Proje okulları" (project schools) who were reassigned or left unemployed by the Ministry of Education's decision
The 79,286 teachers and 5,318 administrators employed at the 2,300 project schools in Turkey
Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu who was arrested on corruption and terrorism charges
Students at affected schools who are losing their teachers according to the Education and Science Workers' Union

What action is being taken

University and high school students are actively protesting across Turkey against both the mayor's arrest and the teacher reassignments
Students are organizing social media campaigns under hashtags like #öğretmenimedokunma (don't touch my teacher)
Students are conducting sit-ins at high schools across the country
The opposition party is currently spearheading calls for boycotts and protests
Released students like Berkay Gezgin are continuing their activism after being freed

Why it matters

The protests represent demands for justice, rights, law, and political change after decades of rule under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
The teacher reassignments are being criticized as politically motivated against "dissident teachers," potentially affecting educational quality
According to the Education and Science Workers' Union, the reassignments have "deprived" students of "qualified teachers"
The current situation highlights concerns about transparency in the teacher appointment process, as the Ministry of Education makes decisions without clear criteria
The crackdown on protesters raises constitutional questions, as lawyers assert that protesting is a right protected by Turkey's constitution

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Global Voices