Introduction
We are the Social Democrats of Turkey, standing up against Erdoğan’s dictatorship. In this article we explain the reasons behind our protests and what drives our resistance.
1-A threat to the national borders for the Presidency
That topic may be a little bit puzzling for you but we’ll try to explain.
First of all, we have a problem called the PKK, which is a terrorist organisation that wants to split Turkey in two. They also want to take control of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which are vital water sources for us. Unfortunately, they are supported by the USA. Their goal is to turn us into a second Iraq, in other words.
Now that you know how evil the PKK is, I want to explain what to do about Erdoğan. (This is getting complicated here.)
There is a party in our parliament called the DEM, which is the political wing of the PKK, and they are currently facing a judicial process for being shut down. The DEM has approximately 55 MPs in parliament.
Erdoğan wants to change the Constitution to be eligible as a candidate (he has to, because otherwise he cannot even run in the next election). But to change the Constitution, he needs 400 ‘yes’ votes. His own party and supporters have only about 350 MPs.
If they manage to get the votes of the DEM, they can change the law and he can become a candidate AGAIN!
For that reason, his supporting party even said, ‘I have a solution! The terrorist leader should come to parliament and speak!’ Then, he would declare that their organisation is disbanded.
Thus, this process happened… they pretended to disband, but they did not.
They even say, ‘We reject the Treaty of Lausanne, which is Turkey’s founding constitution,’ and that if someone rejects this treaty, they also reject us — the Republic of Turkey.
2-Turkiye’s Freedom of Speech and Human Rights
Despite the guarantees provided by the Constitution and the Supreme Court, Turkey ranks first in violations of freedom of speech, according to data from the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Cases involving offenses against the President, arbitrary detentions, and harsh interference with protests are common. For example, during the March 19, 2025 protests in support of İmamoğlu, many students were detained. Additionally, another candidate and party leader, Ümit Özdağ, has been imprisoned for months simply for making a remark.
ECtHR decisions: Approximately 11,000 applications have been submitted to the ECtHR to lodge complaints. In 2024 alone, 31 conviction verdicts were reached concerning violations of freedom of speech. Violations related to custody periods, the right to a fair trial, and lengthy detention are also frequent.
After the 2016 State of Emergency period, many media outlets were shut down, journalists were detained, and social media bans became normalized. On March 19, 2025, access to social media content was blocked and the flow of information was shut down.
Hatay Earthquake: During the 2023 Hatay earthquake, bandwidth restrictions hindered emergency calls, causing network outages and preventing people from contacting their relatives. This situation revealed a lack of trust in both the technological infrastructure and fundamental rights.
3-Police violence/Unlawful use of force
In recent years, police violence in Turkey—particularly during protests—has emerged as a serious and ongoing issue. One of the most prominent examples was the 2013 Gezi Park protests, which began as a peaceful demonstration against the government’s plan to demolish Gezi Park in Istanbul and replace it with an artillery barracks-style building. The protest quickly evolved into a broader movement against authoritarianism, suppression of free speech, and the erosion of democratic rights.
The state’s response was brutally disproportionate. Excessive use of tear gas, beatings, and other forms of physical violence led to severe injuries and even the deaths of several protesters. As a result, citizens began widely adopting the anti-police slogan “ACAB” (“All Cops Are Bastards”).
More than a decade later, police brutality remains a persistent problem. University campuses, in particular, have become frequent sites of repression, where student protesters face water cannons, violent arrests, and even tactics such as police officers hiding in bushes to ambush and detain students. Some instances have involved officers using dangerous levels of force, such as pressing their knees on protesters’ necks—drawing chilling comparisons to the George Floyd incident in the United States.
Disturbingly, there have also been reports of sexual harassment and rape during police custody. Compounding the problem is the fact that many officers operate without wearing visible badge numbers, making it virtually impossible to hold them accountable. The government not only tolerates this behaviour but has allegedly rewarded some of these officers financially—even when they were responsible for violently assaulting 18-year-old students.
4-Corruption-Bid
During President Erdogan’s rule, numerous allegations of corruption have been raised against the ruling AKP party, many of which have resonated strongly with the public. Some of the most prominent scandals include the December 17–25, 2013 corruption investigations, which implicated ministers and business figures in illicit money transfers and bribery. Other notable cases involve Reza Zarrab’s violation of international sanctions, and reports regarding “Man Island,” which allegedly targeted individuals close to President Erdogan. In metropolitan cities—especially Ankara and Istanbul—there have been persistent claims of excessive and unjustified public spending disguised as auction-based projects. In 2021, organised crime figure Sedat Peker made detailed allegations of organised fraud and rigged bidding processes, further fuelling public concern. Additionally, TOKI (the state housing administration) and various community contract schemes have been criticized for years, amid ongoing claims that citizens’ funds have been systematically diverted to pro-government groups. Many of these cases have either never gone to trial or have remained unresolved due to political interference.
5-The impact of Social corruption
Due to the deepening economic crisis, poverty, and unemployment in Türkiye, suicide cases are on the rise. In Kocaeli, 7 people died by suicide in one week, while in Aydın, 3 suicides occurred in a single day. According to the CHP Science Platform, between 2002 and 2019, a total of 5,806 people took their own lives due to financial hardship and commercial failure. The proportion of suicides attributed to economic reasons rose from 7.3% in 2018 to 9.4% in 2019. According to the Workers’ Health and Occupational Safety Assembly, 54 work-related suicides occurred in the first eight months of 2020. Data from the “We Will Stop Femicides Platform” shows that 2024 has so far been the deadliest year on record for femicides and suspicious female deaths. Last year, 394 women were killed and 259 suspicious deaths were reported—both the highest figures since the platform began tracking data in 2010. According to the statement, 57% of the women were murdered in their own homes, and 71% were killed by family members such as their husbands, fathers, or ex/estranged partners.
6-Economical-Financial problems
In the first few years of his administration, the economy showed signs of recovery thanks to the support of global capital. However, with the economic crises of 2008, 2012, 2018, and 2022, severe financial problems began to emerge—and to this day, we are still suffering from their effects. Instead of applying conventional economic solutions, Erdoğan introduced his own unorthodox policy based on a religious principle called “Nas” (a reference to a surah from the Quran). By doing so, he not only ignored modern economic science but also violated the principle of secularism that underpins the Turkish Republic. Furthermore, Erdoğan appointed key economic officials himself—choosing loyalty over competence—so that they would implement his directives without objection. As a result, inflation spiralled out of control, and the judiciary and institutions, under his influence, were unable to intervene or provide oversight. In just one month, the Ministry of Economy lost $50 billion in reserves. Meanwhile, TÜİK (Turkish Statistical Institute), which is also under government control, manipulated data and downplayed the actual inflation rate. By doing this, they justified keeping the minimum wage at unlivable levels—so low that a single salary is no longer enough to survive. To make matters worse, the government collected a special earthquake tax intended for disaster preparedness and infrastructure improvements. However, these funds were never used for their intended purpose. We know this because when the devastating earthquake struck in 2023, buildings in the affected regions collapsed completely—exposing a lack of preparedness. Victims were not supported by the government; instead, they were forced to take out bank loans to rebuild their homes.
7-Refugee problem
The lack of a comprehensive refugee policy in Turkey has turned the country into a hub for unregulated migration. According to the Address-Based Population Registration System, the officially registered foreign population is approximately 1.8 million. However, the presence of large numbers of unregistered refugees and migrants has raised serious concerns within Turkish society. Between 2011 and 2019, uncontrolled migration increased tenfold. The estimated number of unregistered migrants exceeds 2.6 million. These undocumented individuals often lack access to basic rights and essential services such as healthcare, education, and housing—which has contributed to rising unemployment and an increase in crime rates. According to data from the Ministry of the Interior, 37,418 Syrians were involved in criminal cases in 2020, and this number rose to 50,231 in 2021.
8-Education
The education system in Turkey has deteriorated under the guise of modernisation. Frequent changes to the curriculum and education policies have created serious pedagogical problems and instability in schools. Inadequate teacher appointments, violations of educators’ rights, and irregularities in examination systems have become widespread. Teachers who embrace Atatürk’s secular and progressive principles have been systematically dismissed. Meanwhile, religious schools (Imam Hatip schools) have been increasingly promoted, often serving as platforms for ideological propaganda rather than education. As a result, the government appears to be aiming to raise a generation that avoids critical thinking and is easily manipulated through religious indoctrination.
9 – Healthcare
In recent years, numerous scandals in Turkey’s healthcare system have raised serious concerns among citizens:
1-Organ Trafficking Allegation: A clinic in Istanbul is under investigation for allegedly being involved in the illegal sale of young women’s ovaries.
2-Contaminated Sanitizer Incident: In Kayseri City Hospital, a large number of patients experienced health complications due to the use of expired or contaminated sanitizing products.
3-Infant Death Scandal: A shocking case emerged involving a group of doctors accused of deliberately administering the wrong medication to newborns. Families were told, “If your baby doesn’t receive this drug, they will die.” Exploiting parents’ fear, they were charged high fees, and as a result of this fraudulent practice, nearly 200 infants reportedly lost their lives.
4-E-Nabız (E-Pulse) Data Concerns: E-Nabız, Turkey’s national health app used for booking medical appointments and accessing personal health records, has allegedly been sold to Qatar. This has caused major privacy concerns, as the platform contains sensitive and personal medical data for millions of citizens.
5-Lack of Support for Cancer Patients: Due to ongoing economic hardship, cancer patients—especially those in Stage 3 or 4—struggle to access life-saving medications. The government often refuses to cover the costs of these treatments. There’s a widespread perception that the authorities take a fatalistic approach, essentially saying, “If they’re going to die anyway, why should we pay?”
The Social Democrats of Turkey
We use the hashtags:
#yahepberaberyahicbirimiz!=#Either all of us, or none of us
#freeimamoglu
