Impressions of my journey and my trying to understand the culture and the system a little bit better:

Actually I visited Istanbul, but the really first overwhelming moment concerning the system for me was in Ankara, where it opened my eyes and I could see turkish people and structures differently. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the father of the turks after the ottoman empire. He founded the turkish republic and made amazing reforms in almost every kind we can imagine. Women rights, religion (secularism), education, language, alphabet,... Under the influence of European humanism, and "Aufklärung" - which had never been possible in certain islamic countries, he built up a proud, new and advanced country. An openminded democracy instead of violent Sultanism in between of countries which still lived in this kind of system. 

After 1. world war lots of things changed and so a lot of politicians felt betrayed and didn´t want to continue the development, introduced by him. 

Now, prime minister Erdogan seems to have the wish to be a new Sultan and with the usual nepotism he obviously has his power-structures to move comfortable in this weird variety of "democracy". But he and what for his AKP stands, aims an opposite goal as Atatürks. It´s not about diversity, summarized under an certain curtain of nationalism. Now we can recognize tendencies of trying to overcome the secularism with the shadows of islamism. The sweets he promises are capitalistic and existentially. Prosperity, power, no fear. For which price?

He acts like an autocrat and every spoken word in interviews seem to get law suddenly. In almost no country of the world except from China, so many journalists (and people who say what they are thinking) are imprisoned than in turkey. Democracy? There has to be the question of his aim, because obviously he uses democracy as a way to implement some special desires - and it´s obviously not the aim. 

The last developments were showing the peoples desire to escape out of this opression - together - united - Alevits, Laizists, Kurdish, every age, every gender and even from every party. They seem to feel the spirit of the united Turkish Republic it once was intended, in a system where it is all about power and abusing power, just because it´s possible. It´s seems to be enough for them now and let´s hope that it´s not too late. 

How can you feel free, when the system is so unpredictable? 

How can you gain self-esteem and how can you feel that you can change something in a better way when you are dependent on the arbitrarily behavior of some who is actually deciding for everyone? 

Right… you only can act like a sheep and try to find an easy way. All they can do is try not to draw too much attention to themselves and to the way they try to live and can stand this oppressing system. But this chapter ended now. Now there was a turn in the people heads and they are giving everything they have. Themselves. Their live, their beliefs and their last integrity: their body and the risk of getting injured. So many people get closer in this happenings because traumatic events simply do this. Even if they are not hurt physically they will never forget this violent experiences. 

Actually the diversity has a chance now in the peoples heads. Where they once were talking bad about others - gay, kurdish, etc. - they are having fun and fighting shoulder to shoulder against the repressions and for freedom. It´s not the kind of freedom you define as being "free to do something" it´s more "being free of something". 

It´s too easy to believe that there has to be a person like Erdogan which makes decisions for oneself, deep into very intimate topics. But this thoughts are guided by fear, low self-esteem and by the desire of having power over others. It´s not a sign of being a thinking human which is not a foot soldier of someone. This is not the sign of being happy and try to be an individual. There is a lot of theory behind all this which is also valid in turkey, but as usual there is a delay to real life. As usual you only see what you understand. As for example Simmel and Durkheim are postulating in their theory of social differentiation, the modern individualism is the result of social diversity. If there is diversity, there will be tendencies you can´t control - in exactly this direction where it is actually happening: the desire of being an individual. Individuality of persons is characterized by uniqueness and self-determined action. This acting out as well as the granting of it became universal principles in modern society. Well, maybe that´s exactly the point. The fighting people want to be individuals in a modern society - others obviously not. That´s what makes the difference.

SocialDistortion (Europe)