Political Participation of Students in Istanbul: Revitalized Turkish Youth as Influential Political Actors
Social Sciences
Politics 190H: Substance of Democracy
This paper analyzes the conflict in Istanbul, Turkey, that began during the summer of 2013 in Gezi Park and Taksim Square, widely known as the "Gezi Park Protests". The focus of this paper is on the university student age-group and how they have affected, and will continue to affect, Turkish politics, specifically the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) platform. My research is based on original data collected in the spring of 2014 with nine universities in Istanbul and interviews with current university undergraduates who participated in the Gezi Park protests. While only time will tell the influence that the protests have made in Turkey, I argue that the newly political youth hold potential to greatly influence Turkish politics, and require a new dialogue that strays from the mainstream idea that Turkish youths are apolitical.
