Gezi Park Protests as the First Digital Activism of Turkey

Proceedings of The 3rd World Conference on Media and Communication

Year: 2023

DOI:

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Gezi Park Protests as the First Digital Activism of Turkey

Nisa Nur Celiktas

ABSTRACT: 

The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s attempt to demolish Gezi Park as part of the Taksim pedestrianization project initiated perhaps the biggest protests in Turkey’s history. The Gezi Park Protests indicated discontent with Turkey’s current political and economic situation. These protests are the first and most important case of grassroots and civil society action against the current ruling party (AKP), which was made using digital technologies. Through an examination of the opportunities and constraints faced by protesters when using digital technologies to challenge hegemonic power dynamics, this paper aims to shed light on the role of digital technologies in shaping social movements. The paper will draw on a range of sources, including interviews with activists and participants in the Gezi Park protests, social media data, and scholarly literature on digital activism and social movements. Ultimately, the paper seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between technology, politics, and social change in contemporary societies.

keywords: Ac$vism, digital technologies, hegemony, social media, Turkey