Demonstrations erupted after Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a popular opposition figure, was jailed pending trial on corruption charges. Unlike older generations who remember the heavy crackdown on the 2013 anti-government Gezi Park protests, today’s young protesters say they are undeterred by the risks.

“I think growing up under just one regime makes us a generation looking for change, looking for proof we live in a democracy,” said Yezan Atesyan, a 20-year-old student at Middle East Technical University (METU).

“The idea of a power that lasts forever scares us.”

Erdogan slams protests over jailing of Istanbul mayor as ‘movement of violence’

Turkish court jails Istanbul mayor

Hundreds of thousands of Turks nationwide have heeded opposition calls to protest since Imamoglu was detained last week.

Protests have been mostly peaceful, but more than 2,000 people have been detained.

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), other opposition parties, rights groups and some Western powers have all said the case against Imamoglu is a politicised effort to eliminate a potential electoral threat to Erdogan.

The government denies any influence over the judiciary and says the courts are independent.

Students from across Turkey have mobilized, facing police blockades and water cannon trucks. Drone footage from METU captured clashes between protesters and state security forces.

Atesyan said all were targeted in the crackdown: “Not just minorities, not just women, not just the LGBT community — it is against all of us.”

A generation on edge

She fears for her safety but also worries about her friends. “Some of them have already been detained.”

Concerns over the state’s response are growing. “I don’t want to show my face because the police could come for me,” said Duygu, who wears a mask at protests. “If that happens, it would devastate my family.”

Despite the risks, demonstrators remain resolute.

“This feels like our last chance,” Atesyan said.

“If we don’t succeed, many of us will have to leave Turkey.”

The government dismisses the protests as politically motivated, but the youth-driven unrest signals a growing divide.

“Imamoglu represents hope,” Atesyan said. “The possibility of real change.”

As protests continue, young Turks insist their demands are simple: democracy, accountability, and a future worth staying for.