• Demonstrations broke out after Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu was arrested.
• The protests remained peaceful, but more than 2,000 people were detained.
• Drone video captures conflict between protesters and security forces.

A new generation of young Turks is at the forefront of massive protests against President Tayyip Erdogan’s administration, demanding that they see a increasingly authoritarian country change.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is a popular opposition figure who broke out in protests in an attempt to be sentenced to jail in the trial of corruption charges. With the older generation remembering the severe crackdown in the 2013 anti-government Gezi Park protests, today’s young protesters say they did not avoid risks.

“I think growing up under a regime allows us to become a generation seeking change, looking for evidence that we live in a democratic country,” said Yezan Atesyan, a 20-year-old student at the Middle East Technical University (METU).

“The idea of ​​ever-lasting power scares us.”

Hundreds of thousands of Turks across the country have noticed opposition protests since Imamoglu was detained last week.

The protests were mostly peaceful, but more than 2,000 people have been detained.

The main opposition Republican Party (CHP), other opposition parties, rights groups and some Western powers have all said the case against Imamoglu is a political effort to eliminate potential election threats to Erdogan.

The government denied any impact on the judiciary and said the court was independent.

Students from across Türkiye were mobilized, facing police lockdowns and water cannon trucks. Drone videos from the Metaphora captured the clash between protesters and national security forces.

The edge generation

In addition to political frustration, economic difficulties have exacerbated turmoil. High inflation and unemployment make young people feel their future is disappearing.

“I graduated in 2024 but couldn’t find a job, and my family is struggling financially,” Duygu, a 25-year-old protester, said at an opposition rally in Istanbul.

She was worried about her safety, but also about her friends. “Some of them have been detained.”

Concerns about the state’s response are growing. “I don’t want to show up because the police may come for me,” Duigu said. “If that happens, it will destroy my family.”

Despite the risks, the protesters remained firm.

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

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

The government believes the protests are politically motivated, but youth-driven unrest represents the gap.

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

As the protests continue, the young Turks insist that their demands are simple: democracy, accountability and a future worthy of being left behind.