The article reflects on the current political climate in Istanbul, highlighting the recent arrest of the mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, on corruption charges, which has sparked widespread protests. The author recalls discussions from nearly 20 years prior about the potential rise of authoritarianism in Turkey. With tensions running high, citizens from diverse backgrounds have mobilized, expressing their dissent. Observing these events as a relative newcomer to the city, the author contemplates Istanbul's unique character as a place of contradictions, blending cultures and ideologies in every corner.
If we're not careful, he warned in 2006, we'll end up under an authoritarian regime. For two decades, his premonition lingered, occasionally breaking through the surface.
An elderly woman interviewed at a protest at Sarachane Park looked into the camera and said: I thought the youth was asleep. Turns out, they are wide awake.
Since moving to Istanbul in 2021, I have been an observer half tourist, half resident in a city that may be both the hardest of any to grasp and yet the most alive.
Istanbul thrives on paradox. It is the only city in the world straddling two continents, constantly navigating the friction between east and west, tradition and modernity.
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