What should be done next? Boycotts: The nightmare of the ruling power and ideology-free capital

The process that began with the cancellation of Ekrem İmamoğlu's diploma, followed by his detention and arrest, has become a sign of a deep crisis of justice in Turkey.

While the repercussions of these developments continue, the issue that has truly disturbed the AKP government and capital circles is the rising calls for boycotts.

A photograph that caused a major stir, especially on social media, revealed just how tragic and ironic this process has become. (Note: Fidan's photo was first shared on May 6, 2024)

In the photo, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is seen smiling at the coffee chain Espressolab, which is currently being boycotted. A social media user's comment on this image was quite poignant: "Look at what the person they call the state's thousand-year wisdom is busy with."

However, the process that shook Hakan Fidan's charisma had begun earlier.

From the moment he joined the AKP's Ankara Metropolitan Municipality mayoral candidate on shopkeeper visits during the local election process, his image as a 'strong statesman' in the public mind had been damaged.

Yet, considering the economic and political crises Turkey is currently facing, Fidan's tarnished image is not very significant.

In the meantime, the image of Hakan Fidan taken at Espressolab is not new; the fact that it is being circulated by dozens of accounts and the message it intends to convey is what is new.

AKP'S INDIFFERENCE TO THE ECONOMIC CRISIS

Independent academics and economic experts say that a much harsher economic depression awaits Turkey. For the AKP, however, this situation does not hold much importance. Because for Erdoğan, power has ceased to be a tool for governance. It has turned into an obsession. The interest groups surrounding him, who are dependent on his power, are doing everything they can to protect this spell.

What drives Erdoğan to this point is not just his own ambition. The massive power system surrounding him, the convoys, planes, helicopters, the army of thousands of bodyguards, and extraordinary privileges… This circle built around the government makes it impossible for him to imagine himself as an ordinary retired president.

Throughout its 25-year rule, the AKP has built a system that keeps millions of people under control through economic dependency. It has offered some billion-dollar tenders, some aid packages, and others direct financial support. The relationship between the government and the majority of its voters has never been a 'bond of affection'; it was entirely a relationship of interest. And they do not hesitate to try every method to protect this order of interest.

THE ATTEMPT AT PROVOCATION IS VERY CLEAR

The events that took place during the Saraçhane protests against İmamoğlu's arrest once again revealed the AKP's policy of polarizing society. While hundreds of thousands of people gathered with demands for rights, law, and justice, broadcasting the sound of the Tarawih prayer from the Şehzadebaşı Mosque through loudspeakers was a clear provocation. The goal was to frame the slightest reaction from the crowd as 'hostility toward religion.'

On the other hand, while harsh interventions were made against people using their right to democratic protest with Turkish flags in their hands in Saraçhane, the fact that reactionary groups were posing intimately with the police and moving about in safety revealed a bitter contradiction. In images spread on social media, police were seen playing football joyfully with members of IBDA-C at the Şehzadebaşı Mosque. A police officer was seen tenderly wrapping the cloth of an IBDA-C member's turban.

THE DESIRE TO SEIZE THE STATE, THE MADNESS OF REPLACING THE STATE

The AKP's effort to place itself directly in the place of the state has reached an unacceptable dimension. Political Islam, as it has throughout history, is once again trying to protect its power by insidiously exploiting the beliefs, values, and emotions of society and distorting the facts. This order is not sustainable.

As the economic crisis deepens, international isolation grows, and social anger increases at home, the government's methods of repression are also becoming increasingly harsh. İmamoğlu's arrest is part of this process. But there is one thing they forget: Repression and tyranny only offer short-term solutions. And another truth that history teaches is that no authoritarian order lasts forever...

So, What Will We Do?

In the current crisis environment, one of the biggest problems is that the opposition cannot create an organized and determined roadmap.

Although the Republican People's Party (CHP) cannot manage the process very well due to its internal chaos, conflict, and lack of planning, it manages to survive thanks to the resilience and leadership of the people. However, this is not a sustainable situation either. The CHP must adopt a more organized and strategic understanding of struggle.

At this point, a great duty falls upon the people once again. Because the greatest fear of authoritarian governments in Turkey is the public becoming conscious and reacting in an organized manner.

THE BOYCOTT CAUSED PANIC

Undoubtedly, one of the most effective ways to fight against political Islamist power centers that have no ideology and whose only concern is rent and interest is the boycott. We know that the only ideology of capital is money. This process must continue in a determined and uninterrupted manner, and even be expanded. Capital groups that are economically dependent on the government survive with the direct financial and political support of the government. Therefore, shaking the economic order, which is their greatest source of power, is one of the most effective methods of resistance. We clearly see how they panicked.

With a nauseating hypocrisy, they are hiding behind Atatürk posters again, making statements like, "We have nothing to do with politics."

Meanwhile, former minister Mustafa Varank and his companions are posing in boycotted places and calling for shopping. They are filming and distributing fictional videos that are at a primary school level, devoid of sincerity, and even comical.

The boycott should not be limited to not consuming certain brands; it should be directed most of all at media organizations that propagate political Islam.

These media organs, which the government has used for years to design society, continue to manipulate public opinion by maintaining their existence even if they are not watched.

For this reason, a strong economic and social boycott must be applied against these media channels, which are one of the greatest tools of political Islamist propaganda.

Turkey's future depends on the conscious guidance of young people. Today's young generation can adapt more quickly to the dynamics of the new era. Directing their energy and potential into the right channels will play a critical role in this struggle.

The demands for freedom and the struggle for democracy of young people who do not want to live in an unjust Turkey can be one of the cornerstones of a strong popular movement.

DO NOT LET THE HYPOCRISY OF POLITICAL ISLAM BE FORGOTTEN

The injustices and lawlessness that political Islam has displayed since the day it came to power must be kept on the agenda constantly. It must be stated on every platform that their concern is not religion or faith, but only protecting their own interests. This mentality, which polarizes society through faith and uses religion as a tool, shows its true face at every opportunity. That is precisely why their false rhetoric and unjust practices must be exposed.

PROTECT REPUBLICAN VALUES

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, and his Republican principles are the fundamental pillars of this struggle. Protecting the secular, democratic, and libertarian structure of the Republic is the greatest responsibility of today's generations.

What is happening today is not just a political struggle, but also a struggle for existence. Turkey will either move forward on the contemporary, libertarian, and law-based path drawn by Atatürk, or it will be lost in the darkness of an authoritarian administration.

Therefore; boycott, organized struggle, and protecting Republican values must be adopted as three basic strategies and applied persistently. Remember, no oppressive order has lasted forever throughout history.

Those who resisted won, and they will win.