He became the symbol of the Saraçhane protests... The gas-masked whirling dervish speaks for the first time

The wave of protests that began after the detention of many figures, including Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, spread to every corner of Turkey. However, the center of the demonstrations was undoubtedly Saraçhane.

While the hundreds of thousands gathered there did not leave the squares empty in order to protect democracy and the popular will, unforgettable images that will remain in memory emerged throughout the actions. The most striking of these images was the "Gas-Masked Whirling Dervish" figure, which drew attention all over the world.

THE WHOLE WORLD LOOKED AT HIM

The protester, who spun in the square while wearing a gas mask over a dervish outfit and became a symbol of peaceful protest, made headlines in international media outlets.

Tuğba Nur Çelik from Sözcü reached out to the Gas-Masked Whirling Dervish, who became the symbol of the protests.

Here is the interview conducted with the Whirling Dervish:

-What do you do for a living, how old are you, and if you are a student, where do you study?

"First of all, I convey my greetings and love with great sincerity to all the Turkish people and the beautiful people around the world. Before introducing myself, as you know, you saw me as the "gas-masked whirling dervish," and I am proud to be a child of the same homeland as many of our politicians; yes, I am from Trabzon! Specifically, from Of. I am 25 years old, and like many young people, I started working at a young age. At the same time, I am preparing for university. As you know, you never know what life will bring.

I am a volunteer search and rescue worker in a team whose name I do not wish to disclose. At the same time, I am developing myself in the fields of psychology and human sociology.

What was your motivation for participating in the Saraçhane protests in a dervish outfit? Why did you apply such a style? Where did it come to your mind?

Whether it was the older generation or the younger generation, the atmosphere there was very complex. On one hand, certain cries were echoing to the public from the rally gathered above. On the other hand, in the part where the Valens Aqueduct (Bozdoğan Kemeri) is, echoes of anger, hatred, and cries against injustice were multiplying...

'I COULD CREATE A SPARK...'

Hate says, 'because of them'; Love says, 'despite everything'; I decided that this was the place where I could create a spark that could energetically change the surrounding atmosphere.

In this day and age, the fact that people still uphold their values in a spiritual and democratic sense, especially for the Turkish people, is an indication not of us becoming Europeanized, but of how attached we are to our own essence and how valuable Turkey is in the lands it occupies.

I am not from a village in Konya or a town in New York. I was born in Istanbul and I live in Istanbul. And yes, even if this place is not Constantinople, I cannot pass without mentioning how much these lands are in need of change and birth pains, and how much we need to protect the values we have. In addition to the phrase 'there is a destiny above destiny,' I want to share a verse I love very much with you. "We have tied every human's fate to their own efforts." (Surah Al-Isra, verse 13). Therefore, our country's concept of destiny and destiny plan will again be determined by our noble Turkish blood. As Mustafa Kemal Atatürk said: "The strength you need is present in the noble blood in your veins!"

My thought of participating in a dervish outfit might not align much with today's religious teachings of Sufism, as unfortunately, a perception form focused only on tourism has been formed. The person performing the Sema removes their worldly ties at that moment; desires, ego, and the illusion of self all disappear. I wanted to capture the thin line between the rotation of the universe, timelessness, and time, and to make people feel in their DNA what a beautiful energy unconditional love, tranquility, and calmness are.

You might think that it created an ironic image for both our police and the public to see how the freedom of a person's inner journey can progress in such an atmosphere. Many thinkers criticized that I shouldn't have been there, that it was an environment where such an icon shouldn't be present.

'WILL THIS YOUTH COME AGAIN?'

"Happy are those who can pass what is created through the filter of the heart before judging it!" As I performed the Sema, as I vibrated with the world, I also vibrated with the people at the same time; I felt the soul of every one of our brothers and sisters. The heart gets tired. Glass breaks, cracks are repaired, time passes, humans are fallible; will this youth come again?

During the Gezi protests, the 'standing man' and the 'woman in the red dress' became symbols. Do you think you became a symbol in the Saraçhane protests?

Yesterday the standing man, today the crying man, tomorrow the woman living freely. The meaning is permanent; if we could be a voice for humanity, how happy is the one who says I am a Turk.

-What kind of feedback did you get from your circle after the dervish photo became a hot topic?

The reaction shown by my circle does not mean anything to me. To some, I was seen as an anarchist, to others as a hero. It is not the reactions we encounter on the journey that find meaning, but the effects.

-Although the Saraçhane process reminds one of the Gezi period, we also saw some different styles of protest, especially with the addition of the Z Generation's color. Do you see the Saraçhane protests as Z Generation-type protests? Is the iconic Dervish a Z generation figure?

It is obvious that we experienced a lot of disinformation, information pollution, and sad situations during that period.

I don't know if it is right to group generations, but the fact that Turkey's young population is higher than the elderly, and the intelligence and potential of a not-insignificant portion of the new generation of youth, makes me very hopeful about the future.

You asked if the dervish figure is a Z generation figure. First of all, I want to say "Zahit bizi tan eyleme" (Oh ascetic, do not criticize us)...

'These protests are reflections of a conscious generation that does not want history to repeat itself; that cannot be lulled to sleep'

It is obvious with what a great illusion the facts are presented to a certain segment of the public, like a sleep, in this context where our society cares about religious values and also politically. The answer that this generation, including the youth and myself, will give to the question of whether their religious values are a religion of reason or a religion of logic—whether it is a woman reading a book in front of water cannons, young people standing in front of the barricade with Turkish flags, or someone spinning in Sema—these forms of expression are reflections of a conscious generation that knows its past and does not want history to repeat itself, and that cannot be lulled to sleep.

-In the pro-government media, there are accusations such as "influence agents" for protest figures like Pikachu and the dervish. What do you say to these?

Of course, I do not find the accusations of any political view strange. He who is on the side of the truth sees the truth with the eye of the truth. Undoubtedly, in essence, we came to the world to be human. Not enemies.