CHP protest over Ramazan Yıldız: 'Youth will not surrender'

Young party members in Istanbul gathered in front of the Büyükada Clock Tower for Ramazan Yıldız, the CHP Adalar Youth Branch President, who was detained and subsequently arrested due to a social media post targeting Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek. Those participating in the protest carried banners reading, "Youth will not surrender! Freedom for Ramazan Yıldız," and raised their voices by chanting slogans such as, "Detentions, arrests, and pressure cannot intimidate us," and "There is no salvation alone, either all together or none of us."

CHP Istanbul Youth Branch President Erdem Kara emphasized in his statement to the press that Yıldız's arrest solely due to a social media post is unacceptable. Kara stated the following:

"The reality that has emerged since March 19 is clear. You cannot make the CHP youth take a step back with pressure or arrests. You cannot stop the youth of Istanbul. Just as we did in the Adalar, we continue to fill the squares and write our story of coming to power shoulder to shoulder with the youth. Our comrade Ramazan Yıldız is not alone. Just days ago, they gave a prison sentence to our Youth Branch Chairman Cem Aydın. They thought they could show a stick to our Youth Branches. They thought they could make our Chairman Cem Aydın take a step back. They are in a great delusion. As CHP youth, we are aware of the price of marching to power. We carry out the duties and responsibilities we have taken on, risking everything. We set out by choosing to sacrifice our present for our future, and this is how we march. You cannot make us bow down. Because we are proud of the struggle we are waging. We are growing in every square, and we are getting stronger every day. We will not surrender our Youth Branch Chairman Cem Aydın, our Adalar Youth Branch President Ramazan Yıldız, or any of our friends to the darkness.”

THE REACTION OF THE YOUTH IS GROWING

Speaking at the press conference, Kara noted that from the contacts they have established with young people all over Istanbul, even young people from different political views are uncomfortable with the oppressive attitude of the current government. According to Kara, young people oppose policies shaped by prisons and bans and demand change. He pointed out that one of the reasons for this is that young people are exposed to daily problems such as financial difficulties, internships, and unemployment.

Kara also made a reference to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visit to Boğaziçi University and said the following in his own words:

“Just days ago, they removed students and professors from Boğaziçi University. They brought in their own youth branch members. That is how they carried out their so-called visit. Because if they didn't do this, a student would come and ask, 'What is the explanation for 133 TL per day?' They would ask, 'Why are countless services that the world has access to banned here?' They would ask about unemployment and precariousness. They would ask about the thousands of young people who get full marks in exams but are eliminated in interviews. They would ask, 'Why is the mayor I voted for in the ballot box in Silivri?' They would say, 'Why can't I build my future dreams in my own country?' They would ask, 'Why are you interfering with my freedom of expression, my vote, and my life?' A CHP youth would come out and ask, 'Why is Ramazan Yıldız in prison?', 'Why are our comrades in dungeons?', and 'Why are you afraid of my presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu?'

That is why they are afraid of young people who are not afraid. They run away from everything they cannot control, like young people and social media. But they will not be able to escape from the future, the ballot box, and the will of the nation. Turkey is pregnant with a great change and a new future. In that future, young people will not be thrown into dungeons because of their posts. They will not be condemned to misery scholarships. Their names will not be crossed out behind closed doors. Their labor will not be wasted. Their freedoms will not be restricted; they will look to the future with hope. We stand with our Adalar Youth Branch President Ramazan Yıldız. We stand behind our struggle. We will not stop, we will not tire, we will not take a step back. We will reunite with our comrade as soon as possible. Together with our Chairman Özgür Özel and our presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu, we will carry the struggle we are waging even further every day; we will leave the exclusionary and oppressive mentality behind. There is no salvation alone, either all together, or none of us!”

EMPHASIS ON JUSTICE, LAW, AND DEMOCRACY

CHP Adalar District President Gözde Acır, who also spoke at the protest, underlined that they would fight against the obstacles in front of the freedoms and dreams of young people, stating, "We are here today to raise our voices against the pressure on Ramazan Yıldız and all our youth. We will not allow any obstacles to be placed in front of our young people's hopes, dreams, and freedoms. We will continue to stand by justice, law, and democracy."

While the CHP youth ended the protest without incident, they reiterated their call for the immediate release of Ramazan Yıldız.