Gezi Park Protests and The Current Political Climate: Parallax of Revolution

Disclaimer - This article was written on 22 March, during a period when the situation in Turkey was rapidly evolving. While the article has not lost any relevance, the developments may have altered the context in which it was written.

As Turkey is reminded by the tear-gas-choked streets of Gezi, the politically charged arrest of Istanbul Mayor İmamoğlu exposes the similarities between the people's struggle then and now. It seems clear to the people that the hand of authoritarianism will not let go of its chokehold without a fight. If people truly want to understand the core of Turkish resistance, the backstory of Gezi and its analysis through the concept of the “parallax view” is helpful. In his work "The Parallax View," Slavoj Žižek introduces the so-called "parallax gap," which refers to the irreconcilable differences in perspective that exist between two points of observation. Žižek argues that these gaps, rather than being obstacles to understanding, can actually reveal deeper truths about a situation.

When applying this concept to the Gezi Park protests and the current political climate in Turkey, we can observe the "insurmountable parallax gap" between the government's perspective and that of the protesters. The government may frame the protests as a threat to stability and national security (for example, labelling them as terrorists), while the protesters see their actions as a defense of their rights and freedoms against an increasingly authoritarian regime. These two perspectives exist in a state of tension, with no neutral common ground between them.

Gezi Park

The Gezi Park protests of 2013 began as the government proposed plans to redevelop a historical public green space in Istanbul. Although it originated as an environmental protest, which was seemingly localized, it quickly escalated into a nationwide resistance against the political reality of Turkey. It could be stated that the initial environmental protests were the spark that exposed the deeper societal struggles.

The popular occupation of Gezi Park created a “void of power”, which is a temporary suspension of the established symbolic order. As documented by media outlets as well as citizens themselves, the police brutality (exemplified by the use of tear gas, police batons, and water cannons) fueled the escalation of the protests. This violence exposed the “obscene underside” of power. Tragically, police brutality led to the loss of innocent lives, most notably the death of Berkin Elvan. Berkin became a symbol of the reality of police brutality in Turkey as the fifteen-year-old was struck by a tear gas canister on his way to buy bread. Unwarranted brutality, exemplified by the government and perpetuated by the police, indicates that this act of resistance, and the police’s response, were not solely about the park itself.

İmamoğlu’s Arrest and Resistance

The backstory of İmamoğlu's recent conviction is rooted in claims that his university diploma (which is a requirement for his position) is invalid. His arrest, enforced by the ruling party, was based on the argument that his transfer to Istanbul University should have been rejected due to a law introduced a few years after he had already completed his transfer.

These claims of the invalidity of the diplomas, which are widely seen as politically motivated, add to the perception that the government is targeting and silencing opposition figures. The timing of the arrest and these diploma-related claims is very suspicious to the opposition and to many citizens as İmamoğlu was set to be the opposition's candidate in the upcoming presidential elections. Once again, this discrepancy between the government’s narrated reality and the lived experience of citizens exposes a gap, thus the fractured symbolic order.

The Parallax Gap in Practice

To reiterate, the parallax gap refers to the seemingly irreconcilable differences in perspective that exist between two points of observation. Žižek argues that these gaps, rather than being obstacles to understanding, can actually reveal deeper truths about a situation. Žižek's concept of the parallax view goes beyond simply acknowledging different perspectives. It emphasizes the inherent limitations of any single viewpoint and the importance of considering the "parallax gap" itself as a significant space. He argues that this gap, this "minimal difference," is not merely a result of subjective perception but rather is an objective feature of reality. The parallax view states that reality is seen through multiple, distorted perspectives, and the “parallax” is the gap between them that reveals contradictions. This gap exposes the “real”, which is a disruptive force beyond our symbols. It shows reality as a clash of perspectives and not as a unified whole.

The proposed redevelopment of the Gezi Park, intended as a symbol of progress, clashed with the truth of the lived experiences of Turkish citizens who perceived it as an act of authoritarian overreach. As the growing public outrage was documented, despite the suppression of media, the gap between the narrative and the widespread discontent became clear. It exposes the contradiction between the government's emphasis on stability and economic development and the public's desire for greater democratic freedoms and social justice. Importantly, it is not simply a matter of differing opinions but rather a structural tension that cannot be easily resolved.

Similarly, the politically charged arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has become a symbol of the current unrest in Turkey, however, it is crucial to understand that these protests are not solely about one individual. Though the supporters of the ruling party are trying to paint this uprising as an effort to save a corrupt man, that is far from the truth. The people are convinced, due to the historical oppression of their rights, that even if he were to be found guilty of corruption, a possible trial would not be just and fair and would solely be politically motivated. The fuel driving the demonstrations of the people is a frustration with the erosion of democratic norms, a yearning for fundamental freedoms, and the stress levels triggered by the soaring inflation and devaluation of the Turkish lira.

Gezi as a Symptom

The memory of the Gezi Park protests functions as a symptom, which is a recurring manifestation of unresolved contradictions within Turkish society. The current protests demonstrate the persistence of these contradictions as well as the ongoing struggle for symbolic control. Gezi represents the return of the repressed and the eruption of discontent that the government has been trying to suppress for years.

The current protests represent a continuation of this struggle as the public fights to regain the symbolic power that they feel has been unjustly removed. The arrest of İmamoğlu, regarded as a symbol of opposition, has further fueled this injustice. With the increasing use of force by the police, the public, mainly the university students, are leading the resistance and are being abused both physically and psychologically.

Žižek’s impossibility of closure becomes relevant as any attempt to impose a definitive solution, such as silencing opposition figures, will only create new contradictions and new symptoms. Without a change of the paradigm, the gap is deemed impossible to get rid of. In the lens of the dialectical process, it can be concluded that Gezi is a symptom that is caused by the insurmountable parallax gap, which provides a perfect evidence of the unsustainability of the status quo. Its recurrence, exemplified by the current ongoing protests, shows that a paradigm change is necessary and unavoidable. The will of the people might not have prevailed in 2013, but even if it does not prevail in 2025, the revolutionary change of paradigm is bound to happen.

References

Arslan, D., & Fraser, S. (2013, May 31). Turkey protests spread after violent park clash. Reuters.

BBC News. (2013, June 1). Turkey protests: Police clash with demonstrators. BBC News.

BBC News Türkçe. (n.d.). İmamoğlu protestoları: Birçok Kentte Gösteriler, İstanbul ve Ankara'da polisle

arbede. BBC News Türkçe. Retrieved fromhttps://www.bbc.com/turkce/articles/cqlyx2venkxo  

Guler, E., & Karamustafa, F. (2023, June 12). Turkey's Inflation Hits Six-Month High.

Žižek, S. (2006). The parallax view. MIT Press.  

Žižek, S. (2008). Violence: Six sideways reflections. Picador.