“I, I live among the creatures of the night,
I haven't got the will to try and fight,
Against a new tomorrow, so I guess I'll just believe it,
That tomorrow never comes.”
Despite the gloom of those lyrics, 2019 offered a glimmer of hope to those discontent with the concentration of power in Turkey, the opposition, and civil society. There was a growing effort to "widen the rift" and to explore the potential impact of upcoming local elections.
Meanwhile, on the global stage, Donald Trump was testing the limits of his country's checks and balances, while Putin continued his own agenda in Russia, elections no longer seemed to guarantee democracy. The far-right was gaining ground across Europe, reproductive rights were under attack worldwide, and competitive authoritarianism was becoming an established norm.
This sense of urgency was at the heart of discussions at the Heinrich Böll Stiftung Turkey conference on populism. How could we confront the rise of right-wing populism, a growing global trend, and how could we safeguard civil space, democracy, and human rights?
In search of a fresh start, we decided to move our office from Gümüşsuyu to Galatasaray.
And then...
1 – hbs Istanbul moved from its long-time location in Gümüşsuyu to Neşe Apartment. With our new colleague Cem Bico (second from the left) also starting work, we couldn’t resist celebrating the occasion. (hbs) 2 – Istiklal Street comes alive with the splendour of the Feminist Night March. The women’s footsteps are so resonant that their march makes the front page of the New York Times. (New York Times) 3 – In the local elections held at the end of March, the opposition gained control of local administrations in many cities, notably Ankara and Istanbul, which had been governed by the same political ideology since 1994. However, the transition was challenging. Elections in Istanbul were rerun, and trustees were appointed to municipalities won by the HDP in the East and Southeast. It was not easy to hold on to hope for democracy. (Medya Faresi) 4 – The sale of the press operation of Doğan Media Group to Demirören Holding resulted in nearly all mainstream media in Turkey being controlled by capital groups aligned with the government. In response, the independent press swiftly began developing alternative platforms online. (Haber7) 5 – Just before the pandemic, the women's movement had gained significant momentum. The hbs Istanbul office organized a conference inspired by the achievements and ongoing struggles of women's movements globally. (hbs)