Professor Demet Lüküslü

Demet Lüküslü is Professor of Sociology at Yeditepe University in Istanbul. Her research focuses on Turkish youth, particularly their political engagement and social experiences. Professor Lüküslü has conducted extensive studies on how young people navigate Turkey's complex political landscape and has published widely on youth movements, political participation, and generational identity in contemporary Turkey.

Episode Summary

In this timely conversation, recorded during a period of significant student protests in Turkey, Professor Lüküslü provides valuable insights into the current political turmoil and places it within the broader context of Turkey's complex history of youth movements. The discussion explores how Turkish youth are responding to the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and what this reveals about deeper political and social tensions in the country.

Key themes explored in this episode include:

1. Current Student Protests: Professor Lüküslü explains how young people are mobilizing to protect democratic processes and express concerns about their future in a politically and economically uncertain environment.

2. Comparison with Gezi Park: The conversation examines differences between today's protests and the 2013 Gezi Park movement, highlighting how the current demonstrations are more directly connected to mainstream political opposition.

3. Higher Education Expansion: Lüküslü discusses how the AKP government's massive expansion of universities across Turkey has created a generation of educated youth facing uncertain futures, contributing to political discontent.

4. Polarization in Turkish Society: The discussion explores how Turkey's political landscape is divided along multiple axes—urban/rural, secular/religious, generational—and how these divisions are reflected in youth movements.

5. Global Parallels: The conversation examines how Turkish youth movements compare to those in other countries, considering both similarities in underlying conditions and differences in specific political contexts.

6. Myth of Youth: Professor Lüküslü reflects on how Turkish political culture has historically assigned symbolic importance to youth, both empowering young people and placing burdens on them.

Keywords

Turkey, youth, politics, Gezi Park, protests, higher education, democracy, authoritarianism, youth culture, political engagement