Taking inspiration from the “Arab Spring” label, Western colleagues were quick to name “the Gezi Park uprising” that broke out in Istanbul and instantly spread across Turkey as a “Turkish Spring.” According to Le Monde, “the people were awakening against Erdogan’s authoritarian regime.” It was Istanbul’s white night. The Guardian said the protests were sowing “the seeds of a Turkish spring.” In Russia, Izvestiya said “the Turkish Spring has started in Istanbul,” while Kommersant, also recalling the Arab Spring, highlighted one difference: “While secular regimes were the target of uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, Turkey’s protesters are demanding the resignation of the Islamist Erdogan.” Germany’s Der Tagesspiegel also opted for the “Turkish spring” label.
Uprising of dignity
