Re-Imagining Caring Spaces of Democratic Resistance and Resilience: The Spatial Politics of Opposition in Turkey

Abstract This article analyzes three examples of politico-spatial antagonism in Turkey under rising authoritarianism: (1) the reclaiming of Taksim Square during Workers’ Day, Women’s Day, and pride marches, (2) the transformation of the courtroom into a space of contestation after the termination of the Istanbul Convention, and (3) the Boğaziçi University silent protests advocating for academic freedom and democracy. Based on these examples, we first demonstrate how sporadic resistances in Turkey appear as “spatial contestations” through appropriating spaces such as parks, university campuses, courtrooms, streets, and other public areas. We then examine how these resistances are reclamations of the plurality of the people against the unitary will of the state. Lastly, we argue that spatial contestations serve as innovative sites for reimagining a new form of relational and spatial politics of care.