I've been living for 20 years, and never before have I been ashamed of being Turkish. I am Önder Sümer, a young man without a nation who, until today, thought he had seen many disasters within what was supposed to be one of the most shattered democratic landscapes in the world, yet woke up this morning to witness the de facto end of democracy in the land where he was born. From now on, the only national values I will continue to carry within me are Atatürk's principles, the Address to the Youth, and the National Anthem. The traumas inflicted upon 86 million citizens, the disgrace we face internationally, the destruction of democracy, and the war against human rights are not my values and never will be. I would rather call myself stateless than adopt these corrupt values. Moreover, from this day forward, I will assume that anyone who remains silent in the face of these events accepts these values.

Now that I have somewhat expressed myself and my feelings, if you wish to continue reading, I will share my thoughts on the current agenda.

Today is March 19, 2025. The mayor of Istanbul, a legitimate public official elected by the votes of 16 million people, was detained today, approximately one month after announcing his candidacy for the presidency. Yesterday, on March 18, 2025, attempts were made to unlawfully revoke his diploma, which he obtained 35 years ago. Since I prefer to evaluate events chronologically, I will first address the diploma issue.

In no state governed by the rule of law can acquired rights be revoked. Ekrem İmamoğlu's diploma, which he earned 35 years ago, is valid and will remain valid. It is shameful for a 600-year-old educational institution to tarnish its reputation in this way. Even though I never considered studying at Istanbul University, I despise the people who manage this institution. A university cannot make decisions under political pressure, work to satisfy media or political demands, or devalue the diplomas it has awarded. Furthermore, the fact that 28 other diplomas were revoked alongside İmamoğlu's, presumably to legitimize this decision, proves nothing. On the contrary, it openly declares how panicked and fearful AKP and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan are and how disconnected they have become from the people. Frankly, I would not have expected anything different from a mindset that dismissed lieutenants simply for chanting "We are Mustafa Kemal's soldiers!" and that has spread like a virus into every institution and position in the country.

Now, let’s talk about the erosion of basic human rights in Turkiye over the past 23 years. Freedom of expression, in my opinion, ended a long time ago. People are imprisoned for tweeting, unjustly detained for protesting, and journalists face travel bans and arrests for publishing even the slightest opposition news. This is the root cause of everything we are experiencing today. When journalists were imprisoned, we failed to intervene; we did not take to the streets and endure the tear gas; we did not stand against the water cannons, and now we are forced to receive all our news from the government’s media outlets. Even media that appears to be opposition-aligned can secretly serve the ruling party, and truly neutral journalism is entirely extinct. Citizens have lost their right to access information, just as they have lost their right to express their opinions.

Regarding the police in this country, I do not believe in the concept of being a mere executor of orders. The idea that the entire definition of your job is taking orders from someone else is incredibly bizarre to me. In fact, I think it contradicts the very nature of humanity. If you cannot think and make decisions for yourself, why do you exist? In my eyes, all police officers who comply with unlawful orders are criminals. Everyone has their own mind, and if you see the injustice and still choose to comply, then that’s on you. A democracy is being systematically dismantled, and you are complicit in this crime, plain and simple. These police officers are not my police.

Now, let’s address internet restrictions. I live in Rome and can use all social media platforms without any issues. I cannot believe that people in Turkiye do not even consider rising up against this. The argument that people are "tired" does not satisfy me. How can you remain silent while all your freedoms are being stripped away, one by one? Now is the time to organize. You are no less than me or anyone else in this world. You deserve the best of everything, but if you do not fight for your rights, you will never attain them. In fact, even the rights you currently have will be taken from you. Do you think those who restrict your internet today won’t ban you from going out without a headscarf tomorrow? Do you think they won’t outlaw alcohol consumption? These are my examples, but if you stay silent, sooner or later, they will come for your freedoms as well. This is not about personal preference; anyone who takes away one person’s freedom will take away another’s. Even if you don’t support certain freedoms, you must defend them wholeheartedly; otherwise, you will never be free.

Regarding the recent discussions about EU membership: even I wouldn’t accept today’s Turkiye into the EU. Because I am only a Turkish citizen, I had to deal with tons of paperwork and bureaucratic offices just to get here, unlike my peers. I had to spend months just to attend the university I rightfully earned a place in. And now, I must adapt to the bureaucracy here. If Turkiye were an EU member, I wouldn’t have had to go through all this. But considering the state of human rights and democracy, which is now worse than in the final days of the Ottoman Empire, I would never accept Turkiye’s membership. Sorry, but Turkiye needs to fix itself first. Don’t fool yourselves just because you have an army; otherwise, you will only be soldiers dying for other people’s causes.

If the structure of my writing is a bit disorganized, I apologize. I am ready to answer any questions sent to my email or social media accounts. My stance is clear. Ekrem İmamoğlu must be released from prison. Ümit Özdağ must be released. Selahattin Demirtaş must be released. Can Atalay must be released. Journalists must be released. In the decaying and trembling system established by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the judiciary has become a tool for punishing political opponents, disgracing Turkiye on the international stage. The judiciary must be independent once again and must never again be subjected to external interference.

To my friends who are afraid to write, write! To those who are afraid to go out, go out! Every restrictive decision you do not resist today will be followed by another tomorrow. This is a simple insect story. The insect is more afraid of you than you are of it. That is precisely why they try to impose protest bans when there is no real reason, endangering your constitutional rights. We must act together and end this coup. This is no longer about Ekrem İmamoğlu; this is about the homeland. With the de facto end of democracy, if you do nothing today, tomorrow, as a doctor, you will be killed in the hospital; as a judge, you will be unable to sleep due to threats; as a journalist, you will be imprisoned; as a teacher, you will starve. If you do not speak out today, tomorrow will be even worse, and you will regret not resisting. We are at the very part of Atatürk’s Address to the Youth. This is a turning point.

I am deeply saddened by the state of the land where I was born. I am Önder Sümer, a 20-year-old stateless young man. And despite everything: DOWN WITH TYRANNY, LONG LIVE FREEDOM!