Solidarity under lockdown: Political participation practices of alternative solidarity networks in Turkey

Abstract

In Turkey, the crackdown on dissident voices following Gezi protests in 2013 and the lack of trust towards the mainstream media highlighted the need for alternative networks of information and organization. This research examines the solidarity networks that were built to address this need during the COVID-19 pandemic in five different districts of İstanbul through eleven semi-structured interviews to gain a better understanding of the current political climate of the country by examining the roots of these solidarity networks, their organization practices and the challenges that are presented to them by inner conflicts and the political economy of the country.