Introduction
This article aims to piece together a definitive understanding of the events relating to the Gezi Park movement and the implications for politics and society in Turkey. It is argued that the initial environmentalist protests were quickly superseded by the motivations of wider interest groups, which had specific anti-state motivations. There were also concerns about socio-economic divisions and pro-secular vs. pro-Islamic ideological perspectives, as well as the seemingly excessive power of the state. Others argue that while this was a major event in the reign of the AK Party, rather than reflecting a major turning point in the politics of the country, the events potentially cemented the nature of power among the AK Party and the dwindling profile of the secular-Kemalist opposition. Crucially, it may have spurred the realisation of a civil society in Turkey that has benefited from globalization and localization combined with progressive EU-driven reforms, which in the long-run could potentially suggest a more determined and active polity in Turkey. This critique summarizes the main concerns of the protests and presents an analytical overview of the primary sociological, cultural and political issues that resonate from the Gezi Park movement going forward.
