ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the social media, especially Twitter and hashtags. It discusses the criticisms leveled against the AK Party during the Gezi protests that started in Taksim, Istanbul, on May 27, 2013. The chapter presents the possibilities and dilemmas these criticisms carry for Turkish politics and democracy culture. As the Turkish political arena started to break away from the bureaucratic oligarchy's tutelage, and the feeling of political normalization settled, the AK Party government started to follow a clearer 'conservative' path of policies. Long before Gezi, Erdoan's image had surpassed the AK Party identity and policies and, as a result, his attitude and decisions had become the source of negative reactions and criticisms of protesters. The Gezi opposition emphasized the call for a public space, which was democratic, participatory and pluralist. The anti-Erdoanism that had risen throughout the Gezi protests began to form the common value of the opposition parties.
