ALBAWABA - This week, a group of men said prayers outside a Espressolab coffee shop in the Esenyurt neighborhood of Istanbul, rekindling discussions about protest strategies and political symbolism in Turkey.
The protest followed CHP (Republican People's Party) leader Özgür Özel's announcement of a boycott of a number of businesses he said had connections to pro-government media outlets and the governing AKP party. There was Espressolab on the list. The boycott followed widespread demonstrations after the contentious arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
Supporters of the AKP gathered at Espressolab in retaliation. TÜGVA, a young organization that supports government, visited the café and left encouraging comments like "Politics doesn't belong in coffee." A number of AKP lawmakers and ministers also posted pictures of themselves at Espressolab sites.
Social media users compared the prayer protest to a well-known event from the 1960s, when a group of Turks prayed toward the American 6th Fleet moored in Istanbul as part of anti-imperialist demonstrations organized by Marxist student hero Deniz Gezmiş. The protest received a lot of attention on social media.
The Espressolab prayer participants' catchphrase, "First prostration, then coffee," sparked both admiration and condemnation from people of all political persuasions.
Deep cultural and political divisions in Turkish society have once again been brought to light by the incident, where symbolic actions often turn into focal points in larger ideological conflicts.
