In our paper we explore the role of social media in the enhancement of public participation in the case of the Gezi protests in Turkey. The civil unrest that started as a protest for the protection of Gezi Park became quickly an anti-government movement. This paper focuses on the role that social media played in shaping the social dynamics that the movement unveiled and which appear to challenge long established socio-political norms. This paper argues that social media played a dual role. First, they offered the space of disseminating information regarding the protests both at the national and international level. Second, they became a channel for communication amongst protesters and supporters, which resulted into large demonstrations that spread throughout the country. We suggest that social media became a tool for bringing to the forefront a form of active citizenship that urges for greater democracy and civil rights in Turkey.
