Around me in Istanbul there is fear on every face – but I see a resilience that refuses to die | Carolin Würfel

Many turbulent years have taught my friends never to make plans. Yet, even after Ekrem İmamoğlu’s arrest, they have hope

• Carolin Würfel is a German writer based in Istanbul

When I first visited Istanbul nearly 20 years ago, I spoke with an academic who had lived through Turkey’s military coups and political upheavals – some that had unfolded overnight. He was wise and wary, and though I didn’t fully grasp the weight of his words then, they have stayed with me. “If we’re not careful,” he warned in 2006, “we’ll end up under an authoritarian regime.”

For two decades, his premonition lingered, occasionally breaking through the surface. But last week, the erosion of democratic principles became undeniable. Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, was arrested on charges of corruption after a court ruling.