Syria turns tables on PM Erdogan !
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/72962/World/Region/Turkish-protesters-have-long-list-of-complaints.aspx
Turkish protesters have long list of complaints
Protest over city park redevelopment turns into mass outpouring of anger at political system that operates under guise of democracy
AFP , Sunday 2 Jun 2013
Supporters of Turkey's Communist Party (TKP) shout slogans during an anti-government protest at Taksim square in central Istanbul June 1, 2013 (Photo: Reuters)
Turks are increasingly frustrated about what they see as restrictions on their freedom after a series of last-minute reforms were rushed through parliament by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which enjoys an overwhelming majority.
"This is a movement which is a result of growing frustration and disappointment among secular segments of society who could not influence politics over the last decade," said Sinan Ulgen, visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe.
"This is an unprecedented, abrupt and unplanned public movement that has not been manipulated by any political party. It is a big surprise," he told AFP.
A small park and its 600 trees at Istanbul's iconic Taksim square was the spark for the protests that snowballed into one of the biggest nationwide campaigns against the ruling party's ten-year rule.
Critics say that Prime Minister Tayyip Recep Erdogan's rule has left Turkish society more polarised than ever, with opponents of the AKP government openly voicing concerns that Turkey is moving toward conservative Islam.
The ruling party has passed a series of reforms which have outraged many citizens who complain of a "fait accompli" and say it shows a slide toward an authoritarian and conservative agenda.
In 2004, the party attempted to submit a controversial amendment on banning adultery but had to back down amid criticism from opposition parties and women's groups.
Last year, Erdogan provoked outrage when he likened abortion to murder, and his contentious education reform allowing clerical schools for the raising of what he described a "pious generation" was approved by the parliament in 2012, spreading fears among secularists.
More recently, Turkey's parliament passed legislation curbing alcohol sales and advertising, which would be the toughest in the republic's history if the president, a former AKP member, signs it into law.
In April, an Istanbul court ordered a retrial for world-renowned pianist Fazil Say, who was convicted earlier to 10 months in prison for blasphemy over a series of social media posts. The 43-year-old virtuoso has accused the AKP of being behind the case against him.
Critics accuse Erdogan's government of using courts to silence dissenting voices.
Turkey is the leading jailer of journalists worldwide, imprisoning even more than China or Iran, according to rights groups.
Hundreds of military officers, academics and lawyers are also in detention -- most of them accused of plotting against the government.
"Protesters are speaking out against top-down reforms imposed by the AKP government," said Ulgen.
"Every democracy has its own failures. Turkey will emerge stronger if the government responds to the public movement through more democracy."
Erdogan's ruling AKP first won elections in 2002 on a wave of popular support after years of unstable coalition governments. His party swept 50 percent of the votes in 2011 elections.
Over 10 years, the AKP has boasted major success in transforming the economy after a devastating meltdown in 2001 and has introduced strict budgetary discipline, posting growth rates of over eight percent in 2010 and 2011.
Erdogan has also sought to raise Turkey's diplomatic profile, often engaging in lectures on how democracy and Muslim values can coexist, in particular in countries swept up by the Arab spring uprisings.
While analysts caution against describing the popular protests here as a harbinger of a "Turkish spring", there are questions about the heavy-handed government response.
The demonstrations in Turkey took a violent turn after police fired rounds of tear gas to disperse the protesters, which was condemned by rights groups and which dealt a blow to Ankara's ambitions to become a role model for the Muslim world.
Turkey's former ally Syria has even mocked Erdogan, who has long urged the regime of President Bashar al-Assad to listen to its people's demands, and accused the Turkish leader of "terrorising" his own people.
"Turkey is not in a situation to preach democracy because winning elections alone is not an indicator of the quality of democracy," Ilter Turan, a professor at Istanbul's private Bilgi University said.
"Mr Erdogan does not accept any limitations to his power as a majority leader," Turan said.
"He believes whatever he has been doing is a reflection of the democratic will and sees the demands from society as malicious," he added.
Turkish media hardly covered the protests which was seen as yet another sign of government pressure, with some pro-government newspapers failing to give numbers of protesters who filled up the squares, as well as the wounded in clashes.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/syria-calls-on-pm-erdogan-to-halt-the-violent-repression-of-peaceful-protests-or-resign.aspx?PageID=238&NID=48025&NewsCatID=338
Syria calls on PM Erdoğan to halt the violent repression of peaceful protests or resign
Syrian Information Minister Omran Zoabi speaks during a news conference in Damascus May 5. REUTERS photo
Erdoğan, a former ally of Bashar al-Assad, turned against him after the Syrian president sought to crush largely peaceful protests which broke out in March 2011 and have since descended into a brutal civil war that has left at least 80,000 dead.
Syrian state television broadcast hours of live footage from Istanbul, where thousands of protesters clashed for a second day with riot police who fired teargas and water cannons.
The unrest was triggered by government plans for a building a shopping center complex in Istanbul's Taksim Square replacing the Gezi Park, a little patch of oasis in the heart of the city's entertainment area, long a venue for political protest, but widened into a show of defiance against Erdoğan and his Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP).
"The demands of the Turkish people don't deserve all this violence," Syrian television quoted Information Minister Omran Zoabi as saying. "If Erdogan is unable to pursue non-violent means, he should resign."
"Erdoğan's repression of peaceful protest ... shows how detached he is from reality."
and day three becomes violent......
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/06/201362154321332333.html
Turkey protesters clash with police |
Tear gas and water cannon fired in Ankara as thousands of anti-government demonstrators gather in Istanbul.
Last Modified: 02 Jun 2013 18:03
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| Police have fired tear gas and used water cannon to disperse protesters in the Turkish capital on the third day of demonstrations against the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Authorities took the measures to stop around 1,000 protesters who were attempting to march to the high-security prime minister's office on Sunday. The protesters hurled stones and other items towards the police in Kizilay district while calling for the government to step down. Meanwhile, thousands of people gathered for peaceful demonstrations in Istanbul's Taksim Square, where police clashed with protesters a day earlier. The demonstrations form the biggest public outcry against Erdogan's government since it assumed power in 2002. The nationwide unrest began as a local protest last week against plans to redevelop a park in Taksim Square, but after a heavy-handed police response, it quickly snowballed into broader demonstrations against what critics say is the government's increasingly conservative and authoritarian agenda. Hundreds detained Interior Minister Muammer Guler said more than 1,700 people had been detained in protests that have spread to 67 cities, though most have since been released. "A large majority of the detainees were released after being questioned and identified," he said in remarks carried by the state-run Anatolia news agency. Protesters clashed with police in Izmir and Adana, Turkey's third and fourth biggest cities, on Sunday. There were also confrontations between police and protesters near Erdogan's office in a former Ottoman palace in Istanbul. The ferocity of the police response in Istanbul on Saturday shocked Turks, as well as tourists caught up in the unrest in one of the world's most visited destinations. It has drawn rebukes from the US, European Union and international rights groups. Helicopters fired tear gas canisters into residential neighbourhoods and police used tear gas to try to smoke people out of buildings. Footage on YouTube showed one protester being hit by an armoured police truck as it charged a barricade. 'Extreme' response Erdogan admitted there may have been some cases of "extreme" police action. "It is true that there have been some mistakes, extremism in police response," he said. However, calling the protesters "a few looters", the prime minister remained defiant, pledging to push forward with the plans to redevelop Taksim Square. Erdogan singled out the Republican People's Party (CHP) for attack over a dispute he described as ideological. "We think that the main opposition party which is making resistance calls on every street is provoking these protests," Erdogan said on Turkish television. The government is planning to revamp the Gezi Park and tear down trees to construct a new mosque and rebuild a replica Ottoman-era barracks, which protesters fear will be turned into a shopping mall. "This reaction is no longer about the ripping out 12 trees.This is based on ideology," said Erdogan, whose conservative vision for the nation has angered more liberal Turks. Referring to the planned mosque, he added: "Obviously I will not ask for permission for this from the head of CHP or a few looters." |
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/syria-issues-turkey-travel-warning-after-protests.aspx?pageID=238&nID=48062&NewsCatID=352
Syria issues Turkey travel warning after protests
DHA Photo
"The foreign ministry advises Syrian citizens to avoid travel to Turkey for their own safety because of a deterioration in the security situation in a number of Turkish cities," it said in a statement carried on Syrian state television.
The warning followed the biggest anti-government demonstrations in Turkey in a decade in major cities including the capital Ankara and Istanbul. Around 1,000 people have been detained in the protests and scores wounded nationwide.
The demonstrations have been covered in minute detail by Syrian state media, and on Saturday Syria's information minister accused the Turkish government of "terrorising" its people.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/01/turkey-istanbul-erdogan-demo-protests
( Note a protester draws the comparison between the Turkish government supporting the right of Syrians to protest and rebel against the Syrian government but treating Turks like dogs at home... )
Turkish protest takes root in Istanbul square after security forces withdraw
Demonstrators claim victory following weekend of violent clashes with police, but Erdogan warns of retaliatory measures
Email
Protesters chant anti-government slogans at a demonstration in Istanbul after a week that saw protests against the demolition of Taksim Gezi Park in Taksim Square intensify. Photograph: Murad Sezer/Reuters
Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was facing the biggest challenge to his 10-year rule this weekend as parts of Istanbul turned into a war zone. Violent clashes took place between riot police and tens of thousands of demonstrators outraged at the heavy-handed response of authorities to an environmental protest on Friday.
The eruption of frustration with Erdogan's government spread to a dozen other Turkish cities overnight and supporters gathered worldwide in Boston, London, Barcelona and Amsterdam to voice solidarity with the protesters.
Police eventually withdrew from the city's central Taksim Square early on Saturday evening, bringing an end to the clashes. By late night thousands of people were celebrating there. "This is it, we won, Gezi Park is ours again", said Burcu Kurhan, 33, one protester who joined the crowds in the inner-city park where peaceful protests started on Monday. "But we hope that Tayyip will have to go!"
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Several overturned police and municipal vehicles were covered in graffiti demanding the government resigns.
"This is our museum", explained one protester, laughing. "Memories of the days when a dictator ruled Turkey!"
Inside the park, the atmosphere resembled that of a summer music festival, with people scattered on the grass, singing, chatting and enjoying a beer. Celebrations united many factions of Turkish society – leftist groups, unions, nationalists, Kemalists and members of the gay and transgender communities waving rainbow flags.
"This is just the beginning, our struggle will continue!" chanted a euphoric crowd. The original protest was aimed at saving a city centre park in Istanbul from shopping centre developers who had been backed by the government. But it rapidly snowballed into a national display of anger at the perceived arrogance of the country's rulers.
While the ferocity of Friday's police crackdown attracted worldwide headlines, the mass protests against the government went largely unreported on the main Turkish TV channels and government-supporting newspapers. Erdogan, usually quick to respond to major events, also remained silent until Saturday, when he delivered a lengthy address on television. Calling for an immediate end to the protests, he pledged that the government would press ahead with the construction of the controversial shopping centre.
"Police were there yesterday, they'll be on duty today and also tomorrow because Taksim Square cannot be an area where extremists are running wild," Erdogan said. "If this is about staging a protest, about a social movement, I would … gather 200,000 where they gather 20, and where they gather 100,000, I would gather 1 million party supporters. Let's not go down that road."
Sirri Sureyya Onder, an MP from the Kurdish Peace and Democracy party (BDP), who was injured by a teargas cartridge on Saturday, said the government had gone too far in its crackdown on peaceful protesters.
"They are rebelling against all of this now. People are fed up with this lack of public discussion, with the disrespect, the immoderateness, the lawlessness and the authoritarianism of this government. It is not very good at apologising. But this time I think it will have to."
The lack of media coverage has further inflamed tension on the streets. "There is a total media blackout on this in Turkey, the Turkish media silent on the protests; they all collaborate with the government," said 21-year-old student Ayse Sarac. "We follow the foreign news coverage to get more information."
On Saturday many shop owners, hotels and residents of Istanbul's Beyoglu district showed solidarity with demonstrators, handing out water and offering shelter to those fleeing the police raids. Volunteer doctors and medical students set up makeshift clinics all over the chic central district. From a small bar just off Taksim Square, 30-year-old bar manager Esra Huri Bulduk and other activists handed out bottles of milk and anti-acidic fluids used to counter the effects of teargas.
A room in the Istanbul Chamber of Mechanical Engineers was transformed into an impromptu clinic. Up to 15 doctors have been treating victims of teargas attacks and police violence since Friday night. "We have treated more than 100 patients here," said one medical student who wished to remain anonymous. "The police now use a very heavy teargas that causes serious health problems."
Hundreds have sustained injuries over the past two days, some serious, with at least three people said to be in critical condition. There are reports of head trauma and broken limbs. Human Rights Watch confirmed that one 23-year-old student lost an eye after being hit with a plastic bullet by police.
"This excessive violence once again shows that this government is intolerant of dissent and restrictive of dissent," said Emma Sinclair-Webb, senior Turkey researcher at Human Rights Watch. "But this is a new low, even for Turkey."
The US has expressed concern over the way the Turkish government is handling the situation, and the British consulate in Istanbul took the unusual step of publicly rebuking the government for overreacting after a teargas canister landed in the consulate gardens.
"Our government actively supports the Syrian opposition, and they constantly call for more democratic rights in Syria. But look what they do to those who oppose their own ideas and policies – they try to shut us up with teargas and violence," said Nejla Gulten, a 32-year-old sociologist. "When the prime minister speaks about women, he never speaks about the problem of violence against women, but only about how many children we should have. He shapes every issue in Turkey to suit himself."
and....
http://ex-skf.blogspot.com/2013/06/police-clashes-with-protesters-in.html
( US lectures Turkey on allowing protesters freedoms of expression , assembly and association... )
SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 2013
Police Clashes with Protesters in Turkey, US State Deparment Says "These freedoms are crucial to any healthy democracy"
According to BBC people in Turkey got incensed over a planned shopping center over a small park in central Istanbul.
Aside from the governor of Tokyo and his supporters who believes Turkey is too dangerous to hold an Olympic in 7 years, I wonder who (think they) benefit.
From BBC (5/31/2013):
Turkey police clash with Istanbul Gezi Park protesters
At least 12 people have been injured after Turkish police used tear gas and water cannon against protesters occupying a park in central Istanbul.
Demonstrators had held a four-day sit-in at Gezi Park, angry at plans to redevelop that part of Taksim Square.
An Istanbul court later ordered the temporary suspension of the project to uproot trees in the park.
But there is wider anger against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the unrest has spread to Ankara.
Protests have also been reported in other cities, including Bodrum, Konya and Izmir.
The US later expressed its concern over the reported number of injuries in Istanbul.
"We believe that Turkey's long-term stability, security and prosperity is best guaranteed by upholding the fundamental freedoms of expression, assembly and association, which is what it seems these individuals were doing,'' state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
"These freedoms are crucial to any healthy democracy."
...
What started out as an environmental protest in Istanbul became anti-government in tone, correspondents say.
The controversial redevelopment project is aimed at easing congestion around Taksim Square but also involves building a shopping centre over Gezi Park.
Opponents of Mr Erdogan's plans say the park is one of the few green areas left in central Istanbul.
One banner at Friday's protest included a cartoon of Mr Erdogan dressed as an Ottoman sultan with the slogan: "The people will not bow down to you."
"We do not have a government, we have Tayyip Erdogan," political scientist and protester Koray Caliskan told the Reuters news agency.
"They are not listening to us," he added. "This is the beginning of a summer of discontent."
(Full article at the link)
The US should practice at home what they preach to Turkey.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/06/201362115317560971.html
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Istanbul's iconic square is again being occupied by anti-government demonstrators following two days of clashes.
Last Modified: 02 Jun 2013 12:34
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| Thousands of Turkish protesters have returned to Istanbul's Taksim Square a day after police pulled out from the area in the wake of violent anti-government demonstrations. The square, the focus of the demonstrations, was calm on Sunday morning, but protesters began reoccupying the site in the afternoon. They said their fight against the policies of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government is far from over. Earlier, residents helped with cleaning up some of the debris left by Saturday's battles. Al Jazeera's correspondent Rawya Rageh said there were burned buses, cars and other debris around the square, with graffiti sprayed across many walls and vehicles. Riot police pulled back from the square after fierce battles with protesters. The protests in Istanbul were mirrored in dozens of other cities, with many carrying on late into Saturday night and Sunday morning. In Ankara, the capital, smashed shop windows were evidence of the previous evening's violence. Muammer Guler, the interior minister, said police had detained 939 protesters in more than 90 demonstrations across the country. Some have since been released. He said 53 civilians and 26 police were injured. One of the injured civilians was in intensive care unit at an Istanbul hospital. Widening protest The Istanbul protest began last Monday as a peaceful sit-in at Gezi Park across Taksim Square. The demonstrators had been preventing workers from razing some of the 600 trees in the park, the last patch of green in the commercial area, to make way for the restoration of Ottoman-era military barracks. Residents fear that the barracks will be turned into a shopping centre. The demonstration soon took a violent turn, with police shooting tear gas at the protesters. The protests then escalated into widespread anger against what critics say is the government's increasingly conservative and authoritarian agenda. They cite the restrictions on alcohol sales and warnings against public displays of affection. Erdogan admitted on Saturday there may have been some cases of "extreme" police action. "It is true that there have been some mistakes, extremism in police response," he said. However, he remained defiant, pledging to push forward with the plans to redevelop Taksim Square. Erdogan said the redevelopment of Gezi Park was being used as an excuse for the unrest and warned the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), which had been given permission to hold a rally in Istanbul, against stirring tensions. Both the UK and US called on Turkey's government to exercise restraint. |
http://rt.com/news/turkey-protest-erdogan-istanbul-131/ 'Why were police so angry?': Turkish protesters slam police brutality, return to Taksim Square
Published time: June 02, 2013 12:42
A protester gestures during a protest against Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in central Ankara on June 1, 2013. (AFP Photo / Adem Altan)
Over the weekend, the protest that started as a sit-in to protect a park spread all over the country, with crowds urging PM Erdogan to step down. At least 2 people have reportedly been killed, over 1,000 injured in the violence; hundreds got detained.
Most of the injuries were sustained near Taksim Square in Istanbul, the focal point of the recent protest.
Massive demonstrations from last night are currently continuing in the streets, with the metropolis of Istanbul witnessing cases of vandalism. Rallies kicked off on Friday: authorities decided to cut the trees in Geza Park, and people took to the streets to protest.
"The latest expression of public anger is unprecedented in character. Unlike previous anti-government rallies and demonstrations, people are protesting wherever they are, including banging pots in their homes regardless of the time," journalist Mahir Zeynalov writes in the Turkish daily Today's Zaman.
Erdogan commented on the current events stressing that protestors should go home. "If you bring 100,000, I'll bring out a million," he threatened. The leader also vowed to rebuild the Ottoman barracks. However, he warned police against using excessive force. The protest spread to 50 provinces in the last three days. The capital, Ankara, has been engulfed by the anti-government protests, too, the activists say. And they don’t really understand why the police crackdown is so violent. “People in Geza Park were just sitting there, and police started firing at their tents, which were in the park, so we don’t really understand why they used such force and why they are so angry,” activist Seda Guner indicated to RT. 
An injured demonstrator is helped during clashes between riot police and demonstrators in Ankara on June 1, 2013. (AFP Photo / Adem Altan)
Another Ankara resident, who preferred to remain anonymous, told RT that police have started gathering in the street as more protests are expected on Sunday afternoon. Recalling the Saturday clashes, she described police actions as “horrible,” saying that officers were shooting at people, without caring if they were women, children or the elderly. Cafes and some other public places were used as makeshift hospitals and medical students volunteered to treat the injured. She also said that one person was killed Saturday after being targeted by water cannon.
In the meantime, protests spilled into the Turkish-controlled part of Cyprus. As Melis Tutan, a Cyprus-based journalist reports, pointed out to RT, Turkish students started gathering on Saturday to protest the events in Istanbul and express their concern over the policies of the Erdogan government and what they describe as police terror. Thousands of people took to the streets of Nicosia, Kyrenia, Famagusta and Morphou, Tutan told RT. “Many civil organizations and students walked together towards the Turkish Embassy in Nicosia. At the beginning police tried to stop them, but then they were allowed to chant slogans.” Solidarity protests were also staged or planned across Europe and the US, with people in cities including Boston, London, Berlin, Athens, Nicosia and Helsinki rallying against the violence in Turkey. For instance, in New York City’s Zuccotti Park, hundreds of Occupy movement supporters gathered for a solidarity demonstration, and marched to the Turkish Consulate. Turks also staged in front of the EU Parliament in Brussels to protest the violence in Turkey, chanting anti-government slogans and holding banners. “This is not about a park. It’s about the abuse of state power. It’s about media being censored. This is about democracy,” one of the banners held by demonstrators, read. |
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