resistanbul

2 French photographers/videomakers in #DirenIstanbul

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#Soma

At first glance, it may seem odd or even displaced to see thousands of Turks around the country in the last few days protesting sometimes violently against their government , especially against Tayyip Erdogan, the Prime Minister in power since 2002. Soma mining disaster on May 13 was the trigger of this fury. The accident caused the death of more than 300 miners, and it is likely that one will never know the exact number of victims. Beyond the legitimate anger of relatives of victims and Turkish citizens, one must remember that the opposition had called some weeks earlier for a global safety inspection at that exact mine and that the Prime Minister and his party had then accused them of politicizing an issue which is secondary for the Turkish citizens. Also, this accident has to be placed in the context of Turkish mining sector liberalization which many think has been done in a purely greedy way. At the end of the day, it seems that nobody is responsible and the justifications used by Erdogan at a press conference mentioned mining accidents that happened in 19th century England reach hard to hide the reality that a Turkish miner in 2008 had 350 more chances over an American miner to die at work and 6 times more than a Chinese miner. The owner of the mine 2 years ago proudly claimed in newspaper that he succeeded into dividing production costs by more than 6, one wonders how. So when a close associate of Erdogan is photographed kicking one of the victims family member on the ground, justifying this cowardly act by saying he had been insulted, one can wonder how we got there. As early as in 2010, the Chamber of Architects (TMMOB ) denounced in a vain attempt in a report that disaster risks in the same mine were high and likely. Erdogan and the AKP are now in a difficult situation; here are miners , workers who have died, not anti -government protesters. Many in the rubble of Soma may have been electors of the AKP. Erdogan can not accuse one of the many lobbies as he used to, he can not insult the victims as he had done with Elvan Berkin, calling him a terrorist. He prefers to close his eyes and repeat that accidents are inevitable in the mining sector. His appearance at Soma the day following the tragedy quickly turned into an attempted lynching by an angry mob, he even had to take refuge in a shop where he allegedly hit a protester, justifying that he was insulted. Editorialists are no more reluctant to describe these deaths as murders. Right now, the police fired on demonstrators in Soma using water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets. To have been a victim of this before yesterday, I confirm that this is no fun. Now any spontaneous assembly ends the same way; by violence, almost exclusively on the side of the police. I am surprised and impressed by the calm and the absence of adequate response from the protester. Yes stones are thrown, yes some use slingshots and fireworks, but this is nothing compared to the violence of the opposing camp. Turkish police turned into political police whose sole mission is to protect a corrupt and criminal political class, and then the media deliver to the public a skewed view of the facts. But for how long? In which country would the police attack mourners? In which country would politicians qualify these people necrophiliac? In which other country could the Prime Minister call terrorist a child aged 15 killed by police? In the next few months the presidential elections will be organised. Erdogan sees himself as the natural candidate, some believe that his position has been weakened by the disaster Soma, I 'm afraid this is not the case. And this perspective is clearly not good news for Turkey. All my thoughts are with the Soma victims and their relatives.

[istanbulresist]

Yesterday in istanbul protesters took to the street to protest the government implication in the Soma mining disaster, the worse in Turkish history. To date 283 miners are officially dead, many more were still trapped up to 2km down, with no or little oxygen. One miner was believed to be 15 years old only.

Picture by Jan

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Hidrellez Roma Festival, Istanbul 2014

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Labor Day in Turkey, Anticapitalist-Muslims demonstration in Fatih

Photo by Jan

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High School demonstration on Sunday in Kadiköy in the wake of the protests that followed the death of 15 years old Berkin this week in Istanbul. (15/03/2014).

Photos by Jan 

[istanbulresist]

Yesterday mourners after having been violently attacked by police forces attacked the symbol of the Prime Minister party, AKP. A local election office was looted in Sisli district and protestors confronted with police for hours.

Photos by Jan 

[istanbulresist]

Berkin is Immortal

Berkin was 14 when a gas canister fired by police in June hit him at the head. His father had asked him to go buy bread at the corner grocery shop in Okmeydani predominantly Alevi neighbourhood in Istanbul. He turned 15 in January, but was in a coma. Berkin Elvan died on March 11, 2014 after 269 days without waking-up. He weighed 16 kilogrammes. An AKP deputy - the ruling party in Turkey since 2002 - said he was convinced that the family and the medical team decided to unplug Berkin because of coming municipal elections (end of March). Yes, that's the kind of people in power in Turkey. Nobody apologized, not a single police officer has been prosecuted for shooting dead a child. Erdogan even praised his heroic police. Turkish political power despises much of its citizens and its police sheds the blood of innocent citizens. 8 people died since June at the hands of state forces. No serious investigation has really taken place. At the same time, the main suspect of the murder of Hrant Dink, the Turkish -Armenian journalist assassinated in January 2009 was released recently, like 5 people suspected of having tortured and killed 3 missionaries in 2007. Meanwhile, record leaks put the Prime Minister and his immediate entourage in a delicate situation. We hear them discussing huge sums in cash to hide from the police conducting searches; $ 30 million in cash are mentioned. Millions more have been found by investigators hidden in shoeboxes. The Prime Minister also recognizes calling television channels to stop interventions or interviews opposing his point of view. He saw no evil. Sincerely. At the same time, a merciless war opposes the AKP to its former main ally, the U.S. based preacher and its powerful brotherhood, Fethullah Gülen. He’s said to control part of the justice institution, as well as significant portions of the army and police. Thousands of prosecutors and police officers have been shifted or fired in recent months following the publication of the above-mentioned leaked records. Tayyip accuses indiscriminately, the lobby of the interest rate (the infamous Jews), the robots lobby (yes, robots…), Lufthansa (recently an official of the company admitted not really understanding this accusation), Thailand, the enemies of inside and outside, the media, as well as the European Union, the United States and I must be forgetting a few more culprits. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Turkey yesterday to express their anger, their hatred of their Prime Minister, of their police. Katil (murderer), this insult is now recurring. In June 2013 protesters mostly chanted their desire for Tayyip to resign, he is now considered a murderer by a significant part of its population. But he does not care, he continues to lead and rule, as if nothing had happened. His contempt, his arrogance is to be contrasted with the calm and intelligence of his victims and enemies. Yesterday and today his disdain sent hundreds of thousands of protesters in the streets for a funeral. This has not been seen in Turkey since 2009, when Turks had accompanied Hrank Dink to his final resting place. Alas, the elections are not even bringing real hope for democrats, the main opposition parties are either discredited (CHP) or more or less openly fascist according to western standards (MHP). Still, many are hoping that the AKP will lose at least a few key cities like Istanbul or Ankara. Meanwhile the father of Berkin said he would put every week in front of his house his deceased son’s pocket money in a shoebox. Anyone in need can take it. Here is what enemies of the state look like according to the AKP.

[istanbulresist]

Yesterday Turkish people paid their last respects to Berkin. He was 14 when he was by a gas canister in Istanbul in June 2013, his father had sent him to by some some bred. He turned 15 in January and weighted 16kg when he died on March 11, 2014. AKP politicians accused his family and the hospital to have him "unplugged" priori to the elections on purpose.

Photos by Jan 

[istanbulresist]

Monday in Free Turkey

Goodbye Istanbul. I am pleased to have had the opportunity to see you again. I must admit that lately you have disappointed me. Your charm had finally leave me indifferent while for years I had eyes only for you. Though I multiplied travel and encounters, I came back to you endlessly. And then the magic was off, the passion disappeared and for the first time I was unfaithful, I admit. You did nothing to keep me. Your traffic, your chaos, your pollution were pushing me away from you. Alas, one day in May 2013, everything changed. The spirit of Gezi interfered in your soul and it made something so beautiful and so strong that I cannot find words to express what I felt in this famous park where I had set foot. They can say what they want, the jealous, ignorant, embittered, obtuse, Gezi is a wonderful experience that has changed the lives of tens of thousands of people throughout Turkey and beyond. Well beyond. A new Turkey was born, many now refuse to kowtow and accept the unacceptable. Above all, the government is facing intelligent and mature protesters who refuse to be sucked into a sterile confrontation logic. Barely 12 hours after violent clashes between police and protesters, a colorful and joyous crowd spread on Istiklal to celebrate Transpride. The rainbow flags colored the streets where gas suffocated us. Many of us have our masks and goggles in our bags, but no one really wanted to use them. The Turkish government forces us to such extremes. Nobody should think about taking a helmet to walk on a sunny Sunday in June. Again, the young Turkish civil society showed its maturity against an ignorant and arrogant power who thinks he can impose his will as others have done before. One should acknowledge that if Turkey is now in this mess, it is also largely due to the intransigence of those who have nothing but contempt to offer to their religious compatriots or to the ones interested into their origins. Since the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, the country has continued to push its citizens against each other to the delight of its leaders. But now it's starting to change. Gezi youth have shown that they were wiser than their parents. For them the brotherhood is not an empty word engraved on the front of a town hall or school. Moreover there are many çapulcular whose mothers or sisters wear the veil. Gezi, the meetings and forums are the best proof that living together despite all their differences is possible, longed. The power pathetically cover the walls with grey paint to conceal graffiti slogans and evidence of alertness of the Turkish youth, but dreams are immortal. Beyond liberated speech, it is also a movement to reclaim public spaces. It is not insignificant that at the entrance of parks a panel says " City Park", it is never referred as "Public Space". Legitimately people feel dispossessed. Of course, everyone is wondering what it will all lead to. We saw in Spain and elsewhere in recent years, it is easy for participatory grassroots movement to wither and slowly die. Many people think the answer must be political. Some want to create a new party. Others are convinced that we must invest the CHP for reform from within. Some rely on a new civil society. Many remain sceptical. All want change. For his part, Tayyip retreats every day a little more in his ivory tower, convinced of the primacy of his ideas. He fanned the embers of division and discord and always dream to build the capital of a new Muslim empire and proud without realizing he has compromised his own future. To all of you çapulcular, biber arkadaslarim, Turks who truly love your country, I trust you to put him back to his place in the dustbin of history. The spirit of Gezi is eternal. Her Yer Taksim Her Yer Direniş (Everywhere Taksim, Everywhere Resistance).

Jan

[istanbulresist]

On Sunday, just 12 hours after heavy clashes with the police, demonstrators showed Turkey they are clever and peaceful. Transpride was a true gathering of people who want a better Turkey.

Photos by Jan 

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Saturday Night in Free Turkey

It’s not possible to really get used to gas. No. Although the Turks sing loudly to ask for some more, it is more bravado than real taste. When you have the misfortune to take it and if for one reason or another your goggles or mask do not work correctly, you can’t really think about anything, you’re just walking, staggering to reach some kind a shelter. Half blind you must move away from the police firing indiscriminately in the streets. After it’s time to look for some miracle liquid, the solusyon: liquid rennie mixed with a little milk and water. In a few minutes everything becomes normal, and you can once again open your eyes and gaze at the desolation surrounding you. People cry, support each other, keep watch, and help the ones who can’t deal with this anymore. Most people stand up proud and damn sure of their rights. From all ages and conditions, I saw last night one people screaming its hatred of its prime minister. Neslihan is 31 years old, she is executive assistant, Eda is the same age, she is a professor of Turkish Onur is still a student, he returned from a year in Australia, Ayse is a graphic designer. Gizem is older. With her friends and her husband she belongs to the generation that had studied in the 1980s. They know about coups and are still wary about politics. But tonight they are there to support the youth of their country and also show that the protest goes beyond generational lines. They were on Taksim with others, a carnation or a rose in their hands. Peacefully. They wanted to show that they wanted another Turkey than one filled with mosques and malls that Tayyip strives to promote. They were like Ekim, Elif, Yesim, Etem, Umit, Zeynep or Emre in one of the parks to listen to their compatriots express their dreams, their frustrations, their hopes. This rebel Turkey is beautiful and full of hope. Of course they are afraid for the future of their country, but now they know they are not alone. Sporadic clashes lasted all night on Istiklal and especially in the maze of streets around. I attended surreal scenes, we ran to escape the gas and Tayyip thugs when we go in front of a police station. My camera protects me, but in the gas, nothing is certain. Sitting quietly watching us pass some policemen tell us where to go to escape their colleagues. Also, a friend lost her cell phone, she cries in the devastated streets, and there are many who turn her appeal and begin to help her, when not even 5 minutes before the police was charging. This country will never cease to amaze me. Protesters and police played cat and mouse a good part of the night. After a week of peaceful protest Tayyip regained the initiative of violence. I witnessed the first attacks of the police, they were aimed exclusively at peaceful and responsible citizens who chanted "bizim Istanbul, Taksim bizim" (Istanbul is ours, Taksim is ours). Stay tuned.

[istanbulresist]

Yesterday shortly after thousands of people peacefully met on Taksim to commemorate the victims of the events, the Turkish police attacked with water canons and then with tear gaz protestors. Clashes lasted all night, mostly around and in Istiklal Caddesi nearby Taksim Square.

Photo by Jan

[istanbulresist]

Friday in Free Turkey

Coordination between the various parks is slowly taking place. Meetings and discussions are going well overall. The gathering in Yeniköy Park, north of Istanbul was shocked to see the mukhtar (equivalent of a traditional mayor) land with dozens of his henchmen to intimidate participants. They nevertheless remained without exercising violence. Yesterday evening Abbasağa Parkı, I witnessed an attempted intimation from a dozen thugs of Tayyip, some of whom were armed with sticks. They left quickly without forgetting to threaten photographers. As power becomes feverish, citizens slowly coordinate their actions. Everyone thinks of the municipal elections to be held in March 2014. With this perspective in mind, local concerns then take another dimension, mayors can no longer ignore the growing exasperation of their potential voters. The forums are now scattered in seven cities in Turkey outside of Istanbul, Ankara adopted the same process as the nightly clashes with police continue. Here nobody forgets that four people were killed by police, their sacrifice should not be in vain. The killers are still at large while the leftists militants still suffer a witch hunt. From my many discussions appears that finally the fact that no political party is able to embody the ideas of the çapulcular is not such a bad thing, it will push many people to invest associations and civil society will only emerge stronger, away from highly politicized activists and often lost in worldviews of another age. Another interesting fact is the grip of the AKP in the army. Today it is difficult to estimate what is its influence on the institution, but one thing is certain, the army is no longer there to protect the Kemalists. They are thus forced to learn humility, to listen and deal with others. On Gezi we saw Kurds dancing hand in hand with militants Kemalists, who listen to their new "friends" explain Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the PKK, was their founding father, like Atatürk was theirs. Another interesting movement is the Revolutionary Muslims, anti-capitalists they are part of all fights and make the link between devotees and anarchists. They were at the forefront when the police attacked Gezi. To return to the parks, the last topic that was discussed at length in meetings is a project of summer schools in poor neighbourhoods, to create a social link between two worlds that often do not know and for no longer leave the field of education for the AKP or the brotherhood of Fethullah Gülen. For the first time in their lives, thousands of citizens feel concerned by the life of their city, and nothing can influence this change in attitudes and minds. At best, the AKP will lose some key cities in the next election, but the damage is done and it now seems Tayyip can no longer be seen as the best candidate for the presidency, even if actively campaigned in all of Turkey. Civil society can only emerge stronger from this adventure. Stay tuned.

Jan

[istanbulresist]

AKP thugs who come to disrupt peaceful discussions in Abbasağa Parkı. They have been forced out by the demonstrators. Forums went ahead.

Photo by Jan

[istanbulresist]

Thursday in Free Turkey

  People here are in a state of uncertainty. After 3 weeks full of tension and adrenaline, many are now struggling to find a rhythm, and especially no one really knows what will happen in the coming days. Nothing is worse than doubt when making the revolution. Discussions continue in the parks - to date more than 40 parks were occupied by open forums yesterday night. Resistance is a daily struggle, a kebabs place in Taksim for example had refused to help the protesters in the early days of the protest. One of its restaurants has been destroyed, and the other remains desperately empty, only the omnipresent police in Taksim visit the place that had closed its doors to its customers. But outside duranadam few things happen in practice, and some fear that Tayyip and his henchmen just live with it. There is even talks to occupy back Gezi. In parks, past the time of post-traumatic therapy, stakeholders generally fall into two camps, those with local concerns at the scale of their neighbourhood, and those wishing to refocus the debate on the on-going revolution. The latter argue that discussing in parks does not do the revolution. One thing is certain, if nothing concrete emerges from these gatherings, it could all be useless. In front, the AKP and the MHP have already started their campaign and their supporters are white-hot by war rhetoric. Tayyip continues to insist on the "them" and "us" and divide his country a little more every day. Modestly, with an English friend we think we have found the solution. Emine Ülker Tarhan, one of the politicians for the CHP (the Kemalist party) should be creating with the progressive wing of her party a new political movement. This party shall be ready to make alliances with others like the BDP party for instance. With the support of Gezi çapulcular, this new party could revolutionize Turkish politics. The name is also already found: Diren Partisi, the Party of the Resistance! Hence Turkish citizens would have a choice outside of the AKP and the CHP, the main parties that offer no credible choice in the current state of things. One thing is certain without purpose or an emblematic place, the protests are likely to falter, AKP is perfectly accommodating itself with motionless and silent protesters. Rumours of resignations within the government continue to run. Some are convinced that the solution may come from the AKP and the Fethullah Gülen brotherhood. Tayyip remains against early elections. No wonder, as he no longer has the right to run for a new term. Meanwhile the police are everywhere, arrests continue, militants went into hiding and people are enjoying freedom of speech in parks and elsewhere. Stay tuned.

Jan

[istanbulresist]

In Taksim, the passive resistance is still on-going. Meanwhile in 40 parks, people gathered yesterday evening to discuss the future of the action. After 3 weeks of contest, turks struggle to get back to a normal life without helmets and gas masks, without forgetting the police is everywhere and is arresting people in night raids. Devrim is not over.

Photos by Jan

[istanbulresist]

Wednesday in Free Turkey

The pace of the days is quite different since people from Gezi Park have been brutally evicted by police. This park in a few days had begun to play the essential role of “social lung” of this part of the city. It became easy to make an appointment with people, to initiate meetings or just simply stroll away from the mercantile demands. Quite the opposite of one can expect from a shopping mall. Since the occupation of the park, I badly feel, and consciously for the first time, this lack of space for citizens at the heart of this megalopolis that is Istanbul. Imagine, the city has only 1.5% of green areas, against 15% in Paris. The protest is more than ever necessary, but how? There are quite a few people who regret the apathy of Istanbulites, but personally I am truly and positively stunned by the response of Turkish citizens, because we must call them that now. I had the rare privilege of witnessing the birth of a civil society. This is in great contradiction of Tayyip’s dream of ruling a nation of devotees and especially consumers. In a short period of time, no more than 15 days, many experiments have been tried, we are at the stage of participatory democracy. A whole generation signed up for Democracy 101. Spontaneously, Turkish citizens invest parks at night and talk endlessly about how to proceed. Not to disturb residents, decisions are voted through arm signs; in the air to show appreciation, crossed for the contrary. No tents yet, but who knows? We're talking about meetings in 14 parks, while the movement of duranadam continues to Taksim and other areas here. I also noticed a change in mood. Until last night, people on Taksim were silent and serious. In front of Gezi last night, we exchanged smiles, encouragement sentences, our ability to laugh and smile came back. The police must decidedly be puzzled by these demonstrators, fighting one day and showing their their compassion and belief in progress, brotherhood and non-violence the next one. Nobody is able to say about what it will all lead, but many people who have experienced memorable and rare moments of humanity. For all that, thank you Tayyip. Let’s still not forget about police raids and the hundreds of people still unheard of since they’ve been captures. Stay tuned.

Jan