Let's Start:
Last week, on Monday, May 28th 2013, a group of about 30-50 people decided to set up a small camp in a park, Known as GeziParkı in the District of Taksim in Istanbul City. This park is smaller than Central Park in New York City, but for the citizens of Taksim, it has been a park that people have come to enjoy, bringing families, having picnics, and on any given morning many will find lots of people walking to work, to school, walking for exercizing, etc etc. This is the only park for miles in what is increasinngly becoming Istanbul, Concrete Jungle. The Park was ordered by Reip Tayyip Erdoğan to be completely detroyed and completely dug out for a new shopping mall and Mosque that will also hold penthouses and Apartments. This is not why the campers where upset. They were upset and tired that the Prime Minister of Turkey had decided to remove the park for a new building that is a replication of the Ottoman Empire and what the former building had been to the Turks. There was a castle or Fort that stood in Gezi Park, it had been there for a couple of hundred years. When the Ottoman Empire had taken over the Taksim Region of this area, they had burned some people and had destroyed pparts of the area, in trying to take over and conquer this particular castle. When Mustafa Kemal Atatürk came into power, he had ordered the dismantle of the castle which was used as the Ottoman Empire's barracks for the Military. The Ottoman Empire was toppled by Atatürk in 1923, and by October 1923, Turkey had their full Independence from the Ottoman Empire. The campers wanted people to know what was happening at the park. They wanted to keep the park there because they didn't want another mall (there are about 60 in Istanbul, and one still being made which is bosting the largest in Europe, with residences. There are projecting about 40 more by 2020) and they were protesting silently, peacefully, and without a lot of incident on Monday. Monday evening Police slowly started harrassing the park campers. There was nothing the campers were doing illegally, but, the police didn't want them there, but were harrssing them. Slowly as last week progressed, things turned for the worse. Friday Morning at 10 am the police of Istanbul City had set fire and burned all the tents and injured a few of the campers. This is when things got heated. The protestors started getting more and more attention and with the burning of the tents, which the protestors were allowed to protest there... They drew in supporters and by late Friday, they had a couple of thousand people in Taksim Square, Protesting. The Police came in with batons and beating the protestors and the more protestors they beat the more angry people became and so they went out in suport of the protestors.
The rioting came into the next day and even Saturday morning the protestors slowed down a bit, but there was now more clashings in the streets in Bodrum, Izmir, Adana and Ankara. And things were getting worse. At one point, at 5 am Saturday morning the huge crowd walked from the Asian Side of Istanbul to Taksim. This was peaceful, without incident but, in several districts all over Istanbul there were clashes of protestors.
I was fooled that by 10 am Saturday Monring June 1st 2013 that everything was quiet, because a few reports in the news said that everything was quiet there. There was no news whatsoever in Turkey about it. In fact, TV was showing Fishind and Documentaries about Birds, Classic Old Turkish Movies, Old Western Style Movies and not one thing was mentioned. However, we felt something was amiss. So, we went online and found that there were more things than ever, and that the police were not letting up. In fact, there were several hundred people being detained. The problem with this is now the supporters of the Prime Minister had decided to join the crowd and there have been many AKP people who support this Radical Islamic Ideas and Suppression, who will show up to the protestings and hurt those people who are protesting. There was a car on Sunday that was driving into the crowd and killed a person. This person was against the people who are protesting. The protestors are all walks of life, but mostly students and Middle to Upper Middle Class citizens, Teachers, Professors, etc etc etc. The Prime Minister is callng them hooligans, hoodlums, drunks, uneducated. I dare declare, my dear readers, they are not and Prime Minister is not being truthful to say the least.
There are many reasons for the anger of these people
People are feeling like they are not being able to practice their freedoms. One of the things that is happening are many Turkish Citizens are in Prison for really what the Prime Minister calls for "Anti Turkish". One of the groups of people that are in prison are Journalists. They are in Prison for printing the news and things that are not shedding a good light on the Prime Minister. Musicians, Philosophers, Professors, Lawyers, and Military Personnel are all in prison and in fact last March when Secretay Of State, John Kerry came to Istanbul and Ankara, he gave a speech in Istanbul stating that his concern and the US Governments conccern of Human Rights are being violated and in fact, even more so than any country in the world in fact, more journalists and professors are in prison than China. The Ambassador of USA for Turkey is Francis Ricciardone. Amb Ricciardone said once that he was baffled as to why there were such a large amount of people in prison that simply opposed the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister wants to bing in Sharia Law. This means he wants to hire Religion Police to make sure people are not violationg any "laws". These laws are more like the Taliban and their regime to the the people and to women. Go figure.
The supporters? They say that he can't be that bed because Turkey has been having the best economic growth it has had in years. Wow. Prim Minister has been able to manipulate the public and pull hte wool over the eyes of some of the people... Niiiice.
Right now the current condition is this:::
People are still being treated poorly by the Police. The Police in Tekidağ (in the providence I live in ) they are not bad at all. They let the people march, assemble, and they let them yell and screama nd blare music and honk horns. They will not allow people to hurt each other and htey have been closing up roads every night for the revelers.
But this is a lucky area. I personally refuse to go out in this conditions because I want to be safe.
Americans have been arrested in Istanbul, and other places, not knowing where they are or what they are doing. Not just Americans but tourists. If you see an assembly of people, walk away and don't spectate. IF you are caught in the blood bath of police and revelers, you could go to prison and because it is against the law here to protest against the PM (it shouldn't be but it is) the Consulate can't do anything. so, don't go near crowds.
Ankara has clashings, All over Istanbul, Izmir, Adana, and several other places. Of the 80 providences, there are 35 or so that are prostesting and only a few are not clashing with Police. The other thing is there were two young poeple kissing on the beach in Izmir and police beat them both up really badly. For kissing. This is unprecidented in TUrkey but you can imagine how things will get over the next few months.
Also, don't throw a hissy fit if you come here and realize that after 10pm until 6 am you will not be served alcohol anywhere here in Turkey anymore. Don't be rude to the Front Desk Receptionist because they can't go out and buy it for you::: This is all over Turkey now and it the law. Why don't you plan ahead? If you want to drink a couple of beers, buy a few and take them to your rooma nd stick them in your fridge!
You will not be able to buy them anywhere.
The people are blaming the Americans so don't think you can go to a portest and be all friends with anyone. As soon as they find you are American, they will be blaming you and wanting to fight you too, so just stay away. I myself don't tell everyone I am from USA either. I tell them, "Hawaii" and they have no idea what I am talking about. I have even said Samoa and Australia once as well. Be careful!!!
We will get married and gethome ASAP we don't want to be here another day longer than we have to.
The Long Rock doesnt understand my sense of urgency on this. He thinks I am being too panicy, but I am not. Really. I am being too patient and should have demanded to get home far sooner.
Well there is my update. Dont believe all the reports you hear. Things have not slowed down or calmed down here in 10 days. The Prime Minister is in Africa. (Good one Mr PM)
Take Care, All I will update when I get more news.
Cheers.
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