Brutal Crack Down on Peaceful Environmental Protest
 

We are currently witnessing a good example of how an authoritarian government can start digging a hole with walls ready to cave in for itself.

Three days ago, there were less than thirty of our Ayaspasa Neighborhood Environmental Group, a part of the Taksim Platform, keeping a night watch in their tents over a group of 50-100 year old trees at the edge of Taksim Park.

At about 5 AM in the morning, a large robocop force with huge water cannons and pepper gas came on the scene, kicked the sleping watchers awake, forced them out of their tents and ordered them to sit on a side in a group. Then, before saying anythingelse to anyone, they proceeded to douze them with the water cannon and spray the scatterers with pepper gas. Next, 6-19 drees were chopped totally and the roots dug up sparately by buldozers.

The news was spread on the social media and by 9 AM, there were 2-300 people on the scene, followed by two members from opposition parties. The police attacked again, causing the collapse of wall which injured some people who had taken refuge there, killing one, and wounding a number of others including the two MPs at a later showdown
on Saturday.

Today, the crowds may have grown to hundred thousand or more at different parts of the city, tens of thousands at other cities like Ankara, Izmir, Eskisehir, Bursa, Adana, Afyon, Bodrum, Edirne, Tekirdag also gathering to show solidarity.

I could not stop my daughter, a hitherto uncaring lady of 33 and her fiance from joining and neither a nephew who is only sixteen.

The Prime Minister spoke to the Associateion of Turkish Exporters a few hours ago on Sunday afternoon, saying that this was just a few extremist groups who were hoping for political benefits, how everybody loved him and his party, that he was going to have police there today and tomorrow and would to assist in the security of the people.
We live in the area and have to keep all windows closed to protect ourselves from pepper gas; we see running people; only a few TV channels have the courage to broadcast live coverage.
3G coverage, police and tourist cameras are shut for public use;
A coded network is on the way to being shut down because they carry opposing TV channels;
hundreds injured;
we do not know how many lives lost
no evidence of any violence against the police
lots of photos on international media of police spraying environmentalists directly in the eye or shootin at them with tear gas guns and hitting them in the head and upper torso with the canisters.

Lots of Info on Twitter, facebook and all news channels.

Here are the questions :

1. Will this become the end of the Prime Minister and another Tahrir Square?
2. How could he have gotten out of it before it became so wide spread?
3. Why didn't he do it?
4. Why is he still defiant?
5. Is he hoping that the United States will help him out of this difficult situation?

OC - here is the current BBC internet info about what is going on, it's very similar to what you are telling us.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22740282

they do talk about things being thrown at the police but the implication is in self-defence.

taking a longer view, it doesn't do much for Turkey's desires to join the EC.

stay safe, please.

Our news is lagging a bit but I've been following the story. Hope you and yours get through this all right. The PM does seem to have alienated many people lately with his increasingly autocratic behavior.

Our daughter was in the middle of it in Ankara last night. Her roommate was teargassed.

The good news finally came about ten minutes ago, with the police withdrawing from at least one route into Taksim Square. A huge crowd is moving into the square and the park chanting anti government and anti sided media.

It is unfortunate that the police made one last show of force, hitting the crowd with another barrage of pepper gas bombs before withdrawing. There is general fear that they may attack against once the square is full.

My daughter and fiance are moving with a group from Cumhuriyet Caddesi. My Cousin and nephew are moving from close to our home on Gumussuyu. We have both on the spot Halk TV (people TV) Channel 53 and telephone connection.

There is still violence against protesters at Ankara and at Hatay, near the Syrian border.

The police around the Primeministry has asked for reinforcements from the military who came in to set up barricades.

An opposition parliamentarian was beaten up by the police recently at Ankara.

Cold, I hope she is fine now and her home and school are not close to any of the protest locations. And speedy recovery to her roommate who probably found out about dousing eyes with bicarbonate of soda.

New pepper attack started on the Cumhuriyet Street approach to Taksim, where our daughter is. We are trying to convince her to stay back and go back to Nisantasi.

The big attack came few minutes ago against possibly 10-20,000 getting into Taksim square upon info by the Governor that the police will withdraw.

This was apparently a tactic to hit as many as possible.

More people are coming in again and we hear the pepper gas bombs.

I guess the government is trying to see if they can beat Mubarek and Assad in the same game.

Reminds me of the Turkish PM saying just last year and multiple times, "Listen to Your People Al Essed!"

DEfinitely not the time to visit Turkey.

Wait for word from me for those who have time to postpone.

She was sending video home during the night. Sounds like activity is focused in Kizilay in Ankara right now. Apparently some fires.

Social media is pretty powerful. I wonder if the government will try and shut it down.

What a nightmare!

What does Orhan Pamuk have to say about this?

I would be interested to know.

Do you think the tent city was causing a major traffic flow problem because Taksim Sq. is a transportation hub and a very crowded place in Istanbul?

Thin, who has sat with his mother in Taxim Sq.

Thin, what you call tent city were 5 or 6 tents under the trees in the park, across from Divan hotel next to a blocked of construction site. Are you joking about traffic or blocking people or vehicles in a park at 5 AM in the morning?.
This is serious, please read original post carefully.

Orhan Pamuk is a renegade Robert College graduate who was mistreated by his father and has sided with the ruling Islamist party on most occasions. I could not care what he says, since he has no political, philosophycal or social views worthy of consideration.

Internet now down in parts of Istanbul and Ankara. Some Facebook sites not working. I think I'll stop reading my text messages.

No, I am not joking.

I was simply asking a question.

I am not in Istanbul so I don't know.

I have had dinner in the Hotel Divan, by the way.

Thin

Most restaurants in Taksim, on Istiklal, siraselviler and Gumussuyu street are offering free food, water and care to the protesters.

There are Turkish flags hanging from most building with housewives and elderly people banging on pots and pans from the windows if they can open them, to show solidarity.

This is definitely a mass movement if there ever was one in Turkey.

The PM is getting more defiant and vicious, and his spokesmen sent a tweet reminding the media to show good sense and thanking those who toed the party line.

The Mayor also came up and started narrating a story of how they have so far planted 2,000 trees in istanbul.

Taksim Platform says that the total number of uprooted trees are about one hundred during the last year of road building near Taksim Square and that the plan calls for the reduction of the size of the park by 750 square meters before the construction of the supposedly historic military barracks to replace the park.

wow... I'm supposed to go to Istanbul in 1 1/2 weeks.. mostly for business, but also planned to add a few nights to explore the city
Hope that there will be a peaceful and democratic way out of this turmoil..

That is strange what you write about Pamuk since he skewered the state-controlled press; the Islamists; the headscarf women; the military; and the name-changing, game-playing political parties in his novel Snow.


Thin

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Gee I wonder where Waldo is?

There is a chap at Trip Advisor who managed to remove my thread on this subject and three of my posts on another, saying I was scaring tourists. The following is my latest response which will probably be removed again :

Please follow Borus's advice. It will all get better very soon.

The police conducted four more sorties with pepper gas after their initial withdrawal to the sides of Taksim Square and side streets, but those are just minor incidents.

United States posted a travel advisory of sorts, but what do they know.

Our daughter and two nephews are in the crowds taking photographs but Borus says they are horror stories no one should be subjected to.

The Primeministry in Ankara has asked for reinforcements from the military who came and set up additional barricades.

Most restaurants in and around Taksim and Istiklal are open and offering free food, water and care.

A very good reason for tourists on a budget to visit, especially those considering immunity against pepper gas.

There has absolutely been no violence against the police which apparently bothers them and makes them more vicious. However, some provocation against the police conducted by by someone who desires vilolence can be blamed on the innocently protesting groups and/or the opposition party.

Interesting to note that the deeply fundamentalist Kayseri population are also protesting at this hour. Note that Kayseri is one of the routes to Cappadocia.

OC. So sorry to learn about all of this going on in your beautiful country. Stay safe. There was a photo in our local paper here in the US titled "Tree protest" lacking any of your relevant details, made it sound like a minor incident.
We have reservations in Istanbul and beyond late summer and will follow your posts closely.

Hang in there, I see Eser pictures on FB. It is a worthwhile battle with many important undercurrents.

Reports of real bullets being used outside Parliament in Ankara. Our daughter says it is hard to tell what is going on.

This seems like a battle between a government who is becoming more and more aligned with the fundamentalists that is more and more represeneting business interests against moderate independent secular Turks. This is more than trying tp maintain one of the largest squares in Istanbul.Is that right?

What an outrageous response to what could have been a minor incident. Does Turkish law allow for new elections to be held?


Cold, sorry to hear your daughter is in the middle of this as well.

My best to everyone in Turkey or with friends or family there. I've been watching the news reports avidly since yesterday. The creeping fundamentalism and reach of the Erdogan government worries me, so I can understand how much more worrisome it is for the young people living in Turkey. I hope everyone stays safe, nonetheless.

What do members of the Koc Family think of Prime Minister Erdogan?

Across the street from the Hotel Intercontinental and next door to old Hotel Divan was a pastry shop at the corner.

Is this close to where this green park is?

We stayed at the Ritz Carlton down the hill.

Thin

HappyTrvlr, we're supposed to be in Istanbul one week from tomorrow. We will DEFINITELY be paying attention to both otherchelebi and the State Department. We'll be in touch with Delta too.

FD we suggested she hide out in the Canadian section of her university library. No one ever goes there.

Otherchelebi and Colduphere: I feel very sad about these very disturbing events.

Tedgale - our daughter will be fine as she comes home in two weeks. But she will feel awful leaving her Turkish friends behind. It looks like there may be a struggle over the next few months. She sure loves the people she has met.

OC - please keep telling us and the rest of the world the truth about what is going on in your country.

Cold, we did not put up our best for her to meet. She would have loved the people she did not meet more than those she did meet.

Most libraries do not have Canadian section, and the ones which do consider it too cold and unnecessary to heat.

Thin, The Koc family are wise enough not to comment on such events. I bet most of them are out on their yachts.

Thanks Tedgale.

sf 7307 hopefully I will continue posting.

Currently, Taksim is in full celebration.
Ankara is still very bad.
Besiktas, just two kilos from Taksim is in sad shape with police having followed some people returning home from Taksim into the main shopping street and shooting pepper gas after them, leaving a large many patrons of outdoor cafes and restaurants and shoppers gagging and breathles.

We still cannot leave our home and hear some ambulance sirens. and TV showing Besiktas with a large group covered with pepper gas shouting Tayyip Resign.

Tomorrow, I have to get to the Asian side until 5 PM, with hopefully Eser accompanying me and do a new stand-up routine at the awards ceremony of the International tennis Tournament for the Twenty Seventh Year.

Problem is, I feel miserable with a slight temperature and some reflux; and possibly as bad, I have absolutely nothing prepared.
I have not even thought of a single idea because of the events of the last two days. Maybe a thin, bearded very old man in a white flowing robe will appear to me in my dream tonight and give me ideas for the ad lib routine. -:)

Ceylan has joined a group organizing a solidarity march in Chicago and just took off after preparing some placards. She managed to get many of her American friends to come with her. Hopefully we will get some footage out of that march tomorrow.

I'll check the Chicago Tribune and we get WGN on our cable so will look there too. This is so upsetting to hear. Thank you for your updates.

Thanks for posting this information. I know your DD will be safe, cold.

We just scratched a two-week trip to Turkey/Greece for the end of October, mostly because of the weather in Greece for our second week. Now, this just reinforces our plan to skip a week in Istanbul this fall.

So sorry to hear of the violence and the trouble for the people there.

Thanks Happy Trivir,

Just heard two things :

My SIL and BIL made it to their home in Besiktas after being hit by pepper gas but missing the new "agent orange" gas by a few minutes. Maybe they are running out of pepper gas after such indiscriminate use.

Orange gas is apparently more dangerous and cause more damage and usually illegal in some countries.

What about all the hulla baloo about Assad using chemical weapons on the opposition?

OC,
Thanks for posting and keeping us informed - you and your family, as well as all other people in the troubled areas (locals and tourists) are in my thoughts. Wishing you all the best...and hope this will end soon.

We are still on for our Oct trip...but if things go like this (first Syria, now this) we will reconsider. SO sad...

Stay safe.
Cold, the same for your daughter.

We too also hope to be able to visit Turkey as scheduled. It has been a dream of ours for many years.
Most important is the safety of the people and the country's future.
But the Turkish tourism business will taking a huge hit too.

Thanks xyz99. She just sent us some ugly video taken from a friend's balcony. It's getting hard to look at.

so sad. I hope there are no more causalities

Just caught up on this. I loved Istanbul, and the rest of Turkey (three visits) and am so sad to read about the violence. I hope for a good outcome....