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[Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>]

What is Happenning in Istanbul? | İnsanlik Hali
>> http://defnesumanblogs.com/2013/06/01/what-is-happenning-in-istanbul/
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Interview with an Occupy Gezi-Protester in
Istanbul<http://www.crackajack.de/2013/06/03/interview-with-an-occupy-gezi-protester-in-istanbul/>
http://www.crackajack.de/2013/06/03/interview-with-an-occupy-gezi-protester-in-istanbul/

Nerdcore: Hi D! Thanks for this opportunity. Are you personally involved
with the Protests?

Frau D: Yes, I am. I have been a part on thursday when the peaceful sit at
Gezi Park. Friday after the police gassing i went to Taksim to support.
That is where I felt more involved. The police did not let the crowd
walking from Harbiye including me and my friends. They tear gassed many
many times.

NC: How is the Situation right now?

D: Right now at the moment, Taksim is only occupied by people. Around
thousand people are demonstrating Dogus Center (the building where NTV
channel is [Wikipedia: NTV is a Turkish nationwide television news channel.
It has been partnered with MSNBC since May 2000]). NTV has not published
any news about the whole situation. And people are boycotting the owners
places. (Garanti Bank, restaurants that they own, NTV, magazines that they
publish. Many many people have closed their accounts at Garanti Bank.) NC:
There are rumors, that Turkey is blocking Access to Twitter and Facebook.
Obviously this is not true, regarding Facebook at least [ed: We did this
Interview via FB-Chat]. Also, Erdogan said, that Twitter is a threat for
society. You know anything about that?

D: We had a lot of difficulty at accessing facebook and twitter. Many
people called each other because they could not access. But i guess maybe
it is only a rumour. Tayyip [ed: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan I guess] did use
those words though.

NC: There are rumors regarding the use of “Orange Gas”. I think it’s some
kind of Signal-Gas which is also used for Emergency at Sea. Do you know
anything about that?

D: I have only been tear gassed on Friday. The affects looked like it was
usual tear gas for me. But what I heard from my friends lively when they
were at Akaretler yesterday was that it was not usual teargas anymore and
it really burned their skin. I don’t know how Agent Orange reacts so I
can’t say anything wether it is true or not. I just know my friends were
calling for help.

NC: Erdogan just switched his plans and says, that he wants to build a
Mosque instead of a Shopping Mall. Any thoughts about that?

D: Hmmm.. I could not watch the video where he said that. But I’m quite
sure that is true. There’s just so many videos around and I am mostly
trying to spread the news to my friends at the places where the attacts are
being done.

NC: Don’t you think it’s a Distraction from the “real” Reasons of these
Riots (secular Turkey vs Islamic State of Erdogan)?

D: You mean what Erdoğan says? Yes, he acts like he doesn’t understand
what’s going on. But he does. I have been checking his party’s
international and national facebook pages. The comments I saw from the
people who support them are just incredible. I think what he is trying to
do is try to make believe to his supporters that the people who has awaken
are just doing this to protest for a stupid reason. Please also note that
yesterday Erdoğan has said that the protestors should be hanged from the
trees at the park. It soudns very brutal, this is his exact words.

NC: I read, that many Protesters decline what Erdogan calls “a hidden
agenda”. But regarding Erdogans Politics, that in the long run wants to
install an islamic state, which could replace the secular Turkey founded by
Ataturk, those Protests are actually about more than a Shopping Mall. Do
you think, that the Protestors are aware of this? Or are the
Environemtalist-Aspects of the Protests actually the “real” roots of the
Riots?

D: The protests started with only a bunch of people who sat on at Gezi Parc
so they don’t turn the only green area at Taksim so it becomes a mall. I
must say they have reason. I never go to that parc unless i have to walk
through but from Şişhane to where I live there are already 8 shopping
malls! it’s crazy. The protestors are aware of that this is not against a
shopping mall. It started like that but when the police attacked a bunch of
people and continued the second day, the people rised against the brutality
of the government. And now it is about the force that he uses against his
people, the rules he makes because he wants to and that he bans all kind of
freedom for the Turkish people.

NC: What’s the Military doing right now? Can they play a bigger role,
although Erdogan pretty much deprived them of power?

D: Well, the military is silent. I don’t know wether they can play a role.
If that happens it already sounds very scary. But as you said, Erdoğan did
deprive them of power. I have heard that the military house in Harbiye took
some people in to protect them but they don’t interfere.

NC: So, what are the Options now for the Protesters on one hand and Erdogan
on the other? What will happen now, from your perspective?

D: Ah, this is such a difficult question. Personally I am confused. When I
talk to friends they are concerned about the military deciding on a martial
law. Nobody thinks that a coupe will start again. It doesn’t look like
Erdoğan will resign.He might get more angry or he might say well…we are
ending this and goes on ruling the country and making it worse for people
to take revenge.

NC: So, you think the riots will diffuse and nothing will change…

D: No… I don’t know. There are so many options. It could be a bloody riot,
if Erdoğan would take that risk. It could be finished but the people will
know the truth and hope until the next elections that he does not rule
again. Is that going to change anything? I’m not sure. I don’t believe that
he was chosen democratically.

NC: Why do you think that he wasn’t chosen democratically? And when are the
next elections?

D: Mainly because the ruling party gathered a lot of people on their side
by giving away stuff to the poor people. Coal, food, money. The next
elections are in 2014.

NC: Okay,great, now a few more Questions from my readers… I already edited
them together to remove redundancy… here we go:
Is it true that Protesters are from most diverse Groups, e.g. Fans of
rivaling Soccer-Clubs are united in these Riots? How old are the
Protestors, is it the students and the Youth? (Thanks @benjaminzurich,
@CongressRadio)

D: Yes it is true. All fans from Beşiktaş, Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe are
together resisting. It is actually a very nice picture to see so many
different people together. We have seen and talked to the Anti-Capitalist
Muslim’s who were there in Taksim square together with the crowd. Gays,
Lesbians, Transvestites, students,mothers,fathers. The crowd is mostly
young people and middle aged because of the danger of gas.

NC: Are the turkish Media finally reporting on the Situation and if yes,
which ones? (Thanks@CongressRadio)

D: Slightly yes. I have seen news on Hürriyet Newspaper today, because the
crowd went protesting NTV. The channel NTV broadcasted the protests outside
their building. Some more, but not so detailed.

NC: How is Mehmet Güleryüz (famous Painter and Author), who broke down at
the Cumhuriyet Aniti-Monument? (Thanks@CongressRadio)

D: I haven’t heard any more news from him.

NC: What are the Demands and Claims of the Protesters? Which Conditions
have gotten worse in Turkey over the last years under Erdogan? (Thanks
@illcartoon)

D: Well, I must say I have never been a very political person. So you might
not get the whole story from me but I will tell you what has personally
affected me. Erdoğan tried to restrict abortion because it was against
Islam religion. They tried very recenlty to ban alcohol from 22.00 until
06.00, they put hundreds of journalists into jail because they were not
their media people, they are against freedom of speech. I hadn’t realized
it before so much before I moved to the Netherlands for a year but when I
came back I saw the difference so clearly that what I was wearing was a
concern to other people. If you drink, Erdoğan says you are an alcoholic.
So many things to say. Can’t put my thoughts on all of it at the moment.

NC: Are the Tourist-Areas (e.g. Sulthanamet) of Turkey also affected by the
Riots? (Thanks @benjaminzurich)

D: No. Only Taksim, Beşiktaş, Dolmabahçe, Akaretler, Harbiye.. These are
the areas that are attacked by police. In other parts of Istanbul, actually
every part of it, is on the street protesting but there are no police in
that area. Other cities in Turkey are also attacked by police.

NC: The whole City is protesting? Whoa! Which other Cities?

D: In Istanbul: Fatih, Halkalı, Bebek, Ortaköy, İstinye, Yeniköy, Tarabya,
Hacıosman, Etiler, Levent, Fındıkzade.. There are the ones that I have seen
and that my friends have seen.

In general Turkey: Ankara, Izmır, Hatay, Antalya, Bodrum, Eskişehir.. I
can’t think of all the names but i have read from the foreign media that it
is already 67 cities that are protesting out of 81! And these are also
attacked by police and people are getting beaten, gassed and shot by
plastic bullets.*

NC: Okay, thanks for this Interview and a first-hand-impression of whats
going on down there… Stay safe and never forget: You’re not alone!

Vorher auf Nerdcore:
Occupy Gezi
Turkey, you are not alone!
Occupy Gezi (2)