100 pictures from the last two days in istanbul

Boys, be save. Always walk in couples ( at least). Have helmets even a bicycle model.
I hope this gas war will not grew into real police cleaning exercise. And again , be careful!
Prepare for the weekend - that will be the time when things can get much worse.
 
Roger Hicks said:
Does not Erdogan enjoy considerable popularity? I seem to recall he got quite a lot of votes.

But then, so did [insert name of least favourite politician here].

Cheers,

R.
Click to expand...

To the best of my understanding:

Erdogan got 50% of the votes. Quite an achievement. But, he got them after two earlier terms as a PM and during those he gained popularity with often illiterate country folk who are majority muslim, by bringing them a better income and stability.

Now, with the 50% votes he is trying to bring his muslim views etc to the cities, where the majority is secular Turks. Also, he is working on a law that would allow the President to be elected by the people instead of parliament (which will very likely secure his fourth term) and to allow that President to send parliament home if he deems necessary.

Essentially Erdogan might be gearing up for a muslim dictatorship. And if it's not going to be him, the door will be open for a future dictator.


EDIT: Oh, and then there's the issue that most of his partners in reforming the country are in his political party and have substantial interests in the businesses that develop new malls, new apartment buildings, new infrastructure, and in media corporations. Which is why CNN Turk broadcast a documentary on penguins as the demonstrations got ugly...:bang:
 
There comes a time for change.
The typical reaction of the authorities.
One has seen this in Nazi Germany, Soviet Union, the new Russia,
USA ( put your city here) or even in Canada, and South Africa.
The police a police are, anywhere become the hooligans, the brutes and
bully boys of a Authoritarian state. It happens too easily.
The police lack the foresight that after the "happenings" their actions will long
be remembered by people, in day to day, encounters.
It matters not if it's Istanbul, Athens or Toronto..
An idea seldom can be stopped..
Keep safe and do the best reporting possible.
Your images that reached us well before the "major" media showed anything..
No wonder newspapers are dying. TV belongs to the Industrial Complex. They have no interest in damaging business..
 
buzzardkid said:
To the best of my understanding:

Erdogan got 50% of the votes. Quite an achievement. But, he got them after two earlier terms as a PM and during those he gained popularity with often illiterate country folk who are majority muslim, by bringing them a better income and stability.

Now, with the 50% votes he is trying to bring his muslim views etc to the cities, where the majority is secular Turks. Also, he is working on a law that would allow the President to be elected by the people instead of parliament (which will very likely secure his fourth term) and to allow that President to send parliament home if he deems necessary.

Essentially Erdogan might be gearing up for a muslim dictatorship. And if it's not going to be him, the door will be open for a future dictator.


EDIT: Oh, and then there's the issue that most of his partners in reforming the country are in his political party and have substantial interests in the businesses that develop new malls, new apartment buildings, new infrastructure, and in media corporations. Which is why CNN Turk broadcast a documentary on penguins as the demonstrations got ugly...:bang:
Click to expand...
Dear Johan,

Thanks for the clear exposition. This was pretty much what I understood but you have followed it more closely than I and you have explained it admirably.

This feeds in a very interesting fashion into the current discussion about RFF and politics. Without the background you have so clearly drawn, these photographs mean a lot less.

Cheers,

R.
 


a protester is throwing back a tear gas grenade at the front line barricade of yesterday's clashes in gümüşsuyu. the amount of gas you're exposed to while doing this is very dangerous, even with a gas mask.



in the face of what happens every day, the word protest appears euphemistic. what you are seeing here is not a demonstration but a crowd defending taksim, so that people can demonstrate and 'occupy' there. yesterday saw a lot of police provocation in order to lure protesters out of the greater taksim area and arrest them, but some strong voices were able to hold back most of the less strategically minded who wanted to throw stones at the water cannons waiting beyond the barricades (a rather futile excercise).



a protester has advanced about 50m beyond the first row of protesters to aim his slingshot at police further down the road.



when well organised, protesters are now very quick to throw back grenades in the direction of the police.





there are many teams of volunteering doctors treating people on the spot, often applauded by the crowd.





yesterday, a protester said: "everybody has a part to play. some chant, some fight, some help the injured, some sit in a park, ... all are equally important."



protesters are gaining experience in how to deal with police attacks, many are getting better equipment and the ones who have seen some front line action are working together more and more effectively against the teargas.



no matter the circumstances, there is always room for humour.



çarşı is a group of beşiktaş j.k. ultras, considered 'hooligans' by many. their image has somewhat improved in the last few days, as the rivalries with other clubs' supporters have been put on hold, and their experience and resilience against police strategies was vital in taking over and holding taksim from police forces. people cheer in gezi park as the çarşı banner is held up.

one of the most heard "battle songs" people are chanting translates to:

throw more gas bombs, throw more gas bombs,
take off your helmets,
take off your masks,
throw away your batons,
we'll see who the real man is.
 
SimonSawSunlight said:
she's just a normal looking girl around here.
Click to expand...
Yes, but you have to allow for the "orientalists" who can't get their heads around the idea that Turkey is, since Ataturk, pretty much a Western European democracy. Plenty of people (including Erdogan) have a pseudo-romantic idea of the Ottoman Empire, with exotic, swarthy foreigners (or in Erdogan's case, voters) in fezzes and turbans.

And, once again, thanks for the pics.

Cheers,

R.
 
Simon, nearly 4 months back in my country there were protest , even self-immolations. Our police do not use tear gas - I guess it is expensive. It ended with resignation of our prime-minister and election of a new parliament . Keep protesting till you can. After all, nothing is forever, even balcan politics! 🙂)
 
Contarama said:
She is a very "westernized" looking lady.
Click to expand...

Yeah,

but Turkey is a western state. It is not a muslim state, no theocracy like Iran or a fake democracy with a dictator like Syria or Egypt was, but a true democracy. It's founder Atatürk in the 1920's abolished Arab writing and introduced the western alphabet, changed calendars twice to leave Arab calendars and incorporate the western calendar, and organized the state to keep religion at bay and secure a secular state. Turkey has been considered a candidate to join the EU for almost a decade, until Erdogan decided to steer it away from that candidacy around 2005: too much interference with human rights, tax regimes, international trade and law from the EU made him turn towards the arab nations in the region.

Most Turks, especially those living in the larger cities, are as western as the people living in former communist countries in Europe. There's really not much difference in standards of life, popular beliefs, media penetration etc between city dwellers in countries like Turkey, Bulgaria, Rumania, Greece, Serbia, etc. It's mostly in the countryside where people are more conservative, where the main differences can be found between citizens of these states.

Although I have never been to Turkey, it is of special interest to me lately as I am researching for a novel that will be situated in the Turkish province of Hatay, about a century ago. Oddly, the inability of people to live together is a theme in the story...
 
Contarama said:
She is a very "westernized" looking lady.
Click to expand...

When I walked though Istanbul last year I noticed in the Europen part less headscarfs than in some areas of my city in Germany. Women are dressed in a modern "western" style. It changes, when you take the boat to the asian side.
 
first intervention by the police. there was no provocation against them and they didn't give any warning.



barbaros street after gas was thrown



"chemical tayyip", a guy with a Galatasaray jersey, a Fenerbahçe scarf and a Besiktas cap. These are 3 archrival clubs of Istanbul. In normal days, you wouldn't even bother to wear a rival's jersey in Besiktas town.



"One day we're gonna come, while you're sleeping"



police was attacking to demonstrators and people were running away to stay away from the teargas and water cannons



my favourite image and the most meaningful to me. Some background info: Besiktas fans are mostly living in the town, with the same name Besiktas. The stadium is in the town, and there had been struggles with police for long years. Çarşı, the fan group, is used to tear gas and knows how to keep the police away from the civil people (civil: not fans). The previous picture shows the police, cleared the streets and ready to attack with water cannons&tear gas. By setting up a fire barricade they allowed civilians to stay away from the gas, they created a "safe-zone" for people.

 
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