The Garden Association supports the civil society everywhere in the world. We express our sympathy to the protests that started in the previous three days in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and many other Turkish cities. But we are strongly worried about the recent events in Turkey.
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| Source: Internet |
First - environmental. The project envisions the destruction of a very important green space in the heart of the city. Along with its significance for the urban environment, Gezi park is a place for many non-formal cultural activities and outdoor meetings.
Second - political. The government's project, taken in a wider perspective, is just one step (of many) for the rehabilitation of the Ottoman empire. The ideology of Erdogan's party is often described as neoosmanism. It is also Islamist and anti-secular in its roots. The project tries to change the symbolic significance of Taksim square. In this area of Istanbul is the monument of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, this is one of the symbolic places of the Turkish republic.
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| The night of 31st of May - 1st of June. Protesters on the Bosporus bridge. Source: Internet. |
So many people see the struggle for Gezi park as a struggle for the Turkish democracy. Thousands and thousands of Turkish citizens protest in all big cities of the republic. They struggle to preserve the secularity in the republic of Turkey, the basic principles of democracy and freedom of speech.
Unfortunately, the peaceful protesters were attacked by the police with gas! There is a brutal police violence and are hundreds of injured people, but the mainstream Turkish media doesn't broadcast anything of this!
As a non-governmental organization, we, the team of The Garden Association, want to express our solidarity with the protesting citizens of Turkey. Among the people who protest the governments' policy in Turkey there are many people who we personally know and respect: Prof. Okan Cem Çırakoğlu from Başkent University in Ankara, Prof. Hikmet Sivri Gökmen from Dokuz Eylül Üniversity in Izmir, PhD candidate Türkan Fırıncı from Gazi Üniversity in Ankara, Ms Elif Kayran from Izmir Children's Atelier, PhD candidate Özgür Devrim Orman from Boğaziçi Ünversity in Istanbul, and many nice university students.
Don't give up, komşular! The free world is with you!
If you wonder why Turks are so upset - this is why!
Live broadcasting from Istanbul:
Unfortunately, the peaceful protesters were attacked by the police with gas! There is a brutal police violence and are hundreds of injured people, but the mainstream Turkish media doesn't broadcast anything of this!
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| The bridge of Bosporus today, 1st of June 2013. Greetings to Turkey! Source: Internet |
As a non-governmental organization, we, the team of The Garden Association, want to express our solidarity with the protesting citizens of Turkey. Among the people who protest the governments' policy in Turkey there are many people who we personally know and respect: Prof. Okan Cem Çırakoğlu from Başkent University in Ankara, Prof. Hikmet Sivri Gökmen from Dokuz Eylül Üniversity in Izmir, PhD candidate Türkan Fırıncı from Gazi Üniversity in Ankara, Ms Elif Kayran from Izmir Children's Atelier, PhD candidate Özgür Devrim Orman from Boğaziçi Ünversity in Istanbul, and many nice university students.
Don't give up, komşular! The free world is with you!
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| What the active citizens in Turkey want? Source: Patrick Heath |
If you wonder why Turks are so upset - this is why!
Live broadcasting from Istanbul:
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