Update from Istanbul: Has teargas become a Saturday Night Ritual in Taksim?

Protesters, tourists, old people, families, run from water cannon

Since the expulsion of the Gezi Park protesters from the park on June 15 and the following day, the only protests in Istanbul that have been met with a strong police reaction have been confined to Taksim Square, Istiklal pedestrian avenue, and the side streets of Beyoglu and Cihangir, no longer extending to Besiktas, Harbiye, and other surrounding neighborhoods.  

water cannon sprays protesters on Istiklal causing all to run

In fact, during the last three weeks, it seems that it has become a Saturday night ritual for police to clash with protesters; with teargas being shot off, water cannons sprayed, and police chasing protesters into the side streets, where they sometimes also run into unknown assailants beating them with batons in civilian clothes. This of course happens in the midst of tourists running for cover, curious onlookers, and families with children working to keep a safe distance.  

During a 8-day span between two Saturday nights, July 6-13, I made my way down to Taksim to observe some of the protests (some turning into clashes); while other times during the week, I observed the chaos while eating dinner at a friend’s house on a street near Istiklal (literally with teargas seeping in through the windows), or having dinner at a restaurant with friends from abroad (with sounds of the teargas being shot off in the background). 

While some in government tried to paint Gezi Protesters as
disrespectful of religion, they hold Iftar

Here are some short observations and thoughts concerning what I have witnessed:

1. If the police just let the protesters march without interference evenings would end peacefully. Twice now I have witnessed demonstrations (one almost 3 weeks back) where police did not interfere and protesters dispersed within less than an hour. However, this was not the case on July 6, 8, and 13, when protesters clashed with police both on Istiklal, Cihangir (at least on July 8), and in the side streets of Beyoglu.  

2. As in the past, it seems then that Taksim is continuing to play its role as a game of honor on behalf of the Turkish authorities. For example, when protesters held a massive rally in Kadikoy, along with concerts and speeches, the approximate hundred thousand plus people dispersed with no problems with no police intervention whatsoever. The government’s obsession with not allowing any protests to take place in Taksim is costing the Turkish economy a great deal, while tearing parts of Turkey’s social components at the seams. Police intervention in the heart of the entertainment hurts tourism, and to claim that protests detour tourism cannot be supported; in fact, from my impression most tourists do not mind the protests and actually find them interesting.    

  3. While many shop owners have blamed protesters for their serious loss in business, they might look at the two above points.  In fact, protests often bring business to local restaurant and store owners, such as Istanbul’s LGBT Pride, which on June 30 attracted almost 50,000 protesters to Beyoglu. This massive march was left unhindered by police and ended peacefully despite its pro-Gezi chants. In this case, it was an all win situation. The police's non-intervention could be interpreted as a show of soberness and even strength, the protesters got their message out, and local businesses profited nicely! 

4. It is also important to point out that there are many shop owners who are on the protesters side, after also becoming victims of the mass urban renewal projects undertaken by Beyoglu Municipality and new orders limiting outdoor seating (see my previous blog from 2011: the Day the Bars died: Bring Beyoglu back to the people). Unfortunately, it seems that shop owners who speak out against the government are also worried about the negative impact this could have on their business due to “paybacks” by the government. This week, when one owner spoke out in favor of protesters, Tarkan Konar, his cafe bar, Muaf, was closed for 3 days under an order issued by the local municipality (AK Party) for previous code violations.

5. Returning to the topic of tourists; among many of the people victimized by the teargas are tourists. Numerous times I have guided tourists caught in the middle to safe zones including families with children. On July 6, I met two Egyptian tourists, a mother and her young adult daughter. Both had received a heavy dose of teargas; the daughter was in full panic mode. They were crying since they were not able to make it to meet the husband/father and the younger daughter/sister who had been waiting for them at a spot that turned into a battle zone. I helped them find their way, crossing two police lines, with police treating us with respect, letting us pass unhindered. This is just one example of many I have encountered. I should point out that I still encourage tourists to come to Istanbul, but warn them that if they are on Istiklal and hear commotion due to rising tensions (slogans shouted, whistling, heavy police presence) to go the other way.

6. On July 6, while most of the press focused on the acts of a man pulling out a machete threatening protesters while kicking an innocent woman in the back, I witnessed people who had been beaten black and blue by civilians donning batons; just last week came the news that one student who lived in Eskisehir, Ali Ismail Korkmaz, died of his wounds due to being beaten in the head, after days in a coma. Despite arrests, no one has been charged in his killing. Whether the people beating the protesters are shop owners, pro-government factions, or undercover police, the truth be told that it is dangerous development and one that needs to be investigated.    

7. During this period I observed that it seems due to the lower number of protesters there is closer proximity between the police and protesters leading to a more violent outcome, and more arrests. On July 8, on my way home around 1130 PM I crossed Istikal and watched a police shoot off a canister that appeared to be directed at a bystander’s head who was curiously watching the events unfold; luckily he ducked and the canister crashed into the window cracking it. Turkish police have been documented by Human Rights Watch (and the European Court of Human Rights) as wrongfully firing teargas canisters; in place of shooting them at an angle in the air, or directing the teargas directly at ground, that turns them into a weapon that can inflict death and serious injuries. As a result, scores of people have been hit in the head, suffered breakage of facial bones, lost eyes, and serious hemorrhaging, leaving people in comas and paralyzed, without even addressing other parts of the body injured. In fact, you can read about one of the first victims, Lobna Allami, a Turkish Palestinian, who was hit in the head during the first day of protests on May 31, and remains paralyzed among other serious conditions she is facing.  

 

8. During the same evening of July 8, I also was able to observe from a window on a main side road not only protesters but also police. For the first time since Gezi started I got the chance to see what appeared to be new recruits patrolling the streets. As it is, many of the police seem be in their early twenties, and these officers could have come in place of older recruits that were long overdue for a break; recent reports have been coming in on how the long hours days without sleep has taken a toll on them. In one case, I witnessed a young police officer who had been hit badly by teargas since his gas mask was put on improperly, with his friends comforting him. Perhaps one attribute that made me think they were young recruits, in addition to the one getting gassed, was the fact that they were marching like soldiers down the side streets, chanting slogans (usually common among military forces and not police) such as “vatan sana canim feda” (I'll die for my country), as if they needed some encouragement. Whatever the case, chanting such slogans only causes a dangerous polarization and sense of alienation towards the other (on both sides).

  

marching through side streets July 8

  9. Lastly, on the protesters side, it is clear they have entered a new phase. From the masses at Gezi park, numerous forums have been setting up, while other groups protest independently (like we saw with the journalists). I have also met a group of professionals who meet weekly brainstorming how to move to a political action stage. There are great examples of learning about the other, and building on the extreme diversity of the different groups. This was demonstrated greatly by the massive Iftar breakfast dinner, where protesters opened a massive dinner for those fasting during the day along Istiklal, enjoying their evening in the shadow of riot police. While some are skeptical about a major political movement emerging from the Gezi protests, it is clear that the protesters have kept their demands alive through creativity and setting the agenda of when and where they will protest. Further, it seems that until now, they have set the agenda, a fact that should send a strong signal to the government to adopt new policies.  

A lone man walks up Istiklal checking phone teargas
in background. After police enter Nevizade; July 8, 1130 PM  

So the question remains: Will the government turn clashes on Istiklal into a ritual? Will it adopt a strategy to bringing the tensions to an end? Well, I think for now the answer is no. Firstly, the fact that arresting of protesters is still continuing, while others are being detained seems to signal the government is opting to continue its zero-tolerance to any forms of anti-government dissent. Nevertheless, I think it is clear that the government seems to have mismanaged the Gezi Protests from A-to-Z, giving protesters more reason to continue to their struggle. This is truly unfortunate for a government that on one hand is taking courageous steps to make peace with its Kurdish population, and that during the last decade has moved the country forward on so many levels.  

The Twitterization of the Gezi Park protests

Here is an excerpt of my latest in Today's Zaman (4 July 2013)

During the first night of conflict, numerous forms of false information were spread over Twitter waves; however, it is necessary to clarify that there is a difference between misinformation and unknowingly spreading false information. I myself unintentionally tweeted (or retweeted) information I had thought was true, such as the story of the death of a girl named Aylin, who was supposedly crushed under an armored vehicle and whose death was even confirmed by an opposition deputy on Halk television (a station different from its mainstream counterparts that hit the streets to cover the events from the start).

Even if I stated that the case of Aylin had been “reported,” such tweets carry weight, and concerning this tweet and others, I reiterated that Twitter can only work properly together with a free, vibrant and transparent media. While the Turkish main media ignored the events, people on the ground had a duty to report, and likewise to announce immediately when making mistakes. Also, there was the need for everyone to work their utmost at filtering exaggerated reports, or misinformation, such as the claim that massacres were taking place; say what you want, but excessive police force is a far cry from being a massacre. In any case, it seems evident that once the Turkish media stepped up its efforts to cover the events, tweets became all the more reliable.

To continue reading, here is the link

A Monday Night Stroll from Besiktas to Gezi Park

Prelude

Well, after a long week, I left for a week trip abroad. I really hope upon my return that Turkey will have started the path to reconciliation, and wish my condolences to the families who lost members, and a quick recovery to all protesters and police hurt in the clashes. It is truly sad to see a people so divided, and to see a country that was full of hope for most of the last decade to reach such a turning point.

I have spent the last week twittering non-stop, visiting protesters and pro-government factions, hearing what other random people have to say, and trying to understand the complexities of the Turkish society. There is no doubt that the tense moments spent at clashes between the protesters and the police and the exhilarating hours spent at the park (before and after the clashes) have been some of the most interesting in my life. It will take some time for all of us to grasp what exactly happened this week. 

For now, for those interested in reading my thoughts about events leading up to Gezi Park, I will direct you to two articles. The first one was an article I wrote for Todays Zaman, just weeks before the breakout of violence. In this article I outline how the Turkish Prime Minister, RecepTayyip Erdogan, was in danger of losing popular support, entitled, Spring in Turkey: theKurdish initiative, public dissent and dialogue.

Despite most football fans belong to Besiktas, Fenerbahce
and Galatasary  are ever present

For my analysis of the first twenty-fours of the Gezi Park protest and a review of how Erdogan turned from a popular leader to one that is by despised by such a large part of his population, you can read the following article that I wrote for Haaretz’s English and Hebrew edition, entitled With one voice they yelled: Erdogan Resign!  I was happy (and honored) that this article was translated and appeared in Radikal, here is its link.

A Monday Night Stroll from Besiktas to Gezi Park 

protesters preparing for clash with police

During the first two days, my neighborhood of Osmanbey saw two days of clashes, with clouds of teargas seeping in from my balcony, where I witnessed street battles of teargas being shot off by police, pushing demonstrators from Harbiye as far back as Sisli. However, once the police retreated on Saturday night from Taksim, due to the massive amount of protesters arriving, Taksim became a zone free of police, with the protesters quickly building barricades and creating a type of protester controlled free zone. Parallel to this the police abandoned Osmanbey to Taksim, leaving a huge part of the city without any visible police presence (civil police of course are present).   

On Monday evening, equipped with a camera and two friends, I set out to see the neighborhoods that were still subjected to clashes, starting our way in Besiktas, to Akaretler, on to Macka, and finally to find Gezi Park-Taksim controlled zone. These neighborhoods remained under heavy police control due to the fact that within the compound of the famous 19^th century palace, Dolmabahce, is also home to Prime Minister Erdogan’s Istanbul offices. 

protesters. faces blurred to ensure protection.

On our way to Besiktas, we met with a few protesters who had opened their home to protesters who might need to take refuge if police took the offense.  In their house they had emergency supplies, and gladly handed out masks against teargas, and goggles.

Arriving to Besiktas port around 8PM, already the scene was set: people of all ages and backgrounds chanting slogans against Erdogan, with a younger group in the frontline challenging the police. Being in Besiktas was especially important since it is home to the “Carsi” group; die hard fans of the Besiktas Football club, who have captured the support of all the protesters by challenging the police in protests, and gaining respect of its two major rivals Galatasaray and Fenerbahce.

Spraying formula into burning eyes in a 5 star hotel

After playing about 20 minutes of a game of cat and mouse between the protesters and the police, with a water cannon shooting off water and police firing teargas into the crowds, a surprising development occurred: the police and the protesters called a cease fire. As fast as the crowd grew it dispersed, with the youngsters explaining to all that despite the ceasefire battles were still occurring in nearby neighborhoods and to be extra careful. At the moment, I turned to go to the neighborhood to Akaretler along with ten other people who wanted to make it to Taksim.

While most protesters are not affiliated with radical left in
Taksim Square, Communists and Socialists, among other groups
have set up camp. A general feeling of solidarity among all protestes

On the way, onlookers supporting the protest cheered the people making their way through the backstreets, and locals directed us on routes to avoid police forces stationed within the neighborhood even warning about areas where there were groups of civil police. Arriving to Macka, we got a view looking over Besiktas Inonu Football stadium: clouds of teargas covered the landscape as if it was a foggy morning, along with sounds of chaos that left all the onlookers in a moment of awe. 

Looking at Inonu Stadium with hazy teargas cloud

From there we crossed Macka park, crossed over a bridge, and crossed through a small forest making our way up to the barricades. On the way, we saw other protesters crossing the same path back and forth. Once we reached the barricades, we crossed into the protester controlled zone, passing two barricades, and burnt out buses. It was surreal, and before we knew it from the other direction the police succeeded firing teargas right next to the barricade I was at, just next to the Ceylan Intercontinental. It took about one minute for me to go blind from the pain of teargas; within seconds the protesters in charge of cleansing eyes had shot a dose of milky water in my eyes, and held my hand leading me to the lobby of the five-star hotel where I was allowed to rest around with about two hundred protesters.

On top of a barricade coming into Taksim

12:30 AM Taksim Square

If the story was not surreal enough, once I left the hotel, I made my way to Gezi Park that was only a minute walk away from I had been immobilized just minutes beofre, there I met tens-of-thousands of people, chanting slogans, singing protest songs, and camping out in the park. Like the night before, organizers stressed not to leave the park to join protests in other parts of the city since they believed that the police would seize the moment to take back Taksim, and especially Gezi Park. 

Well, after walking through the park, and Taksim Square, meeting with tourists staying at nearby hotels, and watching people dancing halay in a circle, I checked out the burnt out buses, where many Turkish youngsters took photographs as if trying to catch some strange moment in history. Generally tired from the whole week, I made my back way to Sisli, passing across the huge urban renewal pedestrian project, next half-finished tunnels to direct traffic in the future, and freshly laid cement; before the Gezi park protest this had been behind built up walls.

Dancing Halay in the Square

Besiktas football fans take rest on a barriade

From there, I went through the last barricade where three guys were resting on top of it. After crossing the barricade, the cheering and slogans did not stop. Thousands danced, honked horns and beat pots and pans. I imagine that never again in my lifetime will I encounter such an energetic upheaval of feelings of defiance, sadness, happiness, and some fear of what the future might hold. Once home, I took at last look on my balcony and could see that there were renewed clashes; yet, as I turned on the news it became obvious that compared to Ankara, and other cities throughout Turkey, Istanbul seemed as calm as ever.