Erdogan’s Dilemma

A Commentary by Ismail Doğa Karatepe and Özgür Genç

A crackdown on environmentalists in Taksim Gezi Park in Istanbul sparked protests across Turkey on the 31^st of May.  Since then, Turkey has been experiencing mass demonstrations covering almost the entire country. An occupy-style movement against the demolition of this relatively small park was suppressed on that day which included the arresting and injuring the hundreds. It is evident that neither police chiefs nor the governor of Istanbul could have expected that the police raid would attract the attention of and mobilize hundreds of thousands of protesters across the country. This protest already became a large scale rebellion on the night of May 31, however, apparently, not only against demolition of the park but also against, as a graffiti puts it, “something” (“Kahrolsun Bağzı Seyler!”/”Damn with somethings!” as in the picture on the right corner). It is not easy to meld the demands of the protesters in the same pot; however the government encroachment on freedom thus far appears to be common concern. 

Es begann in Taksim Gezi Park

Ein Kommentar von İsmail Doğa Karate und Axel Gehring

Ein Protest im Stile von Occupy, der sich gegen die Zerstörung eines relativ kleinen Parks richtete, wurde zum Funken landesweiter Demonstrationen in der Türkei. Die Demonstierenden waren nicht nur gegen die geplante Errichtung einer Shopping Mall auf dem Parkgelände. Sehr häufig riefen sie Parolen gegen antidemokratische und wirtschaftsliberale Regierungspolitiken. Seit mehr als 10 Jahren befindet sich die Partei für Gerechtigkeit und Entwicklung (AKP) an der Regierung, prominente Mitglieder der Partei und ihr Vorsitzender Premierminister Tayyip Erdoğan wurden von den Protestierenden als Verantwortliche dieser Politiken ausgemacht. 

It started in Taksim Gezi Park

A comment from İsmail Doğa Karate and Axel Gehring

An occupy style protest against the demolition of a relatively small park under the guise of urban renewal sparks a series of demonstrations all over the Turkey. The demonstrators do object not only to the planned shopping mall construction on to the park. But also slogans against the anti-democratic and economically liberal policies are shouted very often. The Development and Justice Party (AKP) which is in office for more than a decade and its leader, prime minister Tayyip Erdogan have been seen as the responsible actors of such policies and concomitantly there is wider anger against Tayyip Erdogan and prominent figures of AKP during the protests.