What Happens in Turkey

Attention: The name of the photographer is BURAK AKBULUT (Reuters)
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All my friends in the U.S. and other parts of the world,

Protests against AKP government's authoritarian ways are growing after the PM Tayyip Erdogan's defiance. In an interview today Erdogan outright said he is to decide on the future of Gezi Park and that he is not interested in "a bunch of bums" ideas. No apologies on the police brutality, and no word on people who were injured, no backing off, no compromise, but further humiliation. But Turkish people are not giving up, tonight Turkey is not sleeping, in many cities people are up and demonstrating their frustration, they are busy banging pots and pans, chanting their anger, crossing bridges, being brutalized, inhaling large amounts of tear gas, getting hit by water cannons, and getting arrested... Meanwhile Turkish media is not covering any of this, but showing soap, penguins mating, dolphins fleeing killer whales etc.. Some international news networks are doing a good job but in Turkey social media is the only way of knowing what is happening.

We need the world to know this moment is not accidental or a representation of a small number of people. Gezi Direnis belongs to millions who have been feeling oppressed by this government for a while now. Gezi Direnis is not about a few trees; it is about the threat against our rights and liberties as people. This is about a government who wants to have a say on all aspects of our lives, who wants to decide the number of children women are supposed to have, who wants to regulate our alcohol intake, a government that says and does against gender equality, a government that prosecutes and incarcerates journalists who dare to disagree with them. Please share if you can. Your support is precious.

Peace,

Written by Didem Atahan Fabig
Shared by Dogan Kokdemir