The Battle of the AK Party: fighting their way through dark powers (impressions from an electoral rally)

 “We brought close to 9,000 people today and that is just from our neighborhood of Esenyurt”, said 48-year-old Abidin. “But there were also so many others coming from all over Istanbul. There were even ferries that carried close to 800 people today”, he added. Abidin was among designated drivers in charge of bringing people to the electoral rally organized by the AK Party and held in Istanbul’s Maltepe district on May 17. Interrupting Abidin’s approximate calculations, a young man standing next to Abidin, says there were three million people on the square. Looking back at square it is hard to calculate the exact turnout but certainly three million is an overstretch but the young man is certain its three million to be exact.  

The “parallels” are ought to get us but they wont win 

On June 7, Turkey will cast its vote for its new 550 seat Grand National Assembly in a party list proportional representation system. To make it in, the party must overcome the 10% threshold, which has always been disputed by the opposition groups. Because according to the present voting system, any votes cast below 10% are automatically transferred to the winning party. The threshold does not apply to the independents. 

The new Assembly will form Turkey’s 25th parliament. AKP is seeking 4th consecutive year in the government in these elections. If the party wins all 330 seats then President Erdogan will have the necessary backing at the parliament to change the constitution. But in order to bypass the referendum, the party needs 367 seats. AKP’s agenda includes switching to a presidential system, advancing the solution with the Kurdish rebels and revised constitution. 

But the Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu mentions none of these, as he took stage at the Maltepe Square yesterday. Instead, PM Davutoglu focused on AKP’s achievements since coming to power, and the vicious intentions of the Bermuda triangle of key opposition parties together with parallel structures to topple the party. He did not mention whom exactly these parallel structures represent but this is a political tool introduced by the then Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan shortly after the Gezi Protests and the corruption probe. The so-called parallel structures were after destroying Turkey and preventing its growth. 

Back on the stage Davutoglu was giving an example of a university entrance exam scoring calculation – four incorrect answers take one correct answer. AK Party constituted the only one correct answer while the opposition CHP, MHP, DHP plus the “parallels” were the incorrect answers. “They cannot come to power so instead they are planning to get together and get in the way of the AKP with their coalition. But they cannot win. How can they prevent us with Istanbul backing us up?! Are we going to teach them a lesson on June 7?” shouted Davutoglu with his cracking voice having traveled across 40 provinces already. “Yes” the crowd cheered back. Davutoglu repeats the question this time even louder, “Yes”, yells the crowd raising in the air the AKP flags they were given when coming onto the square. 

On the other side of the stage, some people were leaving. “It is normal, they have been here for hours now. They are tired. It is crowded and many of the families came with their children. People want to go home”, said Abidin as he phoned his last passenger who was missing before he headed back to the bus he was driving back to Esenyurt. 

As crowds continued to leave even with PM still addressing the crowd from the stage one rally attendant turned around and said, “They have done the most good. I am their big supporter and wanted to tell you this”, he says as he rushes off to join his bus. 

A 44 year-old state employee Ahmet (who preferred not to give his real name nor his place of work) confirmed what the other passer by said. “Everything is changing for the better. Look at these people [pointing at the leaving crowd], they might have no money in their pockets but as least they are peaceful”, said Ahmet. But is there anything Ahmet would like to see improve? He nods, “the salaries of state employees”. 

The rally organized in Istanbul was important for the ruling AK Party. This is one of the three biggest cities of Turkey. During last year’s presidential elections, over 3.5 million voters cast their ballots for the AKP. The party is determined to get just as much. That is why much effort was put in bringing as many people as possible to the electoral rally in Istanbul. “We are three million gathered here”, yelled presenter at the rally yesterday. It was not surprising that the young man who interrupted Abidin earlier on, also believed there were 3 million. 

But concerns mount about AKP’s plans once elected. Critics of the AKP say the party will do all that is necessary to diminish any separation of powers within Turkey’s political and legal system. There is also the issue of freedoms. In a recent interview with Today’s Zaman, the founder of Oy ve Otesi association (volunteer election observation organization), Sercan Celebi said, “After the Gezi protests, the majority of people have realized that they will not be able to lead their lives independently of the political process. The sphere of freedom has been restricted, and as long as we are not part of the processes, we realize that things will become worse”. 

Sitting on a bench and taking a rest after the rally, 66 year-old Ibrahim Sahin says although he is AKP supporter this should be their last term. “They should let go in the next elections” (which are scheduled for 2019). “This country was in shambles. I moved to Istanbul from Ordu in 1962-63 and I have seen it all – the difficulties. I remember even saying to myself that if this is the way the country is run then the end is imminent. Now, some fifty years alter I see a transformed Turkey. Things have changed to the better thanks to the work of the AK Party”. Ibrahim Sahin is retired state employee and he is also the first AKP supporter who was frank about AKP’s ruling style. “It is a matter of experience, you need to give others a chance to get experience”, he adds as he enjoys the sunset over Marmara. 

Will AKP give a chance to other parties in transparent elections or will it continue its grip on power? June 7 elections will show.

President tweets while Prime Minister bans

As Turkey's Prime Minister Erdogan moved ahead with a ban on Twitter ahead of the local elections scheduled to take place on March 30th, the President of Turkey Gul, does not share the same sentiments. 

Sosyal medya platformlarının tamamen kapatılması tasvip edilemez.
— Abdullah Gül (@cbabdullahgul) March 21, 2014

Translation: "One cannot approve of the complete closure of social media platforms"

Whether its an attempt to play the good guy, is yet to be seen. Perhaps a step toward urging the Prime Minister to sack the court orders would show the true intentions. So far however, just a tweet.

Erdogan said he would ban Facebook and YouTube just few weeks ago. This time, without a warning though, except few fiery words at a campaign rally, PM vowed to shut down Twitter. And shut down he did- one of the "menace to society" as he called these platforms last summer is finally dealt with. Whats next?! A total Internet shut down?

How AKP runs the country

If you have been following news on Turkey you all know the back story. The protests of the last summer shook the country, its leadership and brought out many grievances accumulated over the past decade of the ruling Justice and Development Party. The graft scandal in December further showed the other face of the party, the one deeply involved in shady business deals and corruption. Then came the controversial bills on judiciary power and the Internet followed by the release of phone conversations between the Prime Minister and few other individuals including his son, and finally the death of a young boy, Berkin Elvan that sparked more country wide protests.

But I bet here is something that you didn't know or not yet at least. This ad appeared on TV channels just a few hours ago. The ad is promoting Turkish flag, the national anthem, religion and the evil forces trying to eliminate all of that (starring an evil guy dressed in black whose face we never see, which kind of plays with the whole "third powers" argument of the Prime Minister). And so the people start running, determined to stop the evil from ruining their future. 

If they would have added the riot police preventing these people from running and threw in few water cannon vehicles the picture would have been complete. Maybe next video ad- this time promoting the skills of accurate aiming of the Turkish riot police would do total justice. 

What you also didn't know most likely is that the ad was banned from TV shortly after it was aird but strangely few people spotted the ad on some of the channels. Today, as the Turkish Parliament was debating the graft scandal, all of a sudden most of the state TV channels stopped broadcasting the debate. It was thanks to the CHP MP Melda Onur and her i-pad and her quick thinking that it was possible to watch the debate on livestream.

How convenient or shall I say ironic that when the banned TV ad is still aired on state TV channels, the debate on something far more important isn't.

Azerbaijan's Upcoming Elections

An article that appeared today on News.az [ENG] talks about importance of elections in Azerbaijan but more so, it highlights importance of Ilham Aliyev's re-elections for another term. The article is a reference to another piece that appeared in a Turkish paper Takvim [TR].

The author of the article Bulent Erandac claims Aliyev's re-election to be crucial for Turkey- Azerbaijan relations. According to the author, "In these [upcoming elections, scheduled for October 16] election of President Aliyev for a third term is closely linked to Turkey's place in the faith of the Caucasus. Ilham Aliyev played an important role in mutual relationship of the two countries sharing the same language, religion and history". 

Erandac reminds its readers of Aliyev's recent speech where the incumbent President spoke of close ties between the two countries. "Our hearts beat the same. Turkey is our important sibling, friend, and partner in the world. I am certain, that for Turkey too Azerbaijan is number one friend, sibling, and partner in the world". 

These are some very strong words. But it is for the people of Azerbaijan to decide who will be their next president. Especially taking into the account corruption, deeply embedded issues with democracy and human rights that overshadowed development of Azerbaijan in the past decade under the current president.

Perhaps someone also needs to remind Erandac of the past elections (both presidential and parliamentary) and the many violations during the election period in the past.

And then there is a debate around the "friendly" relations between the two countries ["one nation, two states" motto]. A reality check- there isn't much going on apart from business relations. When was the last time Turkish and Azerbaijani civil societies done something together? Or when was the last time Turkey reacted to the arrests of journalists, political activists and the approach to the overall state of freedom of the press in Azerbaijan?

The upcoming presidential elections will determine the faith of the country over the next presidential term. Surely, Erandac and many others in Turkey would appreciate to deal and develop more mutually friendly relations with a more democratic country. This would also play a bigger role in the region at large. 

But perhaps old friendships and habits are hard to break... 

#occupygezi through the lens of a foreigner

I wrote this post as a guest post for Erkan Saka's Field Diary. Wanted to share it here as well.

"I moved to Istanbul in 2007. The largest form of protest I witnessed back then was the march organized to protest the death of an editor and chief of weekly Armenian paper- AGOS. Never did it cross my mind that only few years later I am going to be part of something special, something that for some has been coined as the greatest thing that happened to the people of Turkey ever since the last coup in the 80s. 

Many faces of occupygezi 

There she was standing on the edge of a construction block throwing stones to the protesters. “Here take some more”, she was shouting through a medical mask that covered her face (a common accessory used by many of the protesters in Istanbul and across Turkey). I turned my camera and started taking photographs of this woman in her 50s, maybe 60s. It was hard to tell her age, only her graying hair was giving it away. For me she was just another icon of the #occupygezi protests similar to the woman in red and a woman in black (the list got longer as the protests escalated, with a young man playing a guitar boldly in front of TOMA vehicle, a naked man and later the standingman).  

All these people together with tens of thousands more were taking the streets protesting. For some occupygezi was about protecting nature, for others standing up for their rights, their freedoms, their choices and the authoritarian grip of the ruling Justice and Development Party.

I was in Taksim square on May 31^st, holding my camera and trying to breath through the thick smoke of tear gas. For the first time in my life, I tasted tear gas and pepper gas. For the first time in my life I saw water canons. The brutality of Turkish riot police reminded me of my home country Azerbaijan and how our police used violence to disperse crowds of people whenever they took the streets in recent years to protest its own government.

Later weeks became a routine- meetings with foreign journalists late at night, walks in Gezi Park, interviewing protesters, watching police intervene, and the never- ending feeling of resistance and solidary in the eyes of many of the faces of Gezi Park protests. 

My camera was ready, capturing moments, the faces, just like that woman-throwing stones. At times it felt peaceful and at times, the scenes in Taksim square, on Istiklal and in many parts of Turkey felt no less than war scenes from movies.  

Twitter and Vine became my best friends while covering the Gezi Protests. My camera and the photographs were proof of how one country and its brave people can change its destiny. 

These days, I feel a different kind of Turkey. I feel like people have finally woken up and are ready to challenge the government that isn’t too ready to accept this challenge and face the reality of the Turkey it has created and at times forced upon its people.

For many this is a new beginning. As a foreigner living in Turkey, this new beginning feels exhilarating. But what is more important is not to lose this momentum. There is a long path lying ahead of Turkey now. How it is shaped now depends on its people as much as it depends on its government. 

As for me… my camera is ready so as me, to see and be part of this change…" 

Taksim square- before and after the protests

Last night, as I joined residents of Istanbul in Taksim square for #standingman silent protest memories of how the square liked just few days back hit me pretty quickly. I have grown used to the crowd, there was something certainly very special in the air. Last night everything looked different. As if in fact nothing ever happened. 

And so, I thought I share the images below comparing the early days of protests, before police hit everyone pretty hard with violence and emptied the park with tear gas, sound bombs and violence.

p.s.: photography by me. if you are interested in more photos from the protests you can visit here, i have compiled all the photographs i have been taking of the protests in this album.

Dream of a young man- "Erdogan by Erdogan"

One of the best Gezi Park productions. Kudos to the creators! 

Basing the clip and the words on a song by Daft Punk "Giorgio by Moroder" the brain behind this idea did an amazing job. 

So sit back, relax, and enjoy the sound of Gezi Park and Erdogan's dream to crush his nation. 

 

Why Turks are unhappy?

After going to protests since May 31st, and documenting the past thirteen days of upheaval in Istanbul, here are just few of the reasons why the crowds are unhappy:

• mass urban development plans wherever the ruling govt. desires
• restrictions on alcohol sales
• the government's Syria policy
• reforms in education sector
• poverty
• unemployment (yes, despite the booming economy)
• controversy around abortion law
• arrested army officials on some deep state plotting charges 
• arrested journalists and artists

This list could probably go even longer, I just thought I name the ones that were mentioned more often than others in the course of the past almost two weeks now. 

The violent clashes have more or less subsided though reports of re-occurring clashes at night in other parts of the country still on- going. 

And yet, despite all thats been said, stated, mentioned and voiced, the ruling party leader, PM Erdogan prefers to talk about the booming economy of the recent years. Reforms stalled some time in 2007 and things are as great as AKP says. The ruling government successfully managed to "take over" some if not all institutions, companies, judiciary and media outlets and "appointed" those who are close to the government. 

I almost feel like that soon those outside of PM Erdogan's "love circle" are going to adopt the all-too-familiar by now slogan (albeit with a slight change) "we are the 50%". Most of the people I've spoken to at Gezi Park say thats how they see themselves- supporters of the regime vs. the rest of the country. 

One thing is certain, ever since the protests began, the biased reaction from Prime Minister and his continued stubbornness to see beyond his advisers already polarized a country of some 70 million. And a statement by Istanbul mayor today on the decision to continue with the construction plans based on the Prime Minister's desire could potentially trigger further resistance and discontent.

I guess we are all in for a long ride here so put on your Guy Fawkes masks and come to Gezi for the atmosphere... 

I am not a hoodlum, not an extremist, not a marginal, I am an individual, with rights

Before I found myself in the middle of Taksim Square on May 31st, I was just an expat living in Istanbul. I enjoyed living here though my concerns of what to become of Turkey as a result of seriously conservative policies placed by the ruling AKP increasingly grew over me. 

Turkey was a different place when I first came here, which was in 2001. I was here as a student, studying International Relations and I remember clearly the elections in 2002. I remember the festive atmosphere. People greeting AK Pary's buses in Kizilar. Flowers and promises for a greater future were everywhere. 

I left Ankara in 2005 and came back in 2007, around the time when YouTube was banned. I was shocked. How can YouTube be banned here?! For me Turkey always was a beacon of hope especially for someone who comes from Azerbaijan, where the authoritarian rule of one family been suffocating the country and its people for almost two decades now. Of course there were ways to go around banned YouTube. This was the first time I learned about bypass proxies. 

Then I left again 2009 and returned in 2010 this time with an intention to stay for much longer. But ever since I have been back (and in pretty much all cases) nothing good happened in Turkey. When I first moved back to Istanbul in 2007, I was one of privileged expats, with a generous salary, enjoying the colorful and rich life of Istanbul. But this wasn't the case for everybody, despite the increasing salaries and booming economy. 

AKP policies kept coming in, and while people protested nothing changed. Decisions were made, amendments passed and people got on with their lives. Mass arrests of army generals in the fear of "deep state plotting"; arrests of prominent individual and journalists, recent ban on alcohol and on public kissing, were really the final drops before this nation of some 70 million realized that the cup is full and there is no more room for any "kneeling". #occupygezi came at a right moment. The road expansion plan, cutting of trees, and the brutal police [mis]treatment of people who were at the park opened the Pandora box. People were angry and it wasn't just about trees anymore. 

And so, as events unraveled I too joined hundreds of thousands Istanbulites in protest, demanding that my voice, as an individual, is heard and that my rights are respected. It was disappointing to see government's initial reaction. It was quick to dismiss the essence of the protests and calling all of us- hooligans, alcoholics, hoodlums, extremist and marginals while we are students, doctors, lawyers, teachers, pensioners, housewives, engineers, and people from all sorts of interesting backgrounds. 

Today is the 9th day of protests in Istanbul. Today is also the day when demands of "Diren Taksim" [Resist Taksim] are heard by Deputy Prime Minister. The demands are simple (this is a rough translation, original text is available here): 

1. Gezi Park must stay as a park and that the authorities must announce a unanimous decision that nothing will be built there and it will remain a park from now on;

2. Ataturk Cultural Center (a building right next to Gezi Park) will remain untouched as well;

3. Governors, heads of security forces of Ankara, Istanbul and Hatay and those implementing their immediate orders must be dismissed from their duties immediately;

4. Ban on use of gas cannons and similar materials;

5. All those detained must be released immediately; 

6. No more bans on public gatherings in squares like Taksim and Kizilay (in Ankara) and other public squares; no more bans on the right to protest; and removal of all kinds of conditions limiting freedom of expression. 

The only person who apologized for the violence has been Deputy Prime Minister (and that was on the 8th day of protests and wasn't an apology from everyone mind you). The Prime Minister himself is away on a state visit trip. He left the country in a turmoil, once again dismissing everything that's been happening as an act of hooliganism, fueled by outside powers, jealous of Turkey's economy and the country's growing power significance. Well, dear Mr. Prime Minister, as one CHP Parliament Member said yesterday, "you have been poisoned by power". And that is the problem. People had expectations when PM Erdogan first came to power. Many voted for him and his party and voted again for him and the party but if more than 60 towns been on a revolt and the ruling party is still talking about trees and calling us names, this shows that something is wrong. One cannot call your citizens hoodlums and certainly one cannot say that Twitter is a menace to Turkish society. It is thanks to Twitter that we have been getting and sharing news about what is happening because Turkish media wouldn't (As someone wrote on a wall near Taksim "Revolution will not be televised, it will be tweeted"). It was only after Prime Minister left the country that CNN Turk began showing more footage of police brutality. But even today, on the 9th day of protest there is still no live coverage outside of hourly news segments.

What is going to happen next we are yet to see. I have certainly had enough of tear gas. Though on the nights when I don't get even the swift of it, it feels strange, like something is missing from my life. Will the current government resign after days of calls? I am not sure either. But things have to change, and that is I am sure of. I will be back in Taksim square today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow if need be. I will come and join the peaceful protesters and continue tweeting and taking photos. I know I am not alone.

I am happy to be part of this resistance and see what Turkish people are capable of. Thanks to them, (and thanks to the Prime Minister because if it wasn't for him this probably would have never happened), I saw the unity and solidarity that could form among people united by one cause. The resistance continues! #direngeziparki #direnturkiye!

photographs are by me

May 31st, Taksim Square

short video from the footage i had from May 31st and June 1st.

here is YouTube link if you cannot open it here for some reason.

Gas, watercannons, wounded, dismantled buses and cars- no, this is not a movie scene

Have you ever gone from a wedding to a protest? I have. Two nights ago my two buddies had a wedding. It was beautiful. Outside of the city chaos and mayhem we were surrounded by trees, clean (gas free) air, and of course, two happy people surrounded by their friends and family tying their knots for their lifetime. 

But all of us, friends, were torn. We spent a good half of the wedding checking Twitter (because traditional media been pretty much silent for the past few days) trying to stay tuned. Every minute there was something- but the worst news were coming from a neighborhood called Besiktas. Located not far from the Besiktas Soccer Stadium. Besiktas is a lively residential district popular not only among Besiktas soccer team fans but also among locals. The night before, some of my friends were there, but instead of enjoying the fresh fish from the local bazar or a stroll through some of the cobble stone streets, they were greeted with tear gas and police. For the past two nights, this neighborhood turned into a war zone - clashes between riot police and the protestors. There were many injured. People were tweeting pictures that looked nothing short of a movie set of some war/out-of-this-word zone.

The wedding was over, and so we drove back to city center. Talking to passer by who were coming back from Besiktas we didn't hear anything good- tear gas, pepper gas, some even thought police was using something called orange gas. To protect themselves protesters used a mix of talcid and water, milk, lemon, goggles, masks, hard construction hats- basically anything that can protect one's body against possible attack. 

We too packed our bags and started walking. It is hard to describe what I saw so I am just going to share photographs: 

Near Besiktas Inonu Stadium- night of June 2nd

Barricades on the way to Taksim near Besiktas Inonu Stadium- night of June 2nd circa 3am

More barricades

Taksim square- Morning of June 2nd, around 3.30am

I took photo above in the afternoon of June 1st, the photo below is the same spot at around 3am on June 2nd

Above Taksim square, May 31st, people running from tear gas, below Taksim square, June 2 early morning, people no longer running

"Don't be silent"

I came home frustrated. The looting was affecting the whole purpose of resistance. It was becoming violent and this was not the original intention. But then it was inevitable I suppose. The anger and frustration of the people has grown out of proportions and it is no longer about trees and park. Its about something much bigger- something that is called AKP. 

So far, the authorities have failed to understand this, and that is why people are continuing to resist. And looks like will continue because its no longer few hundred people, green activists protecting trees, its about over 60 cities of Turkey where thousands of people are protesting the regime and calling for PM's resignation.

Stay tuned, more updates are coming.

To built a mall or save a park- that is the question

But not for the officials of Turkey. In the heart of Istanbul there is a square known to many of this city visitors as Taksim Square. We the locals call it Taksim and its often a meeting point. Right next to this square there stands a very pretty park- Gezi. Few days ago the state officials announced its plans to destroy the park and built yet another shopping mall in this booming historical city (By the end of 2013 the number of total shopping malls in Istanbul alone is estimade to reach 133). Why? Its a good question an answer to which has not been given- at least not by those very state officials, not yet.

Today I'm here (May 31st) just like many residents of Istanbul demanding anullment of the construction plans and keeping the park safe and the area green. I breathed in wonderful tear gas, I saw many injured people, police use watercannons to disperse the crowds and its not over yet. The clash between peaceful protesters and violent police continues. Its been going on for the past few days and looks like will persist.

Unfortunately I cannot post any photos at the moment as I am in a remote location but will share some of the sound records and ımages later as soon as I get a chance.

For now please follow #direngeziparki for furhter updates on Twitter and share whats happening here. All that people want is to protect their park.

And it happened again...

Today was an important day in Turkey. Millions of Turks left their homes to cast their votes in general elections. 

A lot of hope was vested into the ruling center- right Justice and Development Party (AKP)'s main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in these elections, however, it failed to win or get the majority of votes. It came with a 25.92% of votes while the ruling AKP with almost twice as much. But what is more concerning is the trend of the overall percentage of votes AKP has been getting since 2002 when it came to leadership with 34%, 46% in 2007 and 49.90% in 2011 (see more details here).

AKP will maintain majority in the parliament with 326 seats, followed by CHP with 135 seats, MHP 54 seats and independents with 35 seats. AKP was targeting 330 seats which would have allowed the party to push for rewriting the constitution. The debate over changing the constitution that was introduced during the 1980 coup, rests on AKP's promise of making Turkey a more democratic country with enhanced individual freedoms vs. its opponents fearing of AKP simply consolidating its grip on power. The current Prime Minister spoke of his affection for a French- style presidential system which is what many believe AKP will strive to achieve by changing the constitution. If this happens, Erdogan will have the constitutional right to govern for additional two terms, leading the country in 2023 which coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic.

In his post- election address, leader of the ruling CHP party- Kemal Kilicdaroglu promised to continue working as hard as they did before, sending out a strong message of becoming a ruling party. 

According to the country's current constitution, a party must get a minimum of 10% of the national vote for it to join the country's 550- seat parliament (to read more on Turkish election system read this article by Al Jazeera).

It was disturbing to see cars drive on one of the busiest and hip streets of Istanbul, Bagdad Caddesi, with AKP flags hanging from their windows and women with headscarves smiling proudly waiving the flags from their cars tonight. It reminded me of Fenerbahce (one of the Turkey's biggest football teams) championship celebrations just few weeks ago on the same street, except this was no soccer championship. AKP's controversial rule in the country has been subject to criticisms. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Kilicdaroglu pointed out to limitations in democracy and freedoms. CHP leader referred to cases of confiscation of unprinted books, arrests and detainment of hundreds of journalist (Turkey is leading among countries with highest number of arrested journalists). Freedom of press is fragile, journalists are concerned their phones are tapped and mass case over military coup plot is in papers everyday. 

So it looks like religion won today again for a third time...