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Thursday,June 27 2013, Your time is 15:42:35
POLITICS > Kurdish bid at new level as ‘wise’ mission over
ISTANBUL
Vercihan Ziflioğlu contributed to this report from Istanbul.
The group of Wise Persons, which was gathered by the government as part of the recent bid to find a solution to the Kurdish issue, submitted their final reports to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Istanbul on June 26.
The 63 members were divided into seven separate regions of the country, and had traveled 122,000 kilometers across the country to listen and talk about the peace process over the course of about three months.
In total, they visited all of Turkey’s 81 provinces, including 37 towns and 22 villages, where they officially met with more than 60,000 people.
The meeting came at a time when the agenda of the process is turning its focus to the second phase, which basically refers to the steps that now have to be taken by the government.
Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesperson Hüseyin Çelik said at a press conference on the sidelines of the Wise Persons meeting that the reports, which included both the observations of the groups and the “concerns, fears, dreams and hopes” of people across the country.
The Wise Persons’ efforts have eased the concerns of many people however some with ideological concerns and opponents of the AKP remained critical, Çelik said, adding that the seven reports would be consolidated before being published.
Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş, who has taken active role in the talks to solve the issue, said the second phase in the process had begun. The government is soon expected to reveal a roadmap for this second phase, Demirtaş said. “I hope this roadmap will lead to permanent democracy,” he said, speaking at a Diyarbakır meeting yesterday.
The first phase of the process was briefed as being the withdrawal of outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants to northern Iraq from Turkey. Criticizing the tone of recent statements made by government officials, Demirtaş said the process had been “infected” over the last two weeks. He said the government’s hard stance against the Gezi Park protests had spread across the country.
“However, this does not mean that the process is over or blocked,” he said.
“In the second phase, the channels for democratic politics will be opened. It is not a phase that will solve problems 100 percent,” Demirtaş added.
The BDP co-chair’s remarks echoed a statement from jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan a day earlier, who also said the process had now arrived at its second phase.
Four members absent
Deputy prime ministers Beşir Atalay and Bekir Bozdağ, a number of Cabinet ministers, and other high ranking officials, also accompanied Erdoğan at the Wise Persons meeting.
Four members of the group were missing after two academics, Murat Belge and Baskın Oran, resigned a day earlier, and two others declared excuses.
Speaking to journalists ahead of the meeting, Ahmet Taşgetiren, the head of the Central Anatolia regional group of the Wise Persons, said the “wider picture” after the two-month long efforts of the group showed the peace process received “full support.”
Taşgetiren also said before the meeting that the groups were scheduled to share photographs and videos with the prime minister.
The talks between the government and Öcalan earlier this year received a boost when the latter declared a ceasefire and called on militants to withdraw from Turkey on March 21. The withdrawal officially began in early May.
June/26/2013
27 Haziran 2013 Perşembe
Turkish folk singer Livaneli not surprised by ‘dark forces’ against intellectuals
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Zülfü Livaneli, famous Turkish folk singer, author and former politician, who was the victim of an assault attempt for unknown reasons before and after a concert last week, feels isolated but not surprised. However, his reaction is not limited to the incident, but the recent street violence in the country and the state’s decades-long attitudes.
“We are used to being treated as foster children,” he told the Hürriyet Daily News in an e-mail interview yesterday. “Anything can happen in this country ... We are reaching large crowds with books, music and thoughts, but some dark forces are enemy to the intellectuals of this country."
Livaneli was the victim of an assault attempt by a group, including municipal workers, on June 20 while he was in the southern province of Mersin for a gig. The incident broke out because a dance group was using the backstage room spared for Livaneli, according to reports.
Livaneli is a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and is also popular in neighboring Greece, particularly due to his joint works with Mikis Theodorakis.
Commenting on the recent anti-government protests and police interventions, Livaneli said “A growing economy unfortunately does not solve problems in democracy and human rights.”
Livaneli said he had witnessed the killing of more than 50 friends over the years, and some others were tortured. “There were times that we were put in military jails. Unfortunately this Turkey is like a mythological monster that eats its own kids.”
“In countries such as ours the Constitution is not working. A dictatorial approach overwhelms pluralism. This is the basic problem for many countries considered as democracies. But can you call a regime that is not inspected by law and legislation a democracy?”
The government is relying on conspiracy theories while moving against the protests that started with a small group of demonstrators who were opposing the demolition of Taksim Gezi Park in central Istanbul.
“Believing in a theory that says that ‘everyone is setting a conspiracy against us’ is easier than understanding the essence of the opposition. That also makes it easier for them to consolidate their own masses,” he said.
“Young generations are fed up of hearing insults, intervention in their lifestyles and the prime minister’s acting like the ‘father of the nation’ and suddenly they found themselves in Taksim square crying out for freedom. Seeking conspiracy behind this is nonsense.”
June/26/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Zülfü Livaneli, famous Turkish folk singer, author and former politician, who was the victim of an assault attempt for unknown reasons before and after a concert last week, feels isolated but not surprised. However, his reaction is not limited to the incident, but the recent street violence in the country and the state’s decades-long attitudes.
“We are used to being treated as foster children,” he told the Hürriyet Daily News in an e-mail interview yesterday. “Anything can happen in this country ... We are reaching large crowds with books, music and thoughts, but some dark forces are enemy to the intellectuals of this country."
Livaneli was the victim of an assault attempt by a group, including municipal workers, on June 20 while he was in the southern province of Mersin for a gig. The incident broke out because a dance group was using the backstage room spared for Livaneli, according to reports.
Livaneli is a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and is also popular in neighboring Greece, particularly due to his joint works with Mikis Theodorakis.
Commenting on the recent anti-government protests and police interventions, Livaneli said “A growing economy unfortunately does not solve problems in democracy and human rights.”
Livaneli said he had witnessed the killing of more than 50 friends over the years, and some others were tortured. “There were times that we were put in military jails. Unfortunately this Turkey is like a mythological monster that eats its own kids.”
“In countries such as ours the Constitution is not working. A dictatorial approach overwhelms pluralism. This is the basic problem for many countries considered as democracies. But can you call a regime that is not inspected by law and legislation a democracy?”
The government is relying on conspiracy theories while moving against the protests that started with a small group of demonstrators who were opposing the demolition of Taksim Gezi Park in central Istanbul.
“Believing in a theory that says that ‘everyone is setting a conspiracy against us’ is easier than understanding the essence of the opposition. That also makes it easier for them to consolidate their own masses,” he said.
“Young generations are fed up of hearing insults, intervention in their lifestyles and the prime minister’s acting like the ‘father of the nation’ and suddenly they found themselves in Taksim square crying out for freedom. Seeking conspiracy behind this is nonsense.”
June/26/2013
RIGHTS > Turkey's Alevi community doubtful of government initiatives
ISTANBUL/Vercihan Ziflioğlu contributed to this report from Istanbul.
The government is working on a new plan to broaden the rights of Alevis, members of the second-largest Islamic sect in the country, but these fresh attempts have received a suspicious reaction from the community.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has asked for a study and report on the issue, Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ revealed in a televised interview over the weekend, adding that a broad range of negotiations would follow after the new steps.
Bozdağ’s remarks came days before the anniversary of the July 1-2 killings of 35 people in an arson attack in 1993 led by a mob at a hotel where many Alevi intellectuals and artists who had come to Sivas for a conference were staying. On June 23, thousands gathered in Istanbul’s Anatolian district of Kadıköy to mark the day.
Bozdağ commented on the status of cemevis, Alevi houses of worship. “Our brothers from the Alevi and Bektaşi traditions have already granted a status to cemevis,” he said, adding that the government would not take steps to change this status but only ensure its existence.
However, responding to a question on whether cemevis were a place of worship, Bozdağ said the sole common place of worship for Muslims has always been mosques, and Muslims could worship all across the earth.
The government’s official stance is still that cemevis are "cultural centers," but not places of worship.
The ruling party has taken serious steps for Alevis, including sending Alevi leaders to meet the religious needs of Turks living abroad, adding information about the sect to schoolbooks with quotes from leaders of the community, and an apology by the prime minister for a massacre in 1938 in Tunceli, where the majority of the population is Alevi.
Responding to Hürriyet Daily News questions on the issue during a phone interview yesterday, Metin Tarhan, a lawyer for the Alevi Associations’ Federation, said the community's trust in the government was poor.
“Our first demand was to accept the legal status of cemevis as places of worship, and this was rejected. Now the government’s sincerity is being questioned,” he said.
The prime minister’s recent wording when describing the bomb attack in the southern city of Reyhanlı on May 11 also disturbed the community. “Fifty-three of our Sunni citizens were killed,” Erdoğan had said.
The prime minister of a country should never discriminate between its people, not only between sects, Tarhan said.
Alevis have also expressed unease over the naming of the to-be-built third bridge over Istanbul’s Bosphorus, which has been named after Ottoman Sultan "Yavuz Sultan Selim," who was known for massive killings of Alevis.
The government's latest gestures to Alevis come months before the March 2014 local elections.
June/24/2013
ISTANBUL/Vercihan Ziflioğlu contributed to this report from Istanbul.
The government is working on a new plan to broaden the rights of Alevis, members of the second-largest Islamic sect in the country, but these fresh attempts have received a suspicious reaction from the community.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has asked for a study and report on the issue, Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ revealed in a televised interview over the weekend, adding that a broad range of negotiations would follow after the new steps.
Bozdağ’s remarks came days before the anniversary of the July 1-2 killings of 35 people in an arson attack in 1993 led by a mob at a hotel where many Alevi intellectuals and artists who had come to Sivas for a conference were staying. On June 23, thousands gathered in Istanbul’s Anatolian district of Kadıköy to mark the day.
Bozdağ commented on the status of cemevis, Alevi houses of worship. “Our brothers from the Alevi and Bektaşi traditions have already granted a status to cemevis,” he said, adding that the government would not take steps to change this status but only ensure its existence.
However, responding to a question on whether cemevis were a place of worship, Bozdağ said the sole common place of worship for Muslims has always been mosques, and Muslims could worship all across the earth.
The government’s official stance is still that cemevis are "cultural centers," but not places of worship.
The ruling party has taken serious steps for Alevis, including sending Alevi leaders to meet the religious needs of Turks living abroad, adding information about the sect to schoolbooks with quotes from leaders of the community, and an apology by the prime minister for a massacre in 1938 in Tunceli, where the majority of the population is Alevi.
Responding to Hürriyet Daily News questions on the issue during a phone interview yesterday, Metin Tarhan, a lawyer for the Alevi Associations’ Federation, said the community's trust in the government was poor.
“Our first demand was to accept the legal status of cemevis as places of worship, and this was rejected. Now the government’s sincerity is being questioned,” he said.
The prime minister’s recent wording when describing the bomb attack in the southern city of Reyhanlı on May 11 also disturbed the community. “Fifty-three of our Sunni citizens were killed,” Erdoğan had said.
The prime minister of a country should never discriminate between its people, not only between sects, Tarhan said.
Alevis have also expressed unease over the naming of the to-be-built third bridge over Istanbul’s Bosphorus, which has been named after Ottoman Sultan "Yavuz Sultan Selim," who was known for massive killings of Alevis.
The government's latest gestures to Alevis come months before the March 2014 local elections.
June/24/2013
25 Haziran 2013 Salı
Slain German publisher’s wife denied Turkish citizenship
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Suzanne Geske, the widow of Tillmann Geske, who was killed in the 2007 Malatya Zirve Publishing House massacre, has been denied Turkish citizenship.
Living with her children in the eastern province of Malatya, where the massacre took place, Geske is determined to continue her struggle for citizenship. Geske told the Hürriyet Daily News that they faced some difficulties due to the alleged reports issued by the Turkish National Strategies and Operations Department (TÜSHAD).
“We saw in the ongoing Zirve Publishing House massacre case that TÜSHAD forged false reports about us. They submitted the reports to the prosecutor. The reports were also sent to the National Intelligence Agency (MIT). My attorney went to the Interior Ministry for the procedures about my citizenship but they told him that a citizenship could not be granted to me due to these reports,” Geske said.
Unjust smears
When asked whether she was considering leaving Turkey if she could not obtain citizenship, Geske said “I don’t have a plan yet. I only believe in God. If God wills, I will take the citizenship one day.”
Geske also said all the smear campaigns made against her, her family and friends were unjust.
Three missionaries, including Tillman Geske and two Turks, Necati Aydın and Uğur Yüksel, were tied up and tortured before their throats were slit at the Zirve Publishing House, a Christian publisher in Malatya, on April 18, 2007. Before the incident, Father Andrea Santoro and Armenian journalist Hrant Dink were murdered.
June/25/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Suzanne Geske, the widow of Tillmann Geske, who was killed in the 2007 Malatya Zirve Publishing House massacre, has been denied Turkish citizenship.
Living with her children in the eastern province of Malatya, where the massacre took place, Geske is determined to continue her struggle for citizenship. Geske told the Hürriyet Daily News that they faced some difficulties due to the alleged reports issued by the Turkish National Strategies and Operations Department (TÜSHAD).
“We saw in the ongoing Zirve Publishing House massacre case that TÜSHAD forged false reports about us. They submitted the reports to the prosecutor. The reports were also sent to the National Intelligence Agency (MIT). My attorney went to the Interior Ministry for the procedures about my citizenship but they told him that a citizenship could not be granted to me due to these reports,” Geske said.
Unjust smears
When asked whether she was considering leaving Turkey if she could not obtain citizenship, Geske said “I don’t have a plan yet. I only believe in God. If God wills, I will take the citizenship one day.”
Geske also said all the smear campaigns made against her, her family and friends were unjust.
Three missionaries, including Tillman Geske and two Turks, Necati Aydın and Uğur Yüksel, were tied up and tortured before their throats were slit at the Zirve Publishing House, a Christian publisher in Malatya, on April 18, 2007. Before the incident, Father Andrea Santoro and Armenian journalist Hrant Dink were murdered.
June/25/2013
Turkey's Alevi community doubtful of government initiatives
ISTANBUL/Vercihan Ziflioğlu contributed to this report from Istanbul.
The government is working on a new plan to broaden the rights of Alevis, members of the second-largest Islamic sect in the country, but these fresh attempts have received a suspicious reaction from the community.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has asked for a study and report on the issue, Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ revealed in a televised interview over the weekend, adding that a broad range of negotiations would follow after the new steps.
Bozdağ’s remarks came days before the anniversary of the July 1-2 killings of 35 people in an arson attack in 1993 led by a mob at a hotel where many Alevi intellectuals and artists who had come to Sivas for a conference were staying. On June 23, thousands gathered in Istanbul’s Anatolian district of Kadıköy to mark the day.
Bozdağ commented on the status of cemevis, Alevi houses of worship. “Our brothers from the Alevi and Bektaşi traditions have already granted a status to cemevis,” he said, adding that the government would not take steps to change this status but only ensure its existence.
However, responding to a question on whether cemevis were a place of worship, Bozdağ said the sole common place of worship for Muslims has always been mosques, and Muslims could worship all across the earth.
The government’s official stance is still that cemevis are "cultural centers," but not places of worship.
The ruling party has taken serious steps for Alevis, including sending Alevi leaders to meet the religious needs of Turks living abroad, adding information about the sect to schoolbooks with quotes from leaders of the community, and an apology by the prime minister for a massacre in 1938 in Tunceli, where the majority of the population is Alevi.
Responding to Hürriyet Daily News questions on the issue during a phone interview yesterday, Metin Tarhan, a lawyer for the Alevi Associations’ Federation, said the community's trust in the government was poor.
“Our first demand was to accept the legal status of cemevis as places of worship, and this was rejected. Now the government’s sincerity is being questioned,” he said.
The prime minister’s recent wording when describing the bomb attack in the southern city of Reyhanlı on May 11 also disturbed the community. “Fifty-three of our Sunni citizens were killed,” Erdoğan had said.
The prime minister of a country should never discriminate between its people, not only between sects, Tarhan said.
Alevis have also expressed unease over the naming of the to-be-built third bridge over Istanbul’s Bosphorus, which has been named after Ottoman Sultan "Yavuz Sultan Selim," who was known for massive killings of Alevis.
The government's latest gestures to Alevis come months before the March 2014 local elections.
June/24/2013
ISTANBUL/Vercihan Ziflioğlu contributed to this report from Istanbul.
The government is working on a new plan to broaden the rights of Alevis, members of the second-largest Islamic sect in the country, but these fresh attempts have received a suspicious reaction from the community.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has asked for a study and report on the issue, Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ revealed in a televised interview over the weekend, adding that a broad range of negotiations would follow after the new steps.
Bozdağ’s remarks came days before the anniversary of the July 1-2 killings of 35 people in an arson attack in 1993 led by a mob at a hotel where many Alevi intellectuals and artists who had come to Sivas for a conference were staying. On June 23, thousands gathered in Istanbul’s Anatolian district of Kadıköy to mark the day.
Bozdağ commented on the status of cemevis, Alevi houses of worship. “Our brothers from the Alevi and Bektaşi traditions have already granted a status to cemevis,” he said, adding that the government would not take steps to change this status but only ensure its existence.
However, responding to a question on whether cemevis were a place of worship, Bozdağ said the sole common place of worship for Muslims has always been mosques, and Muslims could worship all across the earth.
The government’s official stance is still that cemevis are "cultural centers," but not places of worship.
The ruling party has taken serious steps for Alevis, including sending Alevi leaders to meet the religious needs of Turks living abroad, adding information about the sect to schoolbooks with quotes from leaders of the community, and an apology by the prime minister for a massacre in 1938 in Tunceli, where the majority of the population is Alevi.
Responding to Hürriyet Daily News questions on the issue during a phone interview yesterday, Metin Tarhan, a lawyer for the Alevi Associations’ Federation, said the community's trust in the government was poor.
“Our first demand was to accept the legal status of cemevis as places of worship, and this was rejected. Now the government’s sincerity is being questioned,” he said.
The prime minister’s recent wording when describing the bomb attack in the southern city of Reyhanlı on May 11 also disturbed the community. “Fifty-three of our Sunni citizens were killed,” Erdoğan had said.
The prime minister of a country should never discriminate between its people, not only between sects, Tarhan said.
Alevis have also expressed unease over the naming of the to-be-built third bridge over Istanbul’s Bosphorus, which has been named after Ottoman Sultan "Yavuz Sultan Selim," who was known for massive killings of Alevis.
The government's latest gestures to Alevis come months before the March 2014 local elections.
June/24/2013
19 Haziran 2013 Çarşamba
RIGHTS > Progressive Lawyers Association warns against unlawful detainments in Gezi Park operations
ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Istanbul Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD) secretary general Güray Dağ said there had been complete chaos regarding the detainments that were part of the Gezi Park operations.
Dağ said there was no accurate data on the number of people detained or their identities. “Some of them are being kept in police cars, while some were battered by police and then thrown into the park,” Dağ said.
Dağ also said they had issued a call to families who lost their relatives during the incidents. “Some families have contacted us. Also, we are trying to make contacts with the injured at hospitals. But they don’t file complaints since they are afraid of being identified and detained,” Dağ said.
Dağ noted previous incidents in which many people had gone missing while detained. “We hope new unsolved cases will not be experienced in the near future. The situation is ominous.”
Antiterrorism Law and confidential files
Dağ said they tried to follow the detainments as far as possible, adding that detained people could be charged under the Antiterrorism Law since there was a decision of confidentiality on the files, which could make the case more difficult. According to Dağ’s estimations, a series of operations might be launched in the near future.
Dağ also noted that lawyers who demonstrated in solidarity with the Gezi Park protesters were detained last week in Çağlayan Courthouse, adding that attorneys had also been targeted. Dağ said they had recently begun to face many controversies with the prosecutors at courthouses. “Recently, a prosecutor threatened us, claiming that we were supporting the Gezi Park demonstrations. They look at lawyers and detained people in the same way.”
June/19/2013
ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Istanbul Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD) secretary general Güray Dağ said there had been complete chaos regarding the detainments that were part of the Gezi Park operations.
Dağ said there was no accurate data on the number of people detained or their identities. “Some of them are being kept in police cars, while some were battered by police and then thrown into the park,” Dağ said.
Dağ also said they had issued a call to families who lost their relatives during the incidents. “Some families have contacted us. Also, we are trying to make contacts with the injured at hospitals. But they don’t file complaints since they are afraid of being identified and detained,” Dağ said.
Dağ noted previous incidents in which many people had gone missing while detained. “We hope new unsolved cases will not be experienced in the near future. The situation is ominous.”
Antiterrorism Law and confidential files
Dağ said they tried to follow the detainments as far as possible, adding that detained people could be charged under the Antiterrorism Law since there was a decision of confidentiality on the files, which could make the case more difficult. According to Dağ’s estimations, a series of operations might be launched in the near future.
Dağ also noted that lawyers who demonstrated in solidarity with the Gezi Park protesters were detained last week in Çağlayan Courthouse, adding that attorneys had also been targeted. Dağ said they had recently begun to face many controversies with the prosecutors at courthouses. “Recently, a prosecutor threatened us, claiming that we were supporting the Gezi Park demonstrations. They look at lawyers and detained people in the same way.”
June/19/2013
Family hopes comatose Palestinian-Turkish protester will survive
ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
After 18 days in an intensive care unit and two brain surgeries, Lobna Allami’s family strongly believe that the 34-year-old will survive her injuries sustained during the Gezi Park protests.
An unconscious Lobna Allami, who was hit in the head by a tear gas capsule during the police intervention on May 31, was one of the lasting images from the early days of the Gezi Park protests. Her sister, Fatin Allami, now says doctors have warned that Lobna, a Turkish citizen of Palestinian origin, could be left with permanent damage to her brain and risks being paralyzed for the rest of her life.
“I, with all my heart, believe that she will come through,” Fatin said. Lobna was among the sit-in protesters who gathered in Taksim Square on May 31 before being dispersed by the police crackdown. That was the day when protests against a renovation plan related to Gezi Park turned into large-scale anti-government protests across Turkey.
“She was there to use her constitutional rights, she did nothing illegal,” Fatin said of her sister. “It’s hard to understand all that.”
She added that her sister “always took a stance against injustice.” When asked whether the family would start a legal battle against the police, Fatni Allami responded: “The priority is Lobna’s health at the moment.”
June/18/2013
ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
After 18 days in an intensive care unit and two brain surgeries, Lobna Allami’s family strongly believe that the 34-year-old will survive her injuries sustained during the Gezi Park protests.
An unconscious Lobna Allami, who was hit in the head by a tear gas capsule during the police intervention on May 31, was one of the lasting images from the early days of the Gezi Park protests. Her sister, Fatin Allami, now says doctors have warned that Lobna, a Turkish citizen of Palestinian origin, could be left with permanent damage to her brain and risks being paralyzed for the rest of her life.
“I, with all my heart, believe that she will come through,” Fatin said. Lobna was among the sit-in protesters who gathered in Taksim Square on May 31 before being dispersed by the police crackdown. That was the day when protests against a renovation plan related to Gezi Park turned into large-scale anti-government protests across Turkey.
“She was there to use her constitutional rights, she did nothing illegal,” Fatin said of her sister. “It’s hard to understand all that.”
She added that her sister “always took a stance against injustice.” When asked whether the family would start a legal battle against the police, Fatni Allami responded: “The priority is Lobna’s health at the moment.”
June/18/2013
‘Alternative media’ new target of Gezi operation
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Some reporters working for Özgür Radio, Etkin news agency and daily Atılım were detained as part of operations launched against Gezi Park demonstrations.
The Progressive Journalists Association (ÇGD) announced that at least eight journalists had been detained and many more had been exposed to police violence.
“As a part of this, general editorial coordinator Sedat Şenoğlu of daily Atılım and Selvi Coşar of Özgür Radio were taken into custody after having their residences raided. It has been learned that the residences of the news editor of Etkin news agency, Derya Okatan, and ETHA editor and ANF reporter Arzu Demir were also raided,” ÇGD’s announcement read.
Özgür Radio news editor Önder Ömer confirmed the announcement. “The Interior Ministry called the detained journalists terrorists. We journalists are not terrorists, we only struggle for the people’s right to learn news,” Ömer said.
Ömer also mentioned the problem of the yellow press card, referring to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s previous statements that most of the arrested journalists did not have a yellow press card last year. “A yellow press card cannot determine who is a journalist and who is not. Also, many journalists work without insurance. How can they obtain a press card?” he said. Yellow press cards, which are the state-issued official certifications for journalists, are provided by the Prime Ministry.
Meanwhile, İMÇ TV reporter Gökhan Biçici was released yesterday after being detained on June 16. İMÇ TV news editor Hamza Aktan said his colleague had said Biçici was exposed to violence even though he had a press ID, adding that reporters aside from those in the mainstream media were always subjected to discrimination. Photographs of police officers harshly carrying Biçici were published on the media.
“In 2013, is the prime minister still the one who determines who is journalist? So, how could you follow freelance journalists and the share of citizens in such a process when the news spreads rapidly?” Aktan asked.
Ömer said there had been unlawful practices with regard to the detainments of journalists. “There is no data on the locations of the detained ones,” he said, adding that those having yellow press cards were also detained.
Also, daily Birgün’s news editor, İbrahim Varlı, said they were worried about the possibility that the pressure on alternative media employees could be more intense after the recent incidents. “They cannot tolerate the reporting of the facts and the alternative press,” Varlı said.
June/19/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Some reporters working for Özgür Radio, Etkin news agency and daily Atılım were detained as part of operations launched against Gezi Park demonstrations.
The Progressive Journalists Association (ÇGD) announced that at least eight journalists had been detained and many more had been exposed to police violence.
“As a part of this, general editorial coordinator Sedat Şenoğlu of daily Atılım and Selvi Coşar of Özgür Radio were taken into custody after having their residences raided. It has been learned that the residences of the news editor of Etkin news agency, Derya Okatan, and ETHA editor and ANF reporter Arzu Demir were also raided,” ÇGD’s announcement read.
Özgür Radio news editor Önder Ömer confirmed the announcement. “The Interior Ministry called the detained journalists terrorists. We journalists are not terrorists, we only struggle for the people’s right to learn news,” Ömer said.
Ömer also mentioned the problem of the yellow press card, referring to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s previous statements that most of the arrested journalists did not have a yellow press card last year. “A yellow press card cannot determine who is a journalist and who is not. Also, many journalists work without insurance. How can they obtain a press card?” he said. Yellow press cards, which are the state-issued official certifications for journalists, are provided by the Prime Ministry.
Meanwhile, İMÇ TV reporter Gökhan Biçici was released yesterday after being detained on June 16. İMÇ TV news editor Hamza Aktan said his colleague had said Biçici was exposed to violence even though he had a press ID, adding that reporters aside from those in the mainstream media were always subjected to discrimination. Photographs of police officers harshly carrying Biçici were published on the media.
“In 2013, is the prime minister still the one who determines who is journalist? So, how could you follow freelance journalists and the share of citizens in such a process when the news spreads rapidly?” Aktan asked.
Ömer said there had been unlawful practices with regard to the detainments of journalists. “There is no data on the locations of the detained ones,” he said, adding that those having yellow press cards were also detained.
Also, daily Birgün’s news editor, İbrahim Varlı, said they were worried about the possibility that the pressure on alternative media employees could be more intense after the recent incidents. “They cannot tolerate the reporting of the facts and the alternative press,” Varlı said.
June/19/2013
14 Haziran 2013 Cuma
Uludere lawyer criticizes non-jurisdiction decision
ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
The attorney advocating for the victims of the Uludere incident objected to the Diyarbakır prosecutor’s non-jurisdiction decision on the case. In the southeastern province of Şırnak’s Uludere district, some 34 civilian Kurdish villagers were killed in an air strike on Dec. 28, 2011, when they were allegedly mistaken for outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) members as they smuggled oil from northern Iraq into Turkey.
On June 11, a Diyarbakır court issued a decision of non-jurisdiction on the case, transferring it to a military court. The decision stirred many doubts since its report consists of four pages and three of them only include the names of the people killed and their relatives.
The attorney in the case, Şırnak Bar president Nuşirevan Elçi, told the Hürriyet Daily News that the decision was deliberately announced at a time when Gezi Park demonstrations were the top topic on the agenda.
“This scandal remained in the background, and the press did not pay much attention to it due to the Gezi Park incidents,” Elçi said. No one charged in the Uludere incident has been detained yet despite the deaths of 34, Elçi said. “The investigation is continuing without a hint of seriousness. If a reliable investigation had been made, both the Diyarbakır air tactics commander and the chief of General Staff would have been dismissed from their seats. Let alone these chiefs, not even one of the non-commissioned officers involved in the incident has been detained yet.”
“The authorities’ opinions were not asked and no effort has been made so far been to uncover the facts behind the incident,” Elçi added. Elçi said they were about to carry the case to the European Court of Human Rights, adding that there had been a decision of confidentiality on the case since the very beginning of the proceedings.
“Our trust in justice was harmed. Even if those charged appeal, they will be judged by the consciences of 76 million people,” Elçi said.
June/14/2013
ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
The attorney advocating for the victims of the Uludere incident objected to the Diyarbakır prosecutor’s non-jurisdiction decision on the case. In the southeastern province of Şırnak’s Uludere district, some 34 civilian Kurdish villagers were killed in an air strike on Dec. 28, 2011, when they were allegedly mistaken for outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) members as they smuggled oil from northern Iraq into Turkey.
On June 11, a Diyarbakır court issued a decision of non-jurisdiction on the case, transferring it to a military court. The decision stirred many doubts since its report consists of four pages and three of them only include the names of the people killed and their relatives.
The attorney in the case, Şırnak Bar president Nuşirevan Elçi, told the Hürriyet Daily News that the decision was deliberately announced at a time when Gezi Park demonstrations were the top topic on the agenda.
“This scandal remained in the background, and the press did not pay much attention to it due to the Gezi Park incidents,” Elçi said. No one charged in the Uludere incident has been detained yet despite the deaths of 34, Elçi said. “The investigation is continuing without a hint of seriousness. If a reliable investigation had been made, both the Diyarbakır air tactics commander and the chief of General Staff would have been dismissed from their seats. Let alone these chiefs, not even one of the non-commissioned officers involved in the incident has been detained yet.”
“The authorities’ opinions were not asked and no effort has been made so far been to uncover the facts behind the incident,” Elçi added. Elçi said they were about to carry the case to the European Court of Human Rights, adding that there had been a decision of confidentiality on the case since the very beginning of the proceedings.
“Our trust in justice was harmed. Even if those charged appeal, they will be judged by the consciences of 76 million people,” Elçi said.
June/14/2013
11 Haziran 2013 Salı
Sub Categories: » HOMEPAGE / TURKEY/ RIGHTS
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Kurdish books are still risky business, despite the peace process, according to Turkey’s publishers.
Last week, the Turkish Publishers Association (TYB) gave its annual Freedom prize to writer Ahmet Altan, bookstore owner Nuran Sivri and publisher Gökhan Bulut of Aram publishing house, which prints books in Kurdish or focusing on the Kurdish community and history.
“Every year I say ‘we wish that we won’t have to give this prize next year,’ but this year I won’t repeat it, because it is getting darker every year,” TYB chair Metin Celal said about the award which singles out examples of freedom of expression. “There are incredible amount of laws, codes and articles preventing people’s freedom of expression. No matter how much you change them, there is another article forcing bans. Barricades in front of the freedom of expression are becoming more widespread and becoming more natural.”
Celal added that even as they gave out the awards, “Gezi Park resisters faced force and violence,” referring to the nationwide rallies which spread across the country following a protest regarding an Istanbul park renovation. The Gezi Park clashes came amid the resolution process, as the Turkish State sought out a solution to the decades-old conflict relating to the Kurdish issue. However, even though the state was carrying out a dialogue process involving the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leaders, the Aram publishing house was still facing lawsuits despite the peace process, Celal said.
“We have paid heavy prices,” Bulut told the Hürriyet Daily News. “Everyone defending the freedom of expression faced pressure, but as the Aram publishing house, we had bigger problems since we focused on Kurdish books.”
Two of the Aram-published books that were subjected to lawsuits were Noam Chomsky’s “Interventions” and Thomas Benedikter’s “The World’s Regional Autonomies.” Bulut said that many of their books were banned apart from lawsuits.
“Even today, defending the Kurdish identity and publishing in the Kurdish language, trying to improve Kurdish literature could cause heavy consequences,” he said.
Other winners of the awards were Ahmet Altan, who has faced many lawsuits for his columns, and Nuran Sivri, owner of the Bebek Türkü Bookstore, which has been operating on the same corner for 41 years.
Lawyer Fikret İlkiz was given the honorary award, which was delivered for the first time this year.
June/11/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Kurdish books are still risky business, despite the peace process, according to Turkey’s publishers.
Last week, the Turkish Publishers Association (TYB) gave its annual Freedom prize to writer Ahmet Altan, bookstore owner Nuran Sivri and publisher Gökhan Bulut of Aram publishing house, which prints books in Kurdish or focusing on the Kurdish community and history.
“Every year I say ‘we wish that we won’t have to give this prize next year,’ but this year I won’t repeat it, because it is getting darker every year,” TYB chair Metin Celal said about the award which singles out examples of freedom of expression. “There are incredible amount of laws, codes and articles preventing people’s freedom of expression. No matter how much you change them, there is another article forcing bans. Barricades in front of the freedom of expression are becoming more widespread and becoming more natural.”
Celal added that even as they gave out the awards, “Gezi Park resisters faced force and violence,” referring to the nationwide rallies which spread across the country following a protest regarding an Istanbul park renovation. The Gezi Park clashes came amid the resolution process, as the Turkish State sought out a solution to the decades-old conflict relating to the Kurdish issue. However, even though the state was carrying out a dialogue process involving the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leaders, the Aram publishing house was still facing lawsuits despite the peace process, Celal said.
“We have paid heavy prices,” Bulut told the Hürriyet Daily News. “Everyone defending the freedom of expression faced pressure, but as the Aram publishing house, we had bigger problems since we focused on Kurdish books.”
Two of the Aram-published books that were subjected to lawsuits were Noam Chomsky’s “Interventions” and Thomas Benedikter’s “The World’s Regional Autonomies.” Bulut said that many of their books were banned apart from lawsuits.
“Even today, defending the Kurdish identity and publishing in the Kurdish language, trying to improve Kurdish literature could cause heavy consequences,” he said.
Other winners of the awards were Ahmet Altan, who has faced many lawsuits for his columns, and Nuran Sivri, owner of the Bebek Türkü Bookstore, which has been operating on the same corner for 41 years.
Lawyer Fikret İlkiz was given the honorary award, which was delivered for the first time this year.
June/11/2013
10 Haziran 2013 Pazartesi
Gökçeada sounds out with its silence in a new movie
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
The silent history of Gökçeada Island in the northwestern part of Turkey is now set to a voice on the silver screen thanks to a film directed by Selim Evci.
The film, “Rüzgarlar” (Winds), which will be released on June 21 with English subtitles, features the story of Gökçeada Greeks, who had to leave the island because of the population exchange (Mübadele) of the 1920s.
The main character of the film is the island itself; the other characters are Murat, who records the sounds on the island, and Madame Styliani.
Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News, Evci explained the reason why he had decided to shoot the film, saying: “When I went to Gökçeada many years ago for a photo shoot, I saw abandoned houses as well the furniture and chests still kept in the houses which didn’t even have a roof. These objects showed that people had left their houses in a hurry. ‘What made these people leave their house like this?’ I thought.”
Evci, trying to find an answer to this question, decided to make the film. It is a historical tragedy that peoples were forced to suffer great traumas because of international policies, he said.
“In accordance with the Lausanne Treaty signed in 1923, Muslim people living in Western Thrace and Greeks living in Istanbul were excluded from the population exchange. Gökçeada (Imbros) and Bozcaada (Tenedos) were give special status. But because of policies implemented as a result of the Cyprus incidents in 1964, Greeks on the island were forced to emigrate,” he said. The film was shot on the island’s Tepeköy (Agridya), Zeytinliköy (Hagia Todori) and Kaleköy (Castro) villages and Istanbul over a period of five weeks.
Sounds of the island
As for the film’s main character, the island itself, Evci said: “We highlight in the film the sounds of the island through a person who listens to and records these sounds. For me, the sounds and wind filling up the empty house in the abandoned Greek villages were the sound of those who once lived there. In spite of its tragic plot and the loneliness of the main character, the film was made to become a hope and to give strength to those who are fighting for their identity.” He said those who had left the island were a loss. “We need to take a lesson from it. Some 8,500 Greeks were living on the island in 1923; now the number is 230.”Evci also said, however, that he had difficulties in finding a movie theater to show the film.
June/10/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
The silent history of Gökçeada Island in the northwestern part of Turkey is now set to a voice on the silver screen thanks to a film directed by Selim Evci.
The film, “Rüzgarlar” (Winds), which will be released on June 21 with English subtitles, features the story of Gökçeada Greeks, who had to leave the island because of the population exchange (Mübadele) of the 1920s.
The main character of the film is the island itself; the other characters are Murat, who records the sounds on the island, and Madame Styliani.
Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News, Evci explained the reason why he had decided to shoot the film, saying: “When I went to Gökçeada many years ago for a photo shoot, I saw abandoned houses as well the furniture and chests still kept in the houses which didn’t even have a roof. These objects showed that people had left their houses in a hurry. ‘What made these people leave their house like this?’ I thought.”
Evci, trying to find an answer to this question, decided to make the film. It is a historical tragedy that peoples were forced to suffer great traumas because of international policies, he said.
“In accordance with the Lausanne Treaty signed in 1923, Muslim people living in Western Thrace and Greeks living in Istanbul were excluded from the population exchange. Gökçeada (Imbros) and Bozcaada (Tenedos) were give special status. But because of policies implemented as a result of the Cyprus incidents in 1964, Greeks on the island were forced to emigrate,” he said. The film was shot on the island’s Tepeköy (Agridya), Zeytinliköy (Hagia Todori) and Kaleköy (Castro) villages and Istanbul over a period of five weeks.
Sounds of the island
As for the film’s main character, the island itself, Evci said: “We highlight in the film the sounds of the island through a person who listens to and records these sounds. For me, the sounds and wind filling up the empty house in the abandoned Greek villages were the sound of those who once lived there. In spite of its tragic plot and the loneliness of the main character, the film was made to become a hope and to give strength to those who are fighting for their identity.” He said those who had left the island were a loss. “We need to take a lesson from it. Some 8,500 Greeks were living on the island in 1923; now the number is 230.”Evci also said, however, that he had difficulties in finding a movie theater to show the film.
June/10/2013
Landmark Greek Orthodox church in Taksim seeks respect, new façade
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Sometimes, only a careful pair of eyes can pick out Hagia Triada, a landmark Greek Orthodox church on Istanbul’s Taksim Square, which is enveloped by restaurants, cafes and shops, some of which are reportedly illegal. Its courtyard, once a peaceful spot at the starts of the country’s busiest street, is now filled with the noise of power generators and occasionally the smells of food.
The structures around the 133-year-old church, however, might now be removed, if Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gets his way as part of a controversial redevelopment plan for Taksim Square that has sparked fury in Istanbul and beyond. While somewhat welcome, the June 2 announcement caught the church off-guard.
Yorgo Papalyaris, head of the church’s foundation, told the Hürriyet Daily News in a recent interview that it was important to clear up the areas around the church.
‘End occupation of shops’
“We support the efforts to put an end to the occupation of the shops around it,” he said, referring to some reportedly illegal buildings and additional floors there.
“However, a line of shops has always been there, they could be saved as they generate revenues for the foundation,” he said. These shops are owned by the Balıklı Greek Foundation, which runs a hospital.
The illegal construction work is not limited to areas above ground, according to Papalyaris, who showed the Daily News some tunnels that have been dug toward the church’s courtyard from underground in a bid to gain space.
“We had been continuing a legal struggle for 15 years. However, despite a court order in 2000, illegal buildings were not demolished. The tunnels of some shops are almost touching the foundations of the church,” he said.
The sound from outside sometimes even disturbs services, he said.
Hagia Triada was one of the first domed Christian churches to be built during the Tanzimat era, a period in the 19th century in which minority rights under Ottoman rule were relatively loosened.
Papalyaris said he also found Erdoğan’s remarks surprising, as they came during a time of great tumult in Taksim. Demonstrations to prevent the destruction of trees in nearby Taksim Gezi Park have sparked 10 days of protests that have erupted nationwide.
Papalyaris said church officials had not yet been contacted about the plans announced by the prime minister.
Some prominent brands around the church building told the Daily News that they did not have extra floors but that they were aware of the problems.
“We know that some döner kebab shops have lodges and they have enlarged these floors toward the church,” said executives of Pehlivan Restaurant, which is frequented by Arab and Iranian tourists.
Papalyaris said research was needed to see the real damage. “What happens here is hurting us,” he said. “Some 500 to 600 people visit here every day.”
June/08/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Sometimes, only a careful pair of eyes can pick out Hagia Triada, a landmark Greek Orthodox church on Istanbul’s Taksim Square, which is enveloped by restaurants, cafes and shops, some of which are reportedly illegal. Its courtyard, once a peaceful spot at the starts of the country’s busiest street, is now filled with the noise of power generators and occasionally the smells of food.
The structures around the 133-year-old church, however, might now be removed, if Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gets his way as part of a controversial redevelopment plan for Taksim Square that has sparked fury in Istanbul and beyond. While somewhat welcome, the June 2 announcement caught the church off-guard.
Yorgo Papalyaris, head of the church’s foundation, told the Hürriyet Daily News in a recent interview that it was important to clear up the areas around the church.
‘End occupation of shops’
“We support the efforts to put an end to the occupation of the shops around it,” he said, referring to some reportedly illegal buildings and additional floors there.
“However, a line of shops has always been there, they could be saved as they generate revenues for the foundation,” he said. These shops are owned by the Balıklı Greek Foundation, which runs a hospital.
The illegal construction work is not limited to areas above ground, according to Papalyaris, who showed the Daily News some tunnels that have been dug toward the church’s courtyard from underground in a bid to gain space.
“We had been continuing a legal struggle for 15 years. However, despite a court order in 2000, illegal buildings were not demolished. The tunnels of some shops are almost touching the foundations of the church,” he said.
The sound from outside sometimes even disturbs services, he said.
Hagia Triada was one of the first domed Christian churches to be built during the Tanzimat era, a period in the 19th century in which minority rights under Ottoman rule were relatively loosened.
Papalyaris said he also found Erdoğan’s remarks surprising, as they came during a time of great tumult in Taksim. Demonstrations to prevent the destruction of trees in nearby Taksim Gezi Park have sparked 10 days of protests that have erupted nationwide.
Papalyaris said church officials had not yet been contacted about the plans announced by the prime minister.
Some prominent brands around the church building told the Daily News that they did not have extra floors but that they were aware of the problems.
“We know that some döner kebab shops have lodges and they have enlarged these floors toward the church,” said executives of Pehlivan Restaurant, which is frequented by Arab and Iranian tourists.
Papalyaris said research was needed to see the real damage. “What happens here is hurting us,” he said. “Some 500 to 600 people visit here every day.”
June/08/2013
7 Haziran 2013 Cuma
Women, youngsters absent in negotiation
ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
A group that carried the demands of the Taksim Gezi Park protesters, who have been involved in the ten day-long street action, to the government has been criticized by demonstrators for not including any women or young activists.
The five-person Taksim Platform Mission, which consisted only of representatives from some non-governmental organizations, held a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç on June 5.
“Women’s existence have always been disregarded,” 21-year-old Duygu, told the Hürriyet Daily News during a visit to Gezi Park, the heart of the protests.
Asked about why the group was not consisting of youngsters including women, Altındaş said: “Because they think that we are ignorant, they disregard our resistance. But there is one thing they forget that it was the youngsters who launched this resistance.
Another 27-year-old woman, Ayşe, thought the situation was unfortunate. “I wish they had also talked about the problems of the women,” she said.
A young lady, 14-year-old Alara agreed. “Why can women not be a part of this?” she asked, while distributing some free food for the crowd in the park.
Members of the platform conveyed their demands to Arınç, saying that Gezi Park should remain as a park with no construction permitted on its grounds; the Atatürk Culture Center should not be demolished; law enforcement officers who have escalated the violence should be investigated and removed from office; the use of pepper gas should be banned.
June/07/2013
ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
A group that carried the demands of the Taksim Gezi Park protesters, who have been involved in the ten day-long street action, to the government has been criticized by demonstrators for not including any women or young activists.
The five-person Taksim Platform Mission, which consisted only of representatives from some non-governmental organizations, held a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç on June 5.
“Women’s existence have always been disregarded,” 21-year-old Duygu, told the Hürriyet Daily News during a visit to Gezi Park, the heart of the protests.
Asked about why the group was not consisting of youngsters including women, Altındaş said: “Because they think that we are ignorant, they disregard our resistance. But there is one thing they forget that it was the youngsters who launched this resistance.
Another 27-year-old woman, Ayşe, thought the situation was unfortunate. “I wish they had also talked about the problems of the women,” she said.
A young lady, 14-year-old Alara agreed. “Why can women not be a part of this?” she asked, while distributing some free food for the crowd in the park.
Members of the platform conveyed their demands to Arınç, saying that Gezi Park should remain as a park with no construction permitted on its grounds; the Atatürk Culture Center should not be demolished; law enforcement officers who have escalated the violence should be investigated and removed from office; the use of pepper gas should be banned.
June/07/2013
3 Haziran 2013 Pazartesi
Alevis stage protest against bridge name
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu
vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Alevis from all around Turkey staged a protest yesterday against the name of the third bridge, “Yavuz Sultan Suleiman,” condemning the decision to name the bridge after an Ottoman sultan historically known for slaughtering Alevis.
Around 300 demonstrators who came to Istanbul with buses from different Turkish cities gathered at Garipçe villages in Istanbul where the new bridge construction has been kicked off last week.
The sultan, known as Selim the Grim in English, is the ninth Ottoman sultan and the first Ottoman caliph. Yavuz was famous for his conquests in the Eastern world in Turkish history but Alevis know him also as one of the groundbreakers in the contemporary Turkey Sunni Muslim nation, claiming he had slaughtered Alevis during his rule.
The protestors all agreed that the name of the bridge should have been something that represents unification and peace but this name points to the diversifying policies of the governments.
“As an Alevi, I’m so angry and hurt,” Hülya Balcı told the Hürriyet Daily News during the protests. “Couldn’t they find any other name to put? There are many figures in history whose name stand for peace and love.”
There must be a bad intention underlying this decision, she said, adding this was a clear sign that the slaughter of Alevis was regarded as unimportant.
She said this was not the first time the Alevi community’s rights had been neglected, but after now they would fight for their rights with all the means at their disposal. Another protestor also noted that the demonstrations in Garipçe were an extension of the ones in Taksim.
June/03/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu
vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Alevis from all around Turkey staged a protest yesterday against the name of the third bridge, “Yavuz Sultan Suleiman,” condemning the decision to name the bridge after an Ottoman sultan historically known for slaughtering Alevis.
Around 300 demonstrators who came to Istanbul with buses from different Turkish cities gathered at Garipçe villages in Istanbul where the new bridge construction has been kicked off last week.
The sultan, known as Selim the Grim in English, is the ninth Ottoman sultan and the first Ottoman caliph. Yavuz was famous for his conquests in the Eastern world in Turkish history but Alevis know him also as one of the groundbreakers in the contemporary Turkey Sunni Muslim nation, claiming he had slaughtered Alevis during his rule.
The protestors all agreed that the name of the bridge should have been something that represents unification and peace but this name points to the diversifying policies of the governments.
“As an Alevi, I’m so angry and hurt,” Hülya Balcı told the Hürriyet Daily News during the protests. “Couldn’t they find any other name to put? There are many figures in history whose name stand for peace and love.”
There must be a bad intention underlying this decision, she said, adding this was a clear sign that the slaughter of Alevis was regarded as unimportant.
She said this was not the first time the Alevi community’s rights had been neglected, but after now they would fight for their rights with all the means at their disposal. Another protestor also noted that the demonstrations in Garipçe were an extension of the ones in Taksim.
June/03/2013
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