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[Tim Drayton]

An interesting little development in the wake of the Gezi Park protests. My translation of a brief article in today’s Radikal newspaper:

The people of Acıbadem won; the trees will be replanted

Trees were uprooted yesterday in the park next to the Akasya Residences in Acıbadem. Today, local people blocked workers who were attempting to re-enter the park and uproot trees. After people started a campaign on social media, the tree uprooting was halted. Locals took the matter of the trees to Üsküdar Municipality and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

Teams from both municipalities went to the park. However, officials said that the work had nothing to do with them. Speaking to Radikal, a local said, ‘Workers yesterday uprooted 25-26 trees. They came to conduct uprooting today. But we didn’t let them. The workers told us that a mosque was to be built here. These were not the municipality’s workers, but those of one of the subcontractors of SAF Real Estate, which is constructing Akasya Residences. We spoke to the company and they said that they would replant the trees.’

According to information provided by SAF Real Estate representatives, the plot is one that was given by them to the municipality. Landscaping work is being carried out on it by them. Saplings are from time to time planted in this park area. Then the young trees are uprooted and used on new developments. Yesterday’s tree uprooting was work of this kind. The representatives said that the information that a mosque was to be constructed was incorrect and that the uprooted trees would, in response to reaction engendered, be replanted.

http://www.radikal.com.tr/turkiye/aciba ... ek-1149075

[Tim Drayton]

Union of Turkish Bar Associations Chair, Metin Feyzioğlu, created a stir with a highly critical speech that he made at a ceremony to mark the opening of the judicial year, attended by President Abdullah Gül, Parliamentary Speaker Cemil Çiçek, Prime-Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, CHP Leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and Minister of Justice Sadullah Ergin.

Here are some excerpts from the speech as reported in the Cumhuriyet newspaper [my translation]:

“When we look at world and Turkish history, the expression ‘national will' has been favoured to a large extent by political regimes that have come to power through elections but have adopted majoritarianism instead of pluralism and have gradually started to display authoritarian tendencies.”

“The expression ‘national will’ must absolutely be interpreted differently from its content in periods when the majority oppresses the minority, the political regime has taken over every institution and has set out to regulate every sphere of life, and interferes in people’s life styles.”

“What is meant by these restrictions [on the oppression of the minority by the majority], contrary to what is alleged by certain parties, is absolutely not the oppression of the minority by the majority; what is meant is a culture of democratic compromise, participatory democracy, the preventing of a temporary majority from imposing absolute hegemony over a temporary minority, no attempt being made to dictate to people how they will live, which school they will go to, what beliefs they will have, where they will worship and which moral code they will adopt.”

“In democracies, the ballot box is undoubtedly indispensable. But democracy is not a regime that is limited to the casting of votes from election to election. It is a lifestyle. In a democratic law-based state, the political regime knows that, irrespective of its parliamentary majority, it is bound by the rule of law. Those who implement the rules of law always look through a libertarian window. For, in a democratic law-based state, liberty is the rule and the restricting of liberty the exception.”

“What is sacred in the modern notion of the state is not the state, but the people the state is obliged to serve. Those who would consecrate the state actually wish to consecrate themselves and declare themselves to be inviolable. Those who think in this manner do not perceive of the services that they render to the people as being a duty, but a favour. Those who would have us believe that they are doing a favour in serving the people become angry at individuals expressing opposing thoughts and groups staging protests and marches, and accuse the people of ingratitude.”

“Political regimes are most certainly not obliged to take pleasure from mass organisations’ criticism, but, in pluralistic democracies, political regimes are obliged to take on board such criticism and greet it with tolerance. In pluralistic democracies, political regimes do not target political ideas that do not please them; do not attempt to destroy democratic mass organisations based on their parliamentary majorities; they accept them as being an integral part of democracy and live alongside them. They thus do not saw off the branch of democracy onto which they have climbed.”

“Essentially pluralistic democracy is the only model of true democracy. Even if majoritarian regimes declare themselves to be democratic, there is no liberty in such orders; just favours by the political regime.”

http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/?hn=438864&kn=7&ka=4&kb=7

[Tim Drayton]

Apparently, with 33 minutes yet to pass as of Turkish Union of Bar Associations Chair Metin Feyzioğlu’s speech in support of pluralism (see above), he was told by Minister of Justice Sadullah Ergin: “I will cut back your powers and I will also change the election method, because you made a speech that got on my nerves,” to which Feyzioğlu replied: “I am most grateful to the Esteemed Minister for supplying us with this proof in such a short space of time.”

http://www.radikal.com.tr/turkiye/feyzi ... in-1149066

[repulsewarrior]

interesting, thanks Tim.

[Tim Drayton]

In the town of Didim, the items on display in an exhibition of cartoons devoted to the Gezi Protests were confiscated by the police at the order of the public prosecutor’s office.

The organiser of the exhibition, Mehmet Gölebatmaz, was summoned to the police station to make a statement in answer to the charge of “defamation of those in high state office”.

http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/?hn=439000 ... ka=4&kb=12

[Tim Drayton]

interesting, thanks Tim.

No problem. Gezi has set a ball rolling in Turkish politics. Watch this space.

[Tim Drayton]

Five people are now under investigation in connection with the holding of an exhibition of cartoons devoted to the Gezi protests in the town of Didim: the organiser, cartoonist Mehmet Gölebatmaz, along with three members of the Didim Gezi Platform and an official from the company that hired the billboards.

http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/?hn=439146&kn=7&ka=4&kb=7

[B25]

Five people are now under investigation in connection with the holding of an exhibition of cartoons devoted to the Gezi protests in the town of Didim: the organiser, cartoonist Mehmet Gölebatmaz, along with three members of the Didim Gezi Platform and an official from the company that hired the billboards.

http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/?hn=439146&kn=7&ka=4&kb=7

You couldn't make this stuff up. Seriously Tim, are you sure you are not pulling these from a comic book or something???

Maybe they should imprison everyone and let out the ones who conform??? And they claim to be a beacon of democracy to the other Arab countries, Bloody hell!

[repulsewarrior]

...here is a good example why State and Nation must be defined (separately and,) more clearly.

as Individuals we have the expectation of Individual Rights based on Universal Principals where we can defend ourselves without Discrimination or distinction.

as Persons in this regard we can respect diversity, and appreciate the benefits it offers to all Mankind.

...if there is a Rule of Law, (and i believe there is; witness this event), although a very crude manner, Turkishness will be defined by the will of the People. i have little doubt that they are any different to People and people all over the world. allowing "Turks" to control the agenda of the State, after (let's say) fifty years it has proved a failure; Turks like Cypriots are realising this.

[Cap]

Five people are now under investigation in connection with the holding of an exhibition of cartoons devoted to the Gezi protests in the town of Didim: the organiser, cartoonist Mehmet Gölebatmaz, along with three members of the Didim Gezi Platform and an official from the company that hired the billboards.

http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/?hn=439146&kn=7&ka=4&kb=7

Can you spell Banana?