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Depuis le début des contestations, le Premier ministre Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accuse régulièrement les banques internationales d'être à l'origine des frondes anti-gouvernementales qui secouent le pays. Plus que le bilan matériel, ce sont les discours du Premier ministre qui risquent de mettre à mal l'économie de son pays, laquelle repose en grande partie sur l'apport des investissements étrangers.

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Istikklâl Caddesi - 23th June 00am to 3:30am  Photos by Diane Jean

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Taksim square - 22th June from 7pm to 10pm  Photos by Diane Jean 

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Great report from BBC news about the new wave of peaceful protests in Turkey

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Infographic made with visual.ly the 18th of June 2013.

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TURKEY : ON THE VERGE TO RESTRAIN SOCIAL MEDIA USE

This Monday, the Turkish government launched a study to limit the use of social platforms with the aim of drafting a new bill, maybe two. The crucial role of social media to help organizing the protests which spread like wildfire in the country since two weeks has kept being underlined by international media.

Twitter : “the worst threat for Turkish society”

Muammer Güler, the Interior Minister confirmed that social networks are in the light of Turkish authorities' vision. According to the Hürriyet Daily News, the Ministry of Justice has begun a list of what could become “the crimes over Internet”. A state department specialised in cyber crimes starts analysing some five millions tweets (the publications send on the platform Twitter) which recall Taksim events.

Ankara especially aims at Twitter. The Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan condemned the micro-blogging site last June 2nd by saying that the website is “the worst threat for Turksih society” and “a troublemaker”. The Minister Muammer Güler precise that some people are still detained in Izmir for having published presumed provocative tweets. The crucial role of social media to help organizing the protests which spread like wildfire in the country since two weeks has kept being underlined by international media. France 24 added that the proliferation of social networks websites could complicate this new mission of the government. Today, President Abdullah Gül has stressed that any planned regulation on social media should conform with European Union jurisdiction.

Three main roles of social media in Occupy Gezi movement : organizing, identifying and criticising

There is no data (yet) which describes the profile of social media users of the past two weeks. However, we know that the most frequent users of Twitter, Facebook but also Tumblr, Storify and Youtube are the opponents to the Prime Minister Erdogan. Social media do help the mobilisation as a tool to organize the protests. The demonstrators have started to use a few bunch of the same hashtags such as #occupygezi or the Turkish version #direngezi or #dayangezi. These have constitued the main key words that Turks now follow to be updated on the last news in the country. Last Saturday, Facebook status created a huge mobilisation of Istanbul citizens to thwart the taking out of Gezi park by the police. A waterfall of tweets, photos, videos that it is hard sometimes to separate fact and fiction, have unfolded on the walls of these social platforms since the 31st of May. Some photos of the crowded Bosphorus bridge in 1st June were in fact pictures of the Istanbul marathon of last year. The pieces of information are mostly in Turkish but some protesters write their updates in English to inform non-Turkish-speaking people and hopefully international media.

Social media also helps the Occupy Gezi movement to build its own identity in facilitating the flow of symbols. The CNN picture of the woman in red has become both an égérie for protesters and a representation of the police's disproportionate violence. Some catchphrases often used by demonstrators during the clashes like “Tayyip Istifa” (literally, Resign Tayyip!) have become the common language on social media. Not to mention the sense of humour of protesters. When the Prime Minister qualified them as çapulcu (the English version is from now on “chapulling”), which means “robbers”, they twist the wording into jokes and videos. Now, any demonstrators is proud to be called a çapulcu, which has its own Wikipedia page now. Pictures of artistic performances playing in Gezi park retrace the peaceful, artistic but also acephalous nature of the movement. The German pianist Davide Martello who played four successive nights on Taksim square represent the international mobilisation that the movement created. Finally, last night, the choreographer Erdem Gündüz now know as the #duranadam (the standing man) has made the top of Twitter trends and has been congratulated by many Turkish people for its Ghandi's way to protest.

Last but not least, many articles were written on the role of social media and whether or not social media are an integral part of the mobilisation in Turkey. Are social media just a tool or those essential networks without which the Turkish spark wouldn't gleam ? Social media have been an alternative way to transfer information since the media coverage of the events was very low. News posted on social networks are shared instantaneously but people still go outside to demonstrate. Clashes have happened on the streets and not in a Facebook wall. Thus, social networks would be just a tool of the Occupy Gezi movement and nothing more. But this view implies to separate the web from the “reality”. This hypothesis might be too simplistic. The Internet is an essential element of our lives that reflects our choices, our actions, our thoughts and our banking data also. Particularly in Turkey where 35% of the people use social media. Sometimes compared (wrongly) with the Arab Spring, it is the country which has used the most social platforms in its own “spring”. The Internet itself is a network, more precisely millions of networks interconnected through which we communicate. Some of our actions on the web began to be ruled, and the Turkish government is about to do so. Facebook and Twitter are space where the opponents to Erdogan can criticise his authoritarianism, denounce the low Turkish media coverage or ask for more freedom of expression. In fact, the French national radio France Info concluded that social media are the place where Turkish people do the learning of democracy. Maybe we can say that social networks are more an extension of our space more than a separate dimension. As such we can not deny that they are an integral part of this movement.

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TURKISH POLICE BASKING IN THE SUN AT TAKSIM

Troubling picture : the bunch of people who sit in the Gezi Park this morning are not colourful any more they are all blue. After two weeks, it is the turn of the police to get into the habit of occupying the Gezi Park and Taksim square.

Gezi Park and Taksim Square are almost clean.

Going out from the Taksim metro station is easy now. Stairs are not significantly crowded any more. The protesters banners and the burnt to ashes machines were removed, the torn tents were thrown in the bin, and the painted ground and walls were scrubbed. Bulldozers did go over with a fine-tooth comb. If you didn't read the newspapers these last days, it is hard to guess that they were violent clashes 48 hours ago. The few people here go for a walk in a blithe way. One tourist woman is taking a picture of the Republic Monument and cars cross over the square afresh. Taksim Square has got back to its previous calm atmosphere, or at least it looks like it.

Police has kept an eye on Gezi since

When you stare at the Gezi park, you will see that the place is still occupied but not by the same people. Police has replaced demonstrators. Unlike the previous occupants, police officials are very discreet not to indicate their presence. In every possible way in to Gezi park, there are blue-uniform-dressed men sitting. Instead of protesters' barricades, they also block the entrances with buses and TOMA, the vehicles which carry the water canons. The park is guarded like a strategic fortress and police is scanning the site as it is waiting for the arrival of hypothetical invader. No more trace of the Gezi occupation by demonstrators left. One can say that the Gezi park was efficiently scoured. One bulldozer is beating the earth. Where protesters spent their time to draw, sing, dance and talk, police enjoys the sun and take coffees at Starbucks or at the Divan hotel, one of the hotel they went in to bomb with tear-gas salvo the people inside last Saturday night.

The Prime Minister may have won the second battle

For one week, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has tried to make the protesters vacate the whole Taksim district, from where demonstrations spread like wildfire in the country. On Saturday afternoon, he warned: “If it is not evacuated, this country's security forces know how to evacuate there.” 24 hours after, the Gezi park was cleaned out and one can say that the Prime Minister stuck to his word. Since Sunday, trade unions and groups of protesters have tried some sporadic attempts to take back the square without success. A new way of protesting came out yesterday night. Erdem Günüz’s single act of defiance turned into a group of people’s silent struggle for the right to protest in Taksim Square. The Twitter hashtag #duranadam (“standing man”) quickly became the world’s top Twitter trending topic. However, after almost six hours of standing silently in the site, the performance artist and the group that gathered were detained by police, according to daily Hürriyet The past few days have now a taste of bitter defeat for resolute protesters.

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THE NEW TENANTS OF GEZI PARK DRIVEN OUT BY FORCE

The inveterate Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has kept insisting the protests that have affected the country for two weeks now, end this week end. Retiring ultimatum to last Saturday, M. Erdogan ordered police officials to drive out the new tenants of Gezi Park.

Friday, June 14th : Negotiations processing

Talks go on. In the night between Thursday and Friday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has a discussion again with 16 leading figures of the artistic world and one member of the Taksim Solidarity platform, which coordinates the main associations present in Gezi Park. During his speech given in Ankara on Friday, the Prime Minister promises to adjourn the urbanization project of Gezi until the final judicial sentence. He exhorts then the hundreds of occupants to leave the park hoping that « all will be finished tonight ». In the afternoon, the video of the European deputy Paul Murphy condemning the violent and successive reactions of M. Erdogan circulates on the social networks. BBC decides to suspend its cooperation with the national channel NTV, known for its partial coverage of the events. The protesters consult each other to decide the procedure to follow : accepting or refusing the government's conciliation gestures. They keep alert. « He is going to cheat again. We do not trust him anymore. » says one of them. The demonstrators have cohabited with the police for three days now. The atmosphere of the square feels like a fragile cooling off. But the strain remains palpable. Davide Martello, a 31-year-old German pianist has set up near the Republic Monument. « I am playing for the protesters and the police. » For the fourth night, the musician will soothe the city on the sounds of Beatles songs or opera tunes until the early morning.

Saturday, June 15th : Violence comes back

The « Taksim solidarity » platform announces she will not give in to Erdogan's demands, following the last talks held near the Dolmabahçe Palace last night. At Ankara, thousands of people join the planned meeting of the Prime Minister. M. Erdogan hardened its rhetoric again : « I am saying it clearly if Taksim is not evacuated, police force will make it so. » After ascribing once again the protesters as « robbers » and « extremists », he salutes his partisans who show « the real image of Turkey ». After that, the KESK, the confederation of civil servants trade unions, calls for a general strike on next Monday. At 8:50 pm, the police evacuated the crowd of the park in a few minutes with tear gas and plastic bullets salvos. The authorities snatch the placards, tear up the tents. The access to the park is even refused to journalists. Egemen Bagiç, Turkish minister of European affairs, claims at television that « those who stay into the square will be considered as a member of terrorist organisation. » These words and the violence of police interventions trigger the rallying of thousands of protesters from every corner of Istanbul. « We reach a no-return point. » assures one of them. At midnight, the brutality reaches its highest point in front of the Divan hotel. Claudia Roth, European deputy in favor of Turkey's adhesion to the European Union, was on the spot. TOMAs, the police vehicle carrying water canons, obstruct the four arteries leading to Taksim Square. Stricken by the violence of the police, a young woman reports : « If one day Turkey has ever been a democracy, we are sure that tonight it is not anymore. » Chanting Atatürk's marches and calling Erdogan to resign, the people in the streets try to reach the cradle of the Occupy Gezi movement but without being successful. In Izmir and Ankara, some demonstrate solidarity without any incident.

Sunday, June 16th : The raging of violence

At dawn, the supernumerary authorities prohibit the access to Taksim square. Bulldozers go on the cleaning of the square and sweep along the last marks of yesterday night's clashes. At 10 am, frictions resume with greater intensity in the neighborhood – Sisli, Harbiye and Cihangil in particular. For the first time in Istanbul, military units, depending on Interior Ministry in peacetime, are deployed on one of the two Bosphorus bridge to halt the protesters coming from the Asian side. The number of injured people is again debated. The Turkish doctors trade union opts for some hundreds of wounded. The Istanbul Governor claims 44 casualties. Three policemen were shot. In the morning, the police proceeds to many arrests : volunteer doctors, nurses, on who the police has begun to conduct an investigation since Friday. The Istanbul governor justifies it by saying : « It is a crime to help the demonstrators so we are going to keep arresting doctors. » The police also went to the abode of the founders of Carsi, the ultras that cheer on the football team of Besiktas, to stop them. Violence comes back in the capital city in the afternoon. At 6 pm, the Prime Minister runs his second rally of the week end, a rally for the AKP members (for Justice and Development Party, the governing party) just a few kilometers away from Taksim Square. Impenitent, he uses a binary logic opposing the AKP partisans and the « vandals » of Gezi. Henceforth, five trade unions call for a general strike tomorrow. The clashes still continue tonight and the degree of violence haven't decreased yet. Today, four journalists were arrested near Galatasaray, according to the newspaper Radikal. 

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Istiklâl Caddesi - from 23pm to 4am - 15th/16th June

© Diane Jean

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When Davide Martello plays piano to protesters at Taksim Square - night between 13/14th of June 

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The Arts of protesting in Gezi - from 8 to 13th June.  More info in French here : http://bit.ly/ZGAQXQ

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A NEW CONSTITUTION FOR A NEW TURKEY

Yesterday, Cemil Çiçek, the president of the Turkish Parliament said that finishing the new constitution project could repair Turkey's tarnished image after the Gezi Park protests. Endlessly postponed, the new constitution is still under discussions. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan is becoming impatient. He has already began constitutional reforms since 2001. Turkish people condemn the "presidentialisation" of the regime. 

  “These developments [in the last days into the country] have widely damaged Turkey’s image. The new Constitution is the best answer to give to this campaign [depicting Turkey] as if its democracy is artificial and fundamental rights and freedoms are at stake.” claimed Çicek, the president of the GANT (Grand Turkish National Assembly). The head of the Turkish Parliament's proposal seems quite radical. But if you look at Turkey state's history, you see that reforms are the usual path towards big political change. The state counts four constitutions since the establishment of the Turkish state by Atatürk in 1921. The coups d'Etat also gave the Republic its tempo but military officials have been moved away from the power since the beginning of the XXIst century. The protests in Gezi Park and in the rest of the country has been more and more considered as a no-return point. 

The myth of modernisation

In the preamble of the actual Constitution dated from 1928, the will of “raise [Turkey] at the level of contemporary civilisation” is written. This historical modernisation will was first an objective of Mustapha Kemal policy. The idea is to both break and be in harmony with the Ottoman empire traditions. Since two century, Turkey has modernized its institutions keeping this goal in mind. The state has tried through every way it can to be more democratic and more modern. Since 2001, death penality is abolished, peaceful demonstrations are allowed, kurds langage now can be spoken in schools and in medias. One often says that is not enough. Critics come from abroad but also from the Turkish elite and people. Since the establishment of the Republic, this modernity myth has become an obsession. 

The “new Turkey”

Unlike 2007 protests, the demonstrators in Gezi Park don't call for a return of military power. “We don't want to use force. We want a peaceful resistance.” confessed Cemre, a 26-year-old student in political sciences. Unlike the past years clashes, people who have never been tear gazed went on the streets and were less afraid than before to fight for their ideas. A new constitution might happen just at the right time. Although many wonder what this movement will develop into, the obstinacy of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan looks like the events reach a no-win situation. The Parliament president even added : “We have no culture of compromise. We have it in the society but not among the intellectual or political circles. As the Parliament, we do not constitute a good example for the rest of the country.” A new constitution would be the recognition sign for what Ahmet Insel, a Turkish economist, call the “new Turkey”. He names two features of it. First, the “new Turkey” is the result of political and economical measures adopted by the government since eleven years. Secondly, the complete disappearance of the military elite in politics. One may say that a third feature is coming out with the Occupy Gezi movement, the awakening of a very heterogeneous however united civil society.

The ongoing reform : Turkey may become presidential

The idea of a new charter didn't came out yesterday. The project dates from 2007 and the first step to write the new text was made in 2011. AKP, the governing party, wants to replace the actual constitution inherited from generals after their coup d'Etat in 1980. The party that holds the power for eleven years now, clearly wants to break with the past military history. The wanted reform has had to face many procedural issues since the actual constitution doesn't envisage the possibility of a new one. The Parliament in charge of the procedure decided to create a commission, the CRC (Constitutional reconciliation commission). The CRC is composed by 3 members of each of the four parties sitting in the Parliament - AKP, CHP, MHP, BDP. The agenda foresee the end of the works of the Commission in december 2012. However, due to procedural obstacles again, the writing has been endlessly postponed. Every new article has to be adopted by unanimity and the political interests'game set back any decision taking. AKP commissioners proposed a change of the regime nature from a parliamentary one to a presidential one. The amendment didn't pass. The Prime Minister perseverance raised the non-AKP commissioners' ire. If the CRC doesn't finish the charter before the end of 2013 and doesn't reach any consensus, the presidential regime would be established no matter what, Tayyip Erdogan said. We are in June now and the project is far from being ratified. If Turkey became a presidential regime, the difference between the USA will be that the Turkish President will stay the head of his party and thus, the separation between the executive and legislative won't be complete.

Meanwhile a “présidentialisme à la française”

Since October 2007, the Turkish President is elected by direct universal suffrage. Before the President was elected by the GANT, the Parliamentary. The very first presidential election will take place in September 2014. Before 2007, Cemil Otkay, an expert on the Turkish political system, qualified the Turkish president's attributions of ones of a president elected by direct universal suffrage. Well, the 2007 reform seems to be the last cornerstone missing. Maybe now we can see more clearly that the Turkey's political institutions are turning into presidentialist ones. So, here are some examples of the attribution of the Turkish president. He promulgates laws, can decide of earlier elections in special cases, names the Prime Minister and the member of the ministers Council. Almost every acts of this Council need the President signature and thus, approval. He can make judicial decisions null and void. He names the university chancellors and the members of the State Inspection Committee. Finally, he can decide to subject a constitutional reform to referendum. The comparison between France and Turquie is tempting, these two are republican, secular and "presidentialist" states. However, we can notice one difference. The 2007 reform has modified the composition of the Constitutional Council and the Judges Superior Council. It does have affected the secular establishment and the rule of law.

As you may know, Tayyip Erdogan is the Prime Minister, not the President. So, you can ask, why the Prime Minister is everywhere on international media ? And why did I not hear that much about the actual President Abdullah Gül ? Well, despite Erdogan is one of the richest politician in the world, he would like to become the Turkish President again, in 2014. 

Photo from the cover of The Economist of the 8th June 2013. 

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48 HOURS OF COHABITATION AT TAKSIM SQUARE

On Tuesday morning, the police came back at Taksim square. The Istanbul's police official claimed that the police only intervened to clean the place from all the banners. But the intervention of the police has again been qualified of over-proportionate violence. The clashes ended in Tuesday night. It has been 48 hours now that the protestants and the police share the Taksim square, quite peacefully.

Last night, policemen and demonstrators were eating kebabs side by side, without talking, but side by side still. Since two days, the police has guarded the historical Republic Monument of Taksim Square. The 5-meter-long statute was previously decorated by countless banners of the Gezi Park protests. The Atatürk Kültür Merkesi, the biggest cultural center in the city that has been closed for six years now, has been cleaned too. The banners have been removed and replaced by a grand picture of Atatürk himself between two giants country's flags. The square lost its flashy colors of the last days to give way to a much more nationalist and tidy atmosphere. The left-side parties' and anarchists' stands and flags have disappeared. Only the core of the Gezi movement has stayed in the park. Is it a sign of the apolitical nature of the protests ? But the Gezi park is still under occupation.

The little village on the alert

In the afternoon, some kids play in a burned to ashes TOMA, the police vehicle which carries the water cannons. The candor of these young men contrasts with the foresight of the older people in the park. They gathered big red anti-fire aerosols in the center of the park. Having their mask ready to put on, they also bought yellow helmets and k-ways. Three men are explaining the security guidelines in case the police attacks again. The demonstrators have to stay calm whatever happens. “And don't forget to protect your head!” advised one of them. Yesterday, the Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan announced a 24-hour deadline to protesters leave the Gezi Park. The deadline ends tonight, probably at 6pm. But the uncertainty remains. “We never know. That's the thing during these last days. First, the Istanbul's police official said that the police wouldn't come back here,but it did. And we knew it would, we were not just sure about the time. Now, it has been 48 hours that we cohabited with them and we have no idea about what it is going to happen. We have to be prepared. ” confessed a 26-year-old protester. When will the police attack ? How many are they going to be ? Will they use plastics bullets ? Are they going to enter in Gezi Park this time ? Here are some of the issues people of Gezi have to deal with. Some are taking care of the re-stocking of food and drugs. Lists of needed material are hung on the bordering trees. They built another food point in addition to the already fours existing, the three concocted health centers, the baby garden, the library and the stage. The little village is litterally on the alert. The sound of music has lowered and the tops of the tents have been covered of a second layer to prevent gas bombing.

The 24-hour deadline is about to end.

Yesterday, the Turkish Prime Minister received a one-dozen-people delegation in his office in Ankara to negotiate about how ending the clashes and the Gezi occupation. What came out of these talks is the possibility of a referendum only for Istanbul inhabitants on the park's future. However, some of the spokespeople invited by Erdogan – such as Greenpeace - never came, demanding the immediate stop of violence. Another point to underline is the lack of representativity of the delegation condemned by the active protesters. After the talks, the authorities announced its 24-hour deadline. But the civilians will never leave Taksim without gaining a minimum of satisfaction. The two sides seem to be very pig-headed. None will move if the other doesn't. The Gezi protesters won't leave the place without a gesture of the Prime Minister. Tayyip Erdogan will do nothing until the people leave the park. Vicious circle indeed. A hundred of police officers just had a meeting near Dolmabahçe Palace. At 6pm tonight, a classical music concert is programmed. Maybe just before the clashes start again.  

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THE EMBRYOS OF A COMMON VOICE OF THE OCCUPY GEZI MOVEMENT

As Prime Minister Erdogan was abroad doing a series of official visits in North Africa, Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç was in charged to reduce the ongoing tensions. Last Wednesday, in the capital city Ankara, Arınç hosted five members of the “Taksim platform” to start negociations about the Taksim Gezi Park occupation. But the delegation was very criticised for its misrepresentativity.

The lack of a representative delegation

“Taksim platform” is a delegation from the Taksim Dayanışması organisation, which collects donations, takes inventories of material needs of the people occupying the Gezi Park and tries to coordinate the movement since a few days. This delegation which negociated with Deputy Prime Minister was made of representatives of the Istanbul Medical Chamber, of the Istanbul Chamber of Architects, of the KESK (the civil servants's unions confederation), of the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects. This very-far-from-reality group officially claimed five demands. The first one is the desertion of Gezi urbanization project, the second is the resignation of every people in charge of the violent suppressions of the protesters. The thirs one calls for the cessation of tear gas use, the fourth one the release of the people held in custody and in jail. Finally, the fifth one asks for an end of every form of freedom expression restrictions. Following these talks, Facebook and Twitter were submerged by thousands of chafed reactions which criticised the representativity of this delegation. One may say it has opened a figth over identity.

The problematic acephalous nature of the Occupy Gezi movement

What is the strength of the Occupy Gezi movement is also its Achilles'heel. The protesters in Gezi Park have no common voice and the claims are very heterogenous. Rodja, 34, member of the Sosyalist Partisi, one of the left-side party in Turkey, demands the resignation of the Prime Minister. Ara Guler, 84, the most famous Turkish photographer pointed out the modernisation process of the country. “Where is my Istanbul ? It's all about the money!”. The Gezi Park urbanisation project has struck a chord. Other works are not popular : the making of a third Bosphorus bridge, of a Istanbul's third airport. Cemre, 26, political student in international relations, strongly desires a change of the regime. “I don't like the presidential orientation that our governement has taken. I want a parliamentary regime with a free press.” These are a few among many statements including the ending of pressure on artists and intellectuals, of gender or sexual-oriented discriminations, the considerations of alevis community.

The second try for a common voice

Today, an add was published in The New York Times entitled “What's happening in Turkey”. As a try for unifying the claims of Gezi, three activists of the Gezi Park – Murat Aktlhanoglu, Duygu Atacan and Oltac Unsal hoarded $102,528 on indiegogo.com in order to publish the most common wills of the Occupy Gezi movement. They demand an end of the police brutality, a free media, an open dialogue between citizens and politicians, and finally an investigation about “the recent government's abuses of power.” The photo of the published add went around the social networks as a symbol of pride and a wish for a common discourse.