I Love Turkey, Istambul and...Taksim Square

I lived in Turkey (Ankara) from 1989 till 1993. I visited Istambul several times with my family and friends and now I think it is a shame to read what´s happening there.

I would like to share this information that came from a friend of mine:

“Dear friends all over the world, here comes YESTERDAY's issue of Turkish news.

First of all, I sincerely apologize for filling your social network feeds so often nowadays. Unfortunately, as people of Turkey we are witnessing such an unacceptable level of injustice every day and under the heavy blackout of the media many of us don't see any other means to fight it besides creating some international awareness. I would appreciate if you think about sharing this..

The government of Turkey, in collaboration with the police and the media, staged a theater play -with terrible actors- at Taksim square of Istanbul early this morning. Aiming to dissipate the peaceful protesters in the Taksim square, who have been there for nearly two weeks to defend a small urban park against government's intention to build a shopping mall, the government has not hesitated to use, at times fatal, violence since late may 2013.

This morning, after Istanbul governor's announcement that there would be no attacks on the people at the Gezi park and Taksim, hundreds of policemen came in to collect the banners, at the same time chocking people with tear gas.

The media, which has ignored the protests so far was there from the very beginning, broadcasting (from extremely good shooting points) the screenplay between hundreds of cops and about 30 protesters (their identities still a mystery,) who were throwing Molotov cocktails to the police at the square. This act went on for more than an hour. The police, who has demonstrated its capability of breaking up thousand of people (without any provocation) within minutes with tear gas and water cannons, only circled around them, gently spraying a little water as if watering a garden. All this suggested that police provocateurs were in action to create a false image of peaceful protestors as vandals... As the police was treating softly and nicely these secret "protestors"/provocateurs, on the back streets and around Gezi park, where media was not broadcasting, the attacks against genuine protestors were, as usual, brutal.

The protests until this morning have been peaceful and it is not clear whether these unidentified provocateurs were extremists from some political groups or some others (??) as claimed. What is clear is that they do not reflect and represent the spirit of this uprising. Couple of hours ago, police attacked the biggest court house in Istanbul and arrested (this is by itself breaking the law btw) around 70 lawyers, who were only protesting against the morning attacks, probably as a response to their voluntary service for protecting the rights of the people arrested and injured during last week's protests.

Please share this information. The Turkish media has failed miserably and it is very important that the world knows what is really going on in Turkey at the moment".

June 12

"Istanbul - Last night

Violations of medical neutrality constitute crimes outlined in the GENEVA Conventions. AKP has VIOLATED this many times over tonight. Police attacked the medical treatment areas in Gezi Park, in Divan Hotel, The German Hospital and Taksim IlkYardim Hospital. yes, they actually attacked the 2 hospitals and the medical treatment areas in Gezi Park and Divan Hotel.

MEDICAL NEUTRALITY refers to a principle of noninterference with medical services in times of armed conflict and civil unrest: physicians must be allowed to care for the sick and wounded, and soldiers must receive care regardless of their political affiliations; all parties must refrain from attacking and misusing medical facilities, transport, and personnel. Concepts comprising the principles of medical neutrality derive from international human rights law, medical ethics and humanitarian law. Medical neutrality may be thought of as a kind of social contract that obligates societies to protect medical personnel in both times of war and peace, and obligates medical personnel to treat all individuals regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or political affiliation".

June 16

I also read this headline in a local newspaper:

“Police to consider protesters in Istambul´s Taksim Square terror organization members”

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/everyone-who-enters-the-taksim-square-to-be-treated-as-terrorist-turkish-eu-minister.aspx?pageID=238&nID=48875&NewsCatID=338

 This photo was taken In Istambul in 1992

A monument recently inaugurated in Lisbon, Portugal

This sculpture, by Francisco Simões, honours all diplomats and public servants who have fallen in foreign service, like the former Turkish Ambassador and his wife who were assassinated by a radical Armenian organization on 7th June 1982, in Lisbon.