The writer is a Rawalpindi-based medical student. He tweets @FarazTalat
Even as a foreigner, with no take on Turkey’s sociopolitical course, the air at Taksim Square awoke in me a sense of wonder no exhibit at the Topkapi Palace did.
It all started with a small group of concerned citizens protesting the uprooting of trees at Gezi Park for the construction of a shopping mall. The demonstrations were responded to, in the words of most analysts and onlookers, with ‘excessive use of force’.
Consequently, Occupy Gezi has snowballed into a colossal movement against the conservative ruling party, which has already been on thin ice with the nation’s secular progressives.
We were blissfully unaware of the storm brewing in our own backyard, until the receptionist warned us to stay away from Taksim Square. And so we did.
But the protests were not limited to the Square. Rioters were parading around the city, particularly the streets around the famous Galata Tower, a tourist hotspot. They were everywhere: chanting, singing and clapping. Their words begged no translation:
“Tayyip, isteefah! Tayyip isteefah!”
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, is now the focus of seething rage, emanating from the secular, leftist citizens of the country. They scream for his immediate resignation in light of his alleged failures in keeping the nation in line with Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s vision. It’s being asked if Taksim Square could prove to be for Erdogan what Tahrir Square was for Hosni Mubarak.
The locals I spoke to were all unmistakably furious. A bartender from a nearby meyhane (Turkish bar), complained bitterly about a recently-passed legislation banning the advertisement of alcoholic beverages and their sale from 10.00pm to 6.00am. This effectively ends nightlife in a city with a high dependency on tourism, as most people prefer to drink late at night.
This is troubling for more than just the bar owners. Erdogan’s statements about wanting to raise a “pious generation”, coupled with a list of conservative actions, has sparked fears among a nation built on a strongly secular bedrock by Ataturk, the ‘Father of the Turks’.
Other locals have termed Gezi Park the ‘Hyde Park of Istanbul’. They cannot imagine this spot of green to be bulldozed and replaced with yet another shopping mall in an already endless span of stone and concrete.
I went up to Taksim Square a day after the security forces had retreated from the area and the fighting had ceased. I was overwhelmed by what I saw: men and women dancing in circles around the fabulous Monument of the Republic; demonstrators wearing Turkish flags as capes; graffiti everywhere; people roaming about in Guy Fawkes masks, proudly exhibiting the injuries they had sustained during the protests. The tear gas hadn’t completely dissipated yet, but I fought through the unease to witness this spectacle.
A police helicopter appeared overhead and the collective boos of thousands of people rocked the Square. This was the same dreaded helicopter that had been dropping tear gas canisters on to the crowd during the riots for the past couple of days. Then came the familiar chant: “Tayyip isteefah! Tayyip isteefah!”
This time, the harbinger merely shone its searchlight at the monument and flew away, followed by great victory applause from the people in the Square.
I cannot say that I haven’t seen more violent protests, but I’ve certainly not seen any of this magnitude thus far. At least, not personally. I hope the Turkish government, too, understands the scale of it and takes adequate steps to address the people’s demands because this situation is poised to explode given the tiniest of sparks.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 6th, 2013.
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COMMENTS (31)
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@Abid P. Khan
@someone: “@Yasin: Well Ataturk did prove a point that when Islam kept out of Politics and government, it does wonder to the citizens.” .Do you seriously believe @Yasin: appreciates the point you are making? Abidji, you are taunting me, but it is ok. I appreciate his point but do not agree with him. I stand by what I said. Ataturk was anti Islam. A man like him cannot do any good to the people of a Muslim country. Here I quote from his writings. Read this garbage and think if I am right or wrong. “For nearly five hundred years, these rules and theories of an Arab Shaikh and the interpretations of generations of lazy and good-for-nothing priests have decided the civil and criminal law of Turkey. They have decided the form of the Constitution, the details of the lives of each Turk, his food, his hours of rising and sleeping the shape of his clothes, the routine of the midwife who produced his children, what he learned in his schools, his customs, his thoughts-even his most intimate habits. Islam – this theology of an immoral Arab – is a dead thing. Possibly it might have suited tribes in the desert. It is no good for modern, progressive state. God’s revelation! There is no God! These are only the chains by which the priests and bad rulers bound the people down. A ruler who needs religion is a weakling. No weaklings should rule!
ET Mods (2nd request) : I am responding to people who have written to me. Please allow a fact based polite response. IT is only fair.
@John the Baptist: "@gp65: Yes the government has the right to ignore the protestor’s dmands but it does not have the right to get violent with non-violent protestors. Oh, you mean like the indian army in Kashmir?"
Yes indeed. You do know however that violent protests are happening in Mirpur not Sri Nagar? Sr Nagar is seeing record number of tourists coming in. http://tribune.com.pk/story/555395/protesters-run-amok-in-mirpur/
@xyz: If you are referring to the Bari structure, it was clearly an unfortunate incident, so I will not defend it but it is important that you know facts instead of spewing half baked lies. It was not a worship place as you claim since in over 100 years, no namaz had been performed there since it was a disputed structure. Why was it disputed? BEcause Babar had destroyed a temple and while he copuld have built a mosque anywhere else, he chose to built it pon top of the temple he had destroyed to humiliate Hindus. The resentment against Babri structure was not because it was a mosque (it was not since Islam itself does not allow a place where no namaz has been read for 100 years to be called a mosque) but because it was a symbol of humiliation. Anyway, the incident happened 20 years back and no similar incidents have occurred anywhere in India in 20 years. In Pakistan in just the last 12 months, one Hindu temple was destroyed in Karachi despite court orders against the demolition, 3 churches were destroyed, a hundred Ahmadi graves were desecrated in Lahore, a150 Christian homes were burnt in Joseph Colony despite the fact that the police were aware that there was a plan to burn the homes, several imambargahs have been attacked. No action has been taken in any of these cases as one incident of oppression after another keeps occuring.
@someone: "@Yasin: Well Ataturk did prove a point that when Islam kept out of Politics and government, it does wonder to the citizens." . Do you seriously believe @Yasin: appreciates the point you are making?
ET Mods: SOmeone has written to me. Please allow me the right to respnd. @xyz: If you are talking about the Babri structure - first of all what happened was unfortunate. I will not defend it. Secondly it was not a place of worship since no namaz had been read there for more than 100 years since the place was under dispute. Third perhaps no one ever old you but Babri structure itself had been built by destroying a temple. BAbar could have been built a mosque anywhere but he built it on top of ruins of a temple he destroyed simply to humiliate Hindus. People did not object to the mosque there are hundreds of thousands of mosques in India but to the symbol of humiliation.
Anyway you are a fine one to speak. That even happened 20 years back. In Pakistan just within last 12 months, 1 temple and 3 churches were destroyed, a hundred Ahmadi graves were desecrated, Shia imambarghas were attacked and Hazara Shias were pulled out of buses and shot dead, a colony of Christians was burnt even though police had prior information that this was going o occur. In India at least if one party does something wrong the aggrieved party has hope in a court of law but your courts of law order a stipend for Mallik Ishaq when he was in jail which the Punjab government duly provided. What more to say? http://tribune.com.pk/story/210827/lejs-malik-received-monthly-stipend-from-punjab-govt/
I think turky is going in a transition phase, lets see what comes out. i agree PM is elected but b4 taking this type of decisions he need to convince most if not all, if so many are protesting he need to rethink.
@gp65:
Yes the government has the right to ignore the protestor’s dmands but it does not have the right to get violent with non-violent protestors.
Oh, you mean like the indian army in Kashmir?
@gp65
'Yes the government has the right to ignore the protestor’s dmands (sic) but it does not have the right to get violent with non-violent protestors.
Exactly. Reminds me of a Government standing still and silently watching a mob of non-violent protestor, first wrecking a place of worship and then dancing on its wreckage. That’s what is democratic governance and democratic protest. Made for each other.
@gp65:
YES BUT WHEN more than 50% are with the PM than the PROTEST ARE OF NO USE.....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@GIndian: In the name of religion, you can't hide yourself with true facts. 1. Turkey economic growth tremendously improve due to the strong policies of Mr Erdogan during last 10 years. Not only economic Turkish diplomatic ties with the world particulary in Africa is praise worthy. Mr Gindian , Why not before Erdogan, and base on your arguments Turkey non religious foundation help in economic and diplomatic as of now.
In general, i m of view, based on your good point Afghanistan in the mid seventies and compare now is huge culturaly variation in the name of force Islam by US and West against than USSR. Religion should not be part of Governance rather it is the individual obligations.
Give this PM another five years and you will see Turkey reaching the level of Afghanistan. Remember how cultured was Afghanistan in the mid seventies. Turkey is doing well economically because of their strong non religious foundation. This person is trying to destroy the same foundation. Turkey has to survive on its own; there is no oil resource to prop it up. There are two types of Turks. One is Mongoloid looking Turks, who are religious and less educated, in the eastern part of Turkey and the other the Eurpoeans who happen to speak Turkish language due to some historical anomaly.There is nothing like less violent religion. The recent happenings in Mayanmar and Sri Lanka are the best examples.
@Azhar88: "These protesting numb nuts are the so called lovers of “democracy” but dont seem to believe in using the ballot boxes for political tranformation. The turkish PM is the prime minister because he was elected and has a mandate. If the people have given him the mandate to curb alcohol, then so be it, that is the will of the majority of the people. So stop vandalizing public property and disrupting the economy"
Sorry democracy does not give you a right to just vote once in 5 years. IT also gives you a right to protest (non-violently ofcourse) if you disagree with the policies being pursued. These protestors have not vandalized public property, they are peacefully protesting. Also unless the ban on alochol sale was part of the election promises of AKP, it is difficult to know how you conclude that he has a mandate to implement that? Whether anti-war marchers in UK in 2003 or Tea party protestors in US or Anna Hazare's movement in India, they were all protesting against elected government. An engaged civilian population is the heart of a vibrant democracy.
Yes the government has the right to ignore the protestor's dmands but it does not have the right to get violent with non-violent protestors.
These protesting numb nuts are the so called lovers of "democracy" but dont seem to believe in using the ballot boxes for political tranformation. The turkish PM is the prime minister because he was elected and has a mandate. If the people have given him the mandate to curb alcohol, then so be it, that is the will of the majority of the people. So stop vandalizing public property and disrupting the economy.
Dont forget, Turkey is a country where once a 10 yr PM was hanged by the military on bogus charges.
Erdogan holds the mandate of the ppl of Turkey. His decisions ought to b challenged in courts or parliament. These liberal goons are the face of public terrorism and hooliganism. The havoc that they'r creating is doing no good.
The law against drinking after 10 pm holds benefits for the ppl of Turkey as it has been hypothesized and then proved in researches conducted in Turkey.
@elementary:
We are not talking about Irrationality or how Religion affects mental health. Yes, Religions by nature are fictions.
But, these fictions have their own character. All aspects of the character varies from one ideology to the next.
Religion will always be around. Its best to have the least violent, least Political ones around, rather than ones which are rigid and resistant to change. Much more blood has flowed from due to Christianity, than any other, in the history of the world. But, it is, relatively, much less resistant to change than the ideology practiced in the Muslim world.
Your last line suggests that you invoking Hinduism will somehow put me on the backfoot, but it doesn't. I say what I say, keeping that in mind.
Hinduism as an idea is much less political and consequently violent. But, it has its share of irrationality but is NOT resistant to change.
Well accordingly to my anology , Taksim square will not turn into tahrir square. reasons are very obvious , Mr Erdogan is elected PM with majority of votes additionally with no rigging blames by any one. Secondly , during last 10 year or so , AKP under Erdogan has rise Turkey from no where into 8th fasting growing economy. The thing what I observe and requested Main Nawaz Sharif to follow in Pakistan as well is that during Erdogan tenure the civil admistration or ministeries become very powerful and professional. see from minor example, during protest u must have seen my picutres or videos the Turkish police have highly sophisticated equipement and well trained. however how they use is another questions. I hope and wish the protestors shall remain peaceful and also the change if they needed shall come through election in 2014.
@elementary:
again its your ideology. If 50% of teh people want religion in their state. Than Demcratically you have to do that or ?????????????
Its simply...A BEER PROTEST in Turkey...since the PM has banned BEER selling the European Turks are angry...... These all protest is a fight to let the nation Party.....generation is goin to waste but who cares.........lets PARTY!!!!!!
@Mirza:
have you ever met a TURK!!!!!!!! I dont think so....Turkey is the most confused nation in the world...No one understands the demand....This PM won the election through the public with a backing of almost 50%. And yes people did support him... Now the problem in Turkey is that Turkey got divided btw Islamic Turks and European Turks....its sounds funny but thts how it is... Now the Islamic supporting Turks voted for this guy to come in Power. Now he with time is influecing religion in the state... The European Turks dont want that and now there is a flare....there is a reason why the flare is just in few cities..offcourse Media is promoting it as International media promotes any thing Islamic...... I dont support the PM of Turkey in simple words, it has nothign to do with me...but the problem is first we support democracy and when the elected PM does wht we dont like we start Protests........ Please also watch the videos of football protest taking place in Europe....Police uses almost the same Bruteforce....!!!!!!!!!!!!
@BruteForce: Your presumption is wrong.All religions are equally irrational and detrimental to mental health .Therefore all religion should ramain separate from state. I do not think hinduism forms an exception.
It is simply a backfire of Turkey's unjust meddling in Syria
If you think protests at Taksim were violent then you haven't seen violence.
The question is whats wrong if the state is a bit Religious?
India, its people and the state is very Religious too. But, at the same time it is Secular and liberal. So are the Americans.
The answer lies in the nature of the ideology of India and Turkey, and even Pakistan.
Some Religions are more Political, consequently more violent than others. That is the reason even though we share the same genes, shared similar culture at Partition, same language, same tastes in food,etc., India doesn't have to worry too much about these things, while Pakistan has to. India can be unabashedly Hindu and/or Indian. Its dangerous for Pakistan to be very Islamic.
@Yasin: Well Ataturk did prove a point that when Islam kept out of Politics and government, it does wonder to the citizens.
Your last paragraph suggests that if there is a violent protest, the government should take steps to accept public demands. But whenever there is a protest in Pakistan we usually call that a nuisance!
@abc: @misbah: I am all for that let us hope secular elements in Pakistan organize themselves. Cheers, M
@abc and misbah
You wish!
Not too long ago both Turkey and Pakistan were in a similar situation and at the mercy of their armies who could overthrow any govt at will. Turkey has come out of the shadows of army dictatorship and now they have an ideological struggle going on. The prolonged role of armies gives rise to extremism including religious and Turkey is no exception. Remember Gen Zia's times and MMA's rise in Mush's era? This natural struggle would settle out in the next couple of elections. Turkey is a large and diverse country and there is a big difference between the conservative Muslim east and European west. I am not a supporter of rightwing parties but the current govt is the longest serving elected govt in recent history of Turkey with great economic progress which makes it very popular except in the European region. Let the people of Turkey decide their future in a democratic way in the next elections. Violence is not going to help anybody.
@abc: lets start one
The present ruler of Turkey is doing everything to undone what Kemal Ataturk did. And we should wish him success. Ataturk was anti Islam.
Any chance of secular movement in Pakistan, the epicenter of Islamic terrorism?