society
May 4, 2024

Three women from Turkey: That is why we are protesting

It started with peaceful protests and ended in anger, disbelief and police violence. Violence against the own citizens who demand a free, democratic Turkey. Among the demonstrators in Istanbul are many who have been criticizing the policies of Erdogan's government for years. But there are also countless young people who went out for the first time ever on the street. We asked three women what they experienced on the street and what they demand from the government.

"The park became our home"

Ece with her mother in Gezi Park

Ece from Istanbul is 21 years old and has just completed her MA in film and media studies at Kadir Has University.

It was the first time that I participated in a demonstration. At first I followed the events only via Twitter. But when the police attacked the demonstrators for the first time, I was shocked - people just read books, sang songs and tried to save trees! The attack was the end of our silence. Together with other young women, I took to the streets to recapture Gezi Park. We covered our faces with towels to protect ourselves from the tear gas. Helicopters flew over our heads, but we were not afraid anymore. Gezi Park became our home. Everyone brought food, drinks or first aid material. There were no political groups, we were all civilians and our weapon was our minds. I was often alone in the park with no friends or relatives, but I never felt lonely.

I am particularly appalled by the coverage on Turkish TV and in the newspapers as budding media professionals. There were no objective reports in the news channels, some newspapers did not write about the protests at all. That's why I made videos and photos on the street and posted them on the internet. We are the new media, with the help of Facebook and Twitter. My 60-year-old mother has always been against social media, but even she put on a Twitter account to get the real news.

I very much hope that we can maintain our resistance. No matter how many people support the Turkish government, we critics of the government are also living in this country, and we too have rights. If I want an abortion, I want that to be allowed. I would like to be allowed to buy alcohol after 10 pm if I feel like it. I do not want anyone to decide about my religious beliefs. If 26 men rape a 13-year-old girl, they should be severely punished and not blame the girl. I do not want our historic cinemas and parks being turned into shopping malls. And I do not want to be called a looter, just because I openly criticize the policy. I hope we can someday trust the system and democracy in our country again.

"The civic movement must turn into a political movement"

Rejoiced over the intelligent protest: Eylem

Eylem is 38 years old and a university lecturer

I live in the Be? Ikta district, where the most brutal police attacks took place in early June. At that time, I was traveling with friends near Taksim Square. But I did not return to my home: my street was cordoned off, paving stones flew, and the police sprayed tear gas throughout the neighborhood until the wee hours. I was scared, but most of all I was shocked to see so much violence up close. The protests were so peaceful in the beginning, so young, humorous and clever. I enjoyed the cheeky and intelligent graffiti on the walls and on the streets. I felt so much hope and confidence in our future when I saw these smart young people.

But the positive feelings were replaced by frustration and disappointment, as the police cleared the park on 15 June and broke the peaceful resistance. They even smashed the improvised infirmary, where injured demonstrators were treated. The police did not show any compassion for the wounded, women or children in the park. I felt so hurt and humiliated watching this. The government is trampling on democratic demands. It holds back information and even lies to its own citizens, who have relied on the promise that they are allowed to demonstrate. For something to change in our country, this broad civic movement must now turn into a political movement.There must be political alliances between the different groups, because we have elections in Turkey next year. And at the latest, the government must see that a large part of society is not happy with its authoritarian policies.

"The government treats us like enemies"

Bahar was hurt by tear gas

Bahar A? C? is vice-president of the "21st Yüzy? l Türkiye Enstitüsü", a think tank from Ankara, which deals with foreign and domestic policy.

I've been on the road all these days, and I do not sleep much more than two or three hours a day. I also often cried at home for the people who were killed and injured. I do not want Turkey to become a war arena and I pray daily for all of us. The Reyhanli bombing in May was the start of my engagement. The media was quiet and I started to ask "why?" Questions. Why is our PM traveling to the US and not to Reyhanli? And then the many questions about the demonstrations. Why is the mayor of Istanbul saying that there should be no attacks on protesters, and then ordering the police to make a brutal attack on the citizens? I'm so upset and the only thing I can do about it is to go out on the street. I also wrote an article on our website about tear gas and the side effects of this gas. I myself was hit by tear gas during a demonstration in Ankara. My lungs were damaged and I had to stay in bed for a week. It is important to inform the demonstrating people about these dangers.

The government treats secular citizens like enemies. Erdo? An has repeatedly assured us that the separation of state and church of Turkey remains, but the influences of the Islamists are growing ever larger. During Erdo? Re's reign, we witnessed a continuing erosion of our civil rights and freedoms. Numerous journalists, scientists, soldiers and artists were arrested. These are all reasons for the protests in Gezi Park. We fear that our government is not serious about democracy. The joint protests also give me hope: I believe that Turkey will remain a republic and become a true democratic country. We and the next generation will show it to the world.