Disgruntled Young Penguin: October 2013

Wednesday, 30 October 2013

Blurred Lines… What is State, What is AKP now?

What had the State of Turkey and the AKP Government done to the Gezi Park Protestors?

Individuals hospitalized during Gezi protests by the police forces

Gezi Park is one of the last remaining green areas in central İstanbul. It is located on the north east of Taksim Square. It is quite small, hosting 563 trees¹, and 465 of these trees cannot be relocated.

The AKP government had decided that Topçu Kışlası, which was demolished in 1940 by the new Republic of Turkey. Since AKP is in a quarrel with everything that this republic has done/created, Gezi Park was/is not an exception. PM Erdogan himself was quite enthusiastic in order to destroy the park. Because according to him and his colleagues, that historical building represents the Ottoman Empire, and the park represents a secular that has overtaken the Islamic Empire, or what had remained from it.

Gezi Park

The demonstrations had quickly escalated, since many of the ‘free thinking’ Turks were/are disgruntled with AKP’s forced and impellent politics and applications (Please, refer this blog’s name in this point once more; Disgruntled Young Penguin). In the last decade that Turkey has been ruled under Mr. Erdogan’s AKP, there have been many occasions that hurt public conscious deeply. In the last 15 years (11 years of this durations is under AKP ruling), 241 police officers, 91 soldiers, 17 SWAT team officers, 45 prison guards, 15 rangers; in total 409 state officers had been put on rape trials where 50% of the rape victims were underage but never received legal punishment². While the educated segment of the public being highly disturbed about this situation, due to lack of non-governmental organizations citizens stayed at their home without being able to do anything about this scary fact. Then the Gezi Park protestors who were just trying to defend a green place in a grey city were beaten down by the police, and their ‘Occupy Gezi tents’ were set on fire by the police. That was a tipping point for socially aware Turkish people, that was an obvious display of AKP intolerance. So people took on the streets protesting the dictating management. Every single protestor had/has a reason to be out on the street, some thought that AKP held a crusade on Mustafa Kemal’s ideology, some thought that AKP left those rape cases unattended, some thought that an Islamic Republic was on the way, some thought their basic labour rights were taken from them, some thought women were undervalued in every level of business life, some disagreed on the foreign policies with Syria. All these issues have been answered by neither the state nor the AKP government. It should also be stated that after a decade of AKP ruling, the lines that separate the state from the government are blurred in Turkey. There are no organization / agency within the state that can/may criticize AKP freely.

A State of AKP?

Caution! There is legal violence in this country.

AKP has created its own police force, prosecuted army generals that had been presenting disobedience and some form of resistance to its decision and prisoned them, re-engineered judicial system by attaining control over electoral system that decides court and high-court’s members (or members of any legal part of judicial system), dismissed senior ambassadors and state officials (because they were previous system's representatives), introduced auto-control mechanism on journalists by prisoning some journalist who dared to criticize AKP publicly and by tax penalties³ ($2.5bn) received by liberal media bosses. In the end, what Turkey has in her hands is not only rapists walking on her streets, but also murderous police officers whose actions had resulted the brutality shown in the picture above this article. There is legal violence in Turkey. Please also remember that a police officer who shot an unarmed protestor in the head is still free and serving in Turkey, since there are no public prosecutors that might accuse him of doing what AKP asked.

Every single one of these issues listed on the paragraph above needs at least thousands of words, and will be addressed in detail in this blog.

http://sozcu.com.tr/2013/gundem/topbastan-gezi-parki-aciklamasi-310522/

http://www.turnusol.biz/public/haber.aspx?id=16910&pid=19

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do%C4%9Fan_Holding

Tuesday, 29 October 2013

A Modernization to Death!

İstanbul - Ataşehir

AKP has been over-achieving in its struggles to modernize Turkish Islam, as well as Istanbul as a side project, by creating its conservative bourgeoisie, or by converting the existing neo-liberal bourgeoisie to a more manageable and more conservative social class in Turkey.

The ‘social engineering’ projects that AKP have had, resulted in mass civil disobedience acts on June 2013, and fever has not totally calmed down yet. The image on top of this article from İstanbul¹ actually represents many problems with the current administration in Turkey. What is unique about Turkey in the world is that she has achieved ‘Secularism’ and it is highly supported by the general public also (92% of Turkey thinks that religion should not be involved with the state affairs²).

To identify the problems of this populist AKP, it neither plans for more conservative public nor a secular state. The goal is to introduce an Islamic Republic as current PM, Mr. Erdogan said in a meeting in 1997³. Quoting from Mr. Erdogan’s speech; ‘Democracy is a tool, not an aim’. Combining this speech with one of Mr. Erdogan's last televized interviews; 'The times that I go to the office in Dolmabahçe Palace, I see people coming from Kadıköy (means the people on in-city ferry services). What they wear is not something that I find appropriate. But I respect them and say to myself they are a part of the society. I tolerate that, and expect the same from them'⁴.

So please re-evaluate the images below from the opening ceremonies of the 3. Bridge of İstanbul and Marmaray Tunnel Projects. What can be added is ‘At least there are women allowed to be there’!

3. Bridge Openning Ceremony

Marmaray Openning Ceremony

A Speculation on Turkey and her NATO and Non-NATO Alliances

The Missile Deal with China

“"This is treason!" NATO officers are shocked because Turkey wants to buy anti-aircraft missiles from China. But the Turks for the model from the Far East would be cheaper - and it would have other advantages.” wrote the German magazine, Der Spiegel, on October 16, 2013¹. The deal has created vibrant reactions among the NATO allies. One officer from the UK stated that it would open the security gates that will be difficult to close again, a general from the US said that a NATO partner should not make such an important, safety-related sourcing from China.

This entire ruction may be understood historically, since Turkey’s / Ottoman Empire’s foreign relationships with the eastern hemisphere have always had its ups and downs. Even when the negotiations were being held and Ottoman Empire had declared its neutrality, Churchill ordered² the seizure of the two Turkish battleships on 1914, a day after the declarations of war to Germany, which had helped propel Turkey into an alliance with Germany. Later on, the two replacement ships given by Germany to the Ottoman Naval forces ended up carrying out surprise raids on Theodosia, Novorossisk, Odessa and Sevastopol, sinking a Russian minelayer, a gunboat and 14 civilian ships³. A Russian alliance for Turks has always been an improbable case, and unwanted block for the western hemisphere, regardless of which side of the politic balance they are on.

After decades of wars, risings and fallings of the emperors, governments and countries; the world is yet to witness another term of multipolar politics. Although China has never played a significant role on the world’s history as a major player since the invention of the gun powder, and is not likely to be able to perform such an achievement in the near future; it has both the intentions and the efforts to reach that innovative point once again. Turkey has joined NATO in 1952 and even though her current government fights the foundation and the basic principles of the Republic, and the generations who she has raised with global personalities (respecting the basic human rights, believing the justice, equality, and freedom of speech, and secular) with Western values; Turkey has become inseparable from the Western hemisphere, maybe a part of it. Chinese Missile Deal is only a useful tool, probably an overused card at the moment. Both economically and politically, Turkey lacks the ability to stand alone.

Naively enough, without knowing how it might be perceived at this side of the Atlantic, in a particular country, Jackson Diehl wrote to Washington Post⁴. His point was obviously to criticize President Obama’s foreign policies, but it really touched a point unintentionally. But the exact words are “Let’s suppose for the moment that al-Qaeda’s new base in eastern Syria, Hezbollah’s deployment of tens of thousands of missiles in Lebanon and the crumbling of the U.S.-fostered Iraqi political system pose no particular threat to America. That still leaves U.S. allies in the region — Israel, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Turkey — marooned in a scary new world where their vital interests are no longer under U.S. protection”. It should also be stated after this quotation, what Turkey needs is not protection but a reliable alliance.

Monday, 28 October 2013

Who won the local elections in 2009? What might happen in 2013?

In accordance with the last successes, AKP won the last local elections in 2009 for Ankara without a surprise. The map¹ above shows which district had voted for which party. Also note that more than 70% of Ankara population live inside the circle in the centre of the map. The districts inside the circle are Çankaya, Yeni Mahalle, Etimesgut, Keçiören, Mamak, Altındağ, Pursaklar, and Sincan (For more detailed information please visit the reference item 2 below the text). Those are the main districts that one may hear in a conversation about Ankara. MHP had failed to keep its promising candidate, and has already failed producing another promising candidate for Ankara. The next election will be in between AKP and CHP. Whichever gets a larger fraction from MHP’s electors will win Ankara for four years. The candidate of course is the most important factor for the opposition, because even with the basic mathematic, distributing the total MHP votes only increases the difference that already exists. Both CHP and AKP are yet to announce their candidates, but there is strong chance that current mayor will be running for the ruling party again. The rest of the opposition in Ankara waits for a promising candidate from CHP. Without a strong candidate from CHP, Ankara will be AKP's playground once again.

Ankara Metropolitan Municipality
Party	Candidate	Count of Votes	Percentage
Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi	Melih Gökçek	940.230	%38,53
Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi	Murat Karayalçın	763.879	%31,30
Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi	Mansur Yavaş	667.871	%27,37
Saadet Partisi	Veysel Candan	29.878	%1,22
Demokratik Toplum Partisi	Hayriye Kamile Öncel	11.353	%0,47
Winng Party	Winning Candidate	Total Count of Votes
Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi	Melih Gökçek	2.440.455

Sunday, 27 October 2013

What’s happening in Ankara and at METU? / 2

Again, what is it about?

It is customary in democracies that a person, a group of people may demonstrate against a project that they do not agree or have another opinion on the matter. This time, the demonstrators are simply university students who do not agree the road project that will pass through their campus. It is just this simple.

Daily Life of a METU Student

What do the authorities do?

Unfortunately, it is something that people have gotten inured to; ‘police violence’ and state-backed brutality.

During the Gezi Park protests, Ethem Sarısülük, who was unarmed (and legally cannot be intervened by deadly force and globally cannot be considered as an act off self-defence), was shot in the head by a policeman in the central square Kızılay of the capital Ankara.¹

Yesterday, 26.10.2013, a student was ambushed by the police forces(?) in the campus forest (which is the result of a hard work of a long course of time), got beaten up, thrown into the FIRE! There are second degree burns in the victim’s abdominals and knees, and his head was cracked open (Please, see the picture below).This also has to be documented that during the countless police interventions and tear gas firing, random bush fires occur in the campus forests. And in Turkey, police forces cannot (or should not in this case) intervene in the campus areas unless they were invited by the campus administration. This is not a university bylaw, it exist in the common laws.

The Student After the Police Intervention

What hurts the public conscious is that whoever did this will not receive legal punishment. The questions: ‘How can anyone be sure about this? Don’t you need more proof in order to say this?’ can be answer by extrapolating from what happened in Ethem’s case; the lawyer of the defendant policeman is now a candidate from the ruling party, AKP.² It is a justification for what happened and only endorses the police brutality. But also it should not be forgotten that PM Erdogan himself gave a speech during the Gezi Park Protest stating ‘They ask that who gave the order to clear(?) Taksim Square? I did!’³

What might happen in the near future?

The people of Turkey have shown the sensitivity to the abuse of their children once. If this happens once again, one might expect mass demonstrations across country. The other scenario is the AKP had managed the previous crisis successfully and oppressed/scared the free-thinking average Turkish person so that they will not present any problems by not agreeing with the every decision this administration takes. All of us are yet to see which one of these possible future predictions will come true.

Friday, 25 October 2013

What’s happening in Ankara and at METU?

Tell me about Middle EARTH Technical University;

Middle East Technical University is one of the most popular universities across Turkey. In the global listings, it is either the first or the second from Turkey. Since the foundation of the university in the middle of a steppe in Ankara, members/students/academics of this university have been creating value for both the world and the country. Of course this cannot be achieved under supressing regime, #METU has always been the ‘rebellious child ‘of this country.

One of these values is the FOREST in Ankara. This success is something to brag about for any person that is affiliated with this university. The discussions are yet to be done, the municipality of Ankara had invaded the campus through cutting the fences siding to a neighbourhood where the planned road will pass in a midnight operation on 18^th of October.

For further information about the university; www.metu.edu.tr

Where is this road, why is it important?

The need for this in-city highway is still controversial, and the press releases such as ‘We are at the gates of METU’ from the mayor of Ankara only increase the tension. Necessity or not, more than 3000 trees had been cut for the sake of this road, on the assault (The only word that can be used here) on 18^th of October. The plans are on the siding image next to this paragrapgh (also please notice Ankara’s new shopping mall on the map which is to be opened in late October). The midnight operation is considered ‘illegal act’ by many, since the plans were/are on-hold due to an objection made by the university administration.

What happened to ‘Shire’?

Some students have started to call their campus as Shire, referring to J. R. Tolkien’s famous novel the Lord of the Rings. The image below resembles ‘The Isengard’ Tower’ in the second movie to many eyes and to mine with three police busses and the countless construction vehicles. Please, note that the vehicles are on a place where was once a forest.

How does METU take the news?

Every year METU hosts an event of ‘Tree Planting Festival’. This year’s first festival happened on 25^th of October with a massive participation, and the theme was to plant as many as trees in order to cover for the damage given by the municipality. There will be another on 3^rd of November. It seems that trees are more important than the road for METU people, the HOBBITS.

Hobbits Planting Trees

Turkish Interior Ministry and YOGA

This video¹ is about 'Apostasy in Islam' and this guy basically says that people who were born non-Muslims should not be forced to turn to Islam but convincing them should be tried. But an apostate person (Muslim born?) first should be talked out from their decision. If that does not work, they should be thrown into jail, and if that doesn't work either, the apostate should be killed.

This is why I/We need 'SECULARISM' in this country.

This is what all the protests were actually about, at least for me. They were/are in order to survive, since #AKP's first agenda is to turn the secular state into a Muslim state.

P.S. Interior Ministry has started a research in order to decide on whether 'YOGA' is appropriate in an Islamic point of view or not.²

Welcome Message

Why does even such a blog exist? Isn't there enough? Why is it in English?

It is about sharing. I wish to catalogue my opinions, and reach people through http://disgruntledyoungpenguin.blogspot.com/

During the recent protest wave in Turkey, June 2013, I have noticed that I was not alone in this country. Before that, I always believed that I and my social circle were the only ones, who was disgruntled by the rapes, violence against women (both domestic and out there in the street), sexual harassment in business life, unfair working conditions, labour rights, child abuse, human rights, animal rights and etc.

I do not think that there is enough news feed in English from Turkey. This is one of the main reasons to start such a stream. I will try to keep this blog up-to-date as possible as it can be.

Welcome again,

Disgruntled Young Penguin