Disgruntled Young Penguin

Saturday, 30 November 2013

AKP Government’s New Stick: TAX Inspections

AKP has been using this stick in order to create a ‘calm and obedient’ Turkish society. This effort has proved itself useful in the last decade, and we will be observers to the process whether it succeeds now or not.

As much as it may sound fairly ridiculous, Turkish media has not been always about penguins. The attacks on free speech have always been there. In 90s it was in the form of ‘murder’ by religious terrorist organizations, in 80s it was simply under an authoritarian military coup. In the new millennium, Turkish politics has also improved by adapting to it. This time a more capitalistic, less questionable method has been put in motion; TAX inspection. Some may say that if they have nothing to hide, that should not be problem. But let me clear a point for you. This is Turkey, and nothing is by the book. Yes, Turkey’s biggest goal has been about writing the constitutional law since her birth. But it does not necessarily mean that it has been in use. There had been three military coup d’états, and the most recent one, civil coup d’état of AKP in Turkey. Even the foundation of the country was somehow related to writing a ‘constitutional law’ But there is something about Turkey which may be categorized as a ‘must know’. What is written never applies on daily life, there are always backdoors, or a point open to interpretation. Below, there are some before and after interpretation differences, after being the dissident child. AKP is determinant that it shall be the only voice in Turkey.

Tax Inspections and Fines to National Media

Aydın Doğan who owned a conglomerate of newspapers, news channels, and magazines received a tax fine approximately 2.53 Billion USD based on ‘subjective’ evaluations¹.

Tax Inspection to Gezi Supporters

The owner of the luxurious five star hotel siding one of the entrances of Gezi Park in Taksim, Koç Group, received its fair share from the AKP’s policies. It is obvious that they were neither backing nor opposing the protests, they simply provided safety for the people who were heavily affected by the extreme use of tear gas. One of the refugees of the aforementioned hotel, Divan Hotel, was a German politician, Claudia Roth, defining the scene as ‘battle field like’. The holding's most profitable companied are under investigation for fraud and tax evasion now. ²

Tax Inspection to Gülen and Hizmet Movement

This movement has been quite influential in the Turkish politics in the last decade since it was one of the major fractions that founded AKP. Until AKP came to power in 2002, the Turkish state tried to oppress this initiative due to their religious tendencies. This group, usually referred as ‘Cemaat’, holds a position like Tea Party in the United States, only more conservative and less nationalist. Fetullah Gülen, the head of this organization is a successful manager of this umbrella organization combined of different religious fragments in Turkey, yet not a politician. To make it short, cemaat gained larger autonomy under AKP Government, and therefore the conflict of interests has started. It is only surfacing now, but intolerant ruling of AKP had decided to clear cemaat from Turkish State in 2004³. The owners of the companies that are close to this organization are being investigated for several charges including tax evasion of course⁴.

Thursday, 28 November 2013

#Gezi Will Keep Producing

TORNİSTAN - AYCE KARTAL from ALTIN PORTAKAL FİLM FESTİVALİ on Vimeo.

A free press can, of course, be good or bad, but, most certainly without freedom the will never be anything but bad.

Ayçe Kartal, apparently another fellow penguin, has been winning international awards with her hand drawn animation film¹.

I personally wish the best of luck to her, and other fellow penguins.

http://vimeo.com/74298146

Wednesday, 13 November 2013

Gezi in One Song

There are several references which were the reasons that drove / was driving Turkish people to the streets in the clip¹ and what we have here my friends is the true form of art;

Sound of pots and pans;

A protests method used by people for decades, but the voice at the start of the video belongs to PM Erdogan with his usual ignorance and arrogance

Inconsistent remarks;

PM Erdogan has some speeches which even contradict with each other and which were on crucial matters regarding the attitude of the state. There is even a video clip named ‘1 PM, 2 Erdogan’²compiled with only his contradicting speeches.

Sold Forests;

The trees both in Gezi Park and in the route of the planned 3^rd bridge of İstanbul that passes through a dense forest zone

Knocked down cinema;

Emek Movie Theatre like Gezi Park, it reminded the Secular Republic to AKP, and was demolished in 2013 in order to build a shopping mall. The demolishment had started at March 2013, and had been completed May 2013, just before Gezi Park demolishment was about to start. The insults were enough for Turkish people, the public unrest has started.

Of course AKP’s police force again used extreme measures on the people who just wished their cinema to remain³. The footage is from May 22, 2013, before Gezi Protests.

Crossing the bridge;

The 3^rd bridge of İstanbul is named⁴ after one of the Ottoman Sultans, Yavuz Sultan Selim who is known for the mass killing of alevites who are a major part of current Turkish population, and strong supporters of secularism in Turkey.

The video clip itself is also worth mentioning with the police crackdown scenes and my favourite scene with the penguins⁵. During the protests, CNN-TURK, one of the major news channels in Turkey broadcasted a penguin documentary, which became the symbol of the resistance, or Çapulcu’s⁶.

Tuesday, 12 November 2013

Numbers Matter, Especially When They Are Manipulated

With the recent assults of AKP, Turks have started to give more importance to the National Days of the republic. Since the discussions of first/second republic had already started after AKP's decade of ruling, numbers have also started to matter for many more than ever.

In Nov. 10, 2013; 1.089.615 people had visited Anıtkabir, Atatürk's Mausoleum, in order to pay their respects to the founding father of the republic on the memorial day of his passing¹. The number had doubled the last record which was in Oct 29, 2013 (Republic Day) with 438.452 visitors ².

Some number related questions on Turkey's recent agenda;

How many people had gathered for Gezi?
How many people had attended to the public speech of PM Erdogan in Kazlıçeşme?
How many people had voted for AKP?
How many foreigners had received Turkish passport, so that they can vote for AKP in the upcoming elections?

The last question is frequently asked by some 'harsh kemalists' or dissisents of AKP since the number of voters had risen up from 41.4 million in 2002 to 42.8 million in 2007 and to 52.7 million people in 2011³.

The data of the Supreme Election Committee presented above, does not coincide neither with Turkish Statistical Institute's numbers, nor with the Central Population Management System of the Interior Manipulation, sorry the Interior Ministry.

Thursday, 7 November 2013

Revealed! The sneaky plan behind the misleading mix-dorm/mix-housing discussions, all was to hide this fact!

Who/What is TMMOB?

It is the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects, which resisted the demolishment of Gezi Park in Taksim as a part of Taksim Solidarity¹.

What is going on?

TMOBB had faced the administration regarding their unlawful acts on several issues. The AKP government did not welcome an opposition, which revealed the illegal, improper acts of them, had enforced the legal and proper ways.

AKP government is finalizing their assault on TMMOB which has started with a minor attack in an omnibus bill which had been passed in the national assembly on July 10, 2013 (when Gezi Park protests were going on)². TMOBB was stripped off its authorities on auditing ‘maps, plans and investigations’.

The chamber of forest engineers is conjoined to administration under ministry of forestry and water affairs, and the study to conjoin 11 other chambers to ministry of environment and urban planning has been set in motion³.

All the constituents of a healthy democracy are under attack in Turkey, the global misconception that AKP is a democrat party should end now. What AKP is doing is undermining the DEMOCRACY in every front.

When Turkey Took Torture to the Streets

The video is prepared by Amnesty International, but here is something that happened after that video is prepared. They are not being related to each other, but it helps explaining the differences in between Turkish administration’s and civilized world’s views.

The people, who have lost their eyes due to the heavy police crackdowns, are being prosecuted now in Turkey. Çağdaş Küçükbattal, who has lost his eye on 31^st of May 2013 and was planning his 3^rd consecutive surgery, was taken under custody by the police¹. His basic right to receive his immediate medical treatment is being restrained now.

As it appears the reason for police asking the list of people who had lost their eyes from TTB (Turkish Medical Association) has never been about compensation, it was to track people down and hunt them down.

http://www.ttb.org.tr/index.php/Haberler/gezi-4103.html

Wednesday, 6 November 2013

Freedom of Assembly in Turkey (if such a thing exits)

Writing: #Diren (#Resist)

Higher Education Committee & AKP & AKP Police Force vs. University Students

On the 6th of November 2013, on the date of its foundation anniversary, YÖK (Higher Education Committee) was protested as a tradition in several cities in Turkey. Ali İsmail Korkmaz's name was heavily mentioned who died during the Gezi Park protests. He was 19 years old university student and beaten by a group of people including undercover police officers on June 2, 2013 and had lost his life on July 10, 2013 after being comatose due to the recieved injuries for 38 days ¹. And please note that theyoungest impriosened journalist in the world, amongs many other, attending one of these protest was included to his charges. For further information: http://disgruntledyoungpenguin.blogspot.com/2013/11/it-is-not-easy-to-be-journalist-in_4.html

As always, Ankara had faced the harshest police crack-down. Ankara University, faculty of language, history and geography had been occupied by the university students in order to hang a banner. Smokes arose from the building, the cause remains unknown.

It is well-known that during Gezi Park protests, Hatay and Ankara had their unfair share from the wrath of the Turkish administration. Gathering in the central square of Turkey is forbidden, and even standing in Taksim Square might be a reason to be detained by the police (#Durandam, #StandingMan protests²).

P.S. These students, no matter how many of them are out in the street, are invisible to Turkish media. With few exceptions, Turkish media has completely ignored the protests below. This is what angers Turks, this is why people on the streets are mad, angry, disgruntled.

Ankara

Antalya after the intervention with TOMA (Water Cannon)

Bursa

Çanakkale

Eskişehir

İstanbul

İzmir

İzmit

Mersin

Sivas

Tekirdağ