Orsan Senalp on Mon, 10 Jun 2013 06:26:20 +0200 (CEST) |
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<nettime> Fwd: [WSF-Discuss] a brief update about #OccupyGezi and Capulcu (Looters') Uprising in Turkey |
the below was a response in WSF discussion list, copying here with the hope that it could serve as an update on what is happening in Turkey. Apologies for cross posting. Solidairty, Orsan ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Orsan Senalp <orsan1234@gmail.com> Date: 10 June 2013 01:40 Subject: Re: [WSF-Discuss] a brief update about #OccupyGezi and Capulcu (Looters') Uprising in Turkey To: Discussion list about the WSF <worldsocialforum-discuss@openspaceforum.net> Thanks Jai, Piran, Tord and Jan for your emails. Let me reply with another brief update and a correction. The correction is about the general strike. On the 5th of June, when I wrote, it was the 2. Day of the general strike and at the same time it was a religious day (kandil), I wasn???t aware of the kandil, there are several kandils and I don???t remember which one was that one but it was the real reason why the squares started to day quite while there were two general strike put forward by DISK and KESK, two progressive labour confederations. In the last update, I didn???t explain where the term ???Capulcu??? came from and what does it mean? Which would also a good point to enter to the question of the configuration of the masses on the streets and squares, flags, ideologies, alliances we observe so on. The term ???Capulcu??? comes from the prime minister; so-called Hitler Tayyip Erdogan (pity that the subtitles are Turkish but you should see this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUMXAL_5MiA ). Capulcu means looters, marauders, or pillagers. Tayyip used to term to address those people protesting at Gezi Park and therefore protecting the looting of it, the last green space remaining in central Istanbul. He also called them ???two alcoholics??? (Ayyas). Before the police gassed moderate and peaceful environmental or ???right to the city??? activists staying in the Park for several days already -at dust time around 5am in the morning, while in their tents- such aggressive discourse was paving the way to aggression. In response to the way police obeyed the orders, many of us on the facebook and twitter changed our account names and added Capulcu or Ayyas, or both of these, like ???Capulcu Ayyas Orsan?????? Recently there were another incident; a similar reaction came from moderate nationalists or Kemalists in reaction to the governments??? move of removal of the ???TC??? phrase (means Turkish Republic) from the official names related to laws and public institutions etc. So this latter Capulcu/Ayyas action was masses a both mas mimicking -to the previous action- but also Tayyip???s agression / antinomy. Actually he was ???the mother of all the looters???, as one activist put it online. Since 2004 rivers, forest areas, public enterprises, education, health,???. He looted everything that was belong to the ???public???, was looted, privatised (http://www.invest.gov.tr/en-US/investmentguide/Pages/10Reasons.aspx) . Anyway, since then ???Capulcu??? has become an overarching meme, an identity for many. As far as I can see, now all the involved parties, from left, to Kurdish or Turkish left nationalists, socialists, anarchists, environmentalist, feminist, right to city activists, unionists, but most importantly those first time activists and non-organisational masses agree on that: We are all Gezi, we are all Capulcu! The fact that since more than 100 years, various groups which were defining each other as enemy could come and fight together, is a brilliant thing. After a long time fight, Ocalan???s arrest was in 1998, in the Kurdish Question, there has been reached to a point where AKP has to launch a ???peace process???, which would make a democratic solution possible. About which Kurdish movement have serious doubts. Now because of the peace process, BDP (Peace and Democracy Party ??? of Kurdish movement) and the Kurdistan region, tough supporting the protests, seeing it legitimate struggle, they do not actively take streets and clash with the state. One important bridge maker has been Sitki Surreya Onder (https://www.facebook.com/sirri.sureyya.1), an independently elected BDP parliamenter, with positive and encompassing opposition to AKP. He stood with those who fight against the HESs (Hydroelectric dams), large Dams, gold mines, forestry massacre so on. Many of those platforms that were formed in last 10 years to organise the rural struggles (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=494816007255262&set=a.155695707833962.38362.155679444502255&type=1&theater), has links to the key actors and groups that are taking part in the Taksim Solidarity Platform. Sureyya Onder went there to Gezi Park at the first day to stop the demolishing of the Park, and involved in the fight on the ground. Doing so he played a crucial role, independent from the BDP, in linking the left struggle against neoliberalism to the democracy and peace struggle of the Kurdish movement. At the end while BDP and its slogans, emblems, wasn???t there officially Onder???s strong link to the massive uprising linked Kurdish activists, or those defending the Kurdish movement to the protests in Western cities. The fact that, the tipping point was the Park, police used cruel ways to deal with moderate demands and protests, and that the leading groups were not ???marjinals??? usual suspects, the people without any ???affiliation??? did take the streets almost immediately. As long as it goes like this it is clear that no one group, no one ideology, flag, emblem, symbol can dominate the other, weight of the mass makes this impossible. This is not necessarily a new thing, but what was new is that there are other parts of the masses that are giving communicational and organisational support to those on the ground by using social media; to support those stacked in a street i.e. during the police attack, by warning those living on that region to leave the front doors of their apartment, coordinating the legal, or medical support, making international links, translations etc. So ???the people??? at home, abroad, and on the streets and the activists from organised groups got linked to each other and they intensely collaborate consciously or unconsciously, willingly or unwillingly this happens. The police and the state has a limited capacity to fight back, they remain far weak. There are tons of embarrassing thing happening on behalf of the state and government every day, and cultural productions making fun of the Erdogan, Police, the state comes almost within an hour. The speculators, propagators are falling short because of this connectivity and high activist productivity. Gezi Parki, or ???Capulcu Kent??? as they renamed is liberated and a commune built in it. There are occupy tents, live streams of ???Capul TV???(http://www.capul.tv/) and Gezi Radio (http://geziradyo.org/) I have to stop here now, last thing is that, what we saw today (9.6.2013) that Tayyip is pushed in a corner. He did not lose his mind so showing aggression against his people. He is not dividing the society right from the middle just because of his uncontrolled ego. He is stacked, because Gulen and some other forces who made him, now wants him to go. Erdogan claimed in one of his speech he made today, he did 4 in total, that the Turkish Spring, if ever, happened in 2002 December, when AKP elected for the first time. In a sense, if we comparing Turkey to the current situation of the Arab spring, that is true. Muslim Brothers??? type of neoliberal-authoritarian Islam took the power then in Turkey, after the 2001 banking/financial crisis, which were very similar to the global crisis of 2008. Then the ???AKP project??? was formulated in the US, as an alliance between Milli Gorus and Gulen Cult. After 2002 Erdogan and Gulen were expanding their power all over, also supressing all the opposition. They created their own international capitalists like ULKER, that organised under MUSIAD. On the road many times the clash between Gulen and Tayyip become visible. Clash of interest only increased in time. Now some international media and Gulen media is using the atmosphere to show Gulen and its man as good police, while Tayyip is smoothly criticized as bad police. In response to you Tord, I agree about the text and approach and I think the link is already there working though the platform and Sureyya Onder. The formulation of the demands (http://occupywallst.org/article/occupygezi-has-demands/), as well as the identification of other rural struggles like this one: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=494823297254533&set=a.155695707833962.38362.155679444502255&type=1&theater or this one https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/942581_494598480610348_145555455_n.png -natural destruction plans in Van province, where they will cut down 250.000 trees. I will try to write more soon. In solidarity, Orsan On 9 June 2013 21:26, Tord Bj??rk <tord.bjork@gmail.com> wrote: > Yes gentrification is central, but a word which very few understand. > So what to say instead, i tried with using social life as something in > that direction. But i claim that the trees still are crucial, listen > to the songs, and statements made. And I also thought it was crucial > to create a link between the struggle on the countryside and the urban > struggle. My impression from visiting activists in Istanbul is that > there was a strong ecological concerns especially linking water and > trees as key images between urban and rural activists. And I thought > that if one makes it an issue of both anti gentrification and nature > it would weaken Erdogan's position and create a larger base for > international support, ... > > Tord > > On Sun, Jun 9, 2013 at 8:38 PM, Jan Wiklund <jawi@tele2.se> wrote: >> I don't have a clear suggestion, but Tord's version seems a bit narrow... >> The leading Swedish conservative (!) newspaper Svenska Dagbladet has today >> highlighted the social struggle - that the issue is gentrification, that >> poor people are sacrifized and literally thrown out of their homes into the >> streets to give room for wealthier people, that the leading politicians are >> extremely callous, and even talking about visas for visiting city cores, >> i.e. visas for Turkish people - "if they don't have money they are not >> welcome", and so on (a feature, not in the internet edition). >> >> There is a golden opportunity to castigate neoliberal class arrogance as >> well as neoliberal environmental destruction, I think. But I can't come up >> with the wording yet. >> >> Jan Wiklund >> >> >> >> 9 jun 2013 kl. 20.18 skrev Tord Bj??rk: >> >> >>> Dear Orsan and all! >>> >>> >>> My interest is especially how international solidarity can be >>> organized now when the situation is drastically changed. If I >>> understand correctly Erdogan is still insisting on building the mall >>> in Gezi Park in spite of different opinion among his closest political >>> allies. >>> >>> This maybe changes the situation both in Turkey and abroad. In Turkey >>> it might be hard to maintain the same mobilization level for very >>> long. I do not know but at times this is the case when there is not a >>> total revolution going on which as far as I understand is not the case >>> (yet). >>> >>> Internationally this means that there is far more chance to mobilize >>> as the case is now widely known and there is time for continuing >>> protesting. So how to organize wider solidarity and who to address is >>> crucial. >>> >>> The image of the protest in international media I guess have been very >>> positive, at least to such groups that could be included among those >>> that can be mobilized for solidarity action. That the Turkish flag is >>> often seen I guess to many people in common is interpreted as a symbol >>> of we the people against the state, not mainly as nationalistic so I >>> do not believe that is a problem. >>> >>> International mobilization today can be seen as an automatic issue, >>> just use the Internet. This has worked very well so far. But If >>> Erdogan is as unable to change his mind as it seems there is a need of >>> a far wider mobilization then so far. >>> >>> I think in terms of trying to mobilize people in both rural and urban >>> areas with the help of the two clear conflict issues at stake, that of >>> cutting down trees and thus destroy nature and that of destroying >>> social life by replacing it with shopping everywhere. If one formulate >>> it this way and not only in terms of cities supporting each others one >>> might have the possibility of getting both small peasant organizations >>> as Via Campesina and environmental organizations on board as well as >>> organizations for people renting their apartments. I have some >>> contacts with Via Campesina and Friends of the Earth and could amek an >>> effort if you Orsan think it is useful >>> >>> I think the best way for an international mobilization is to use such >>> language that maximizes support and at the same time weakens the rural >>> basis of Erdogan by avoiding turning the issue into a struggle about >>> who is ruling the state. >>> >>> It could go a bit like this: >>> >>> We are all Gezi Park defenders! >>> >>> Trees are the protectors of humanity. They give us water and relief >>> for our souls showing the greatness of the planet we live on. People >>> in the cities and the countryside need trees for their survival as >>> living human beings. To take all the trees away and replace them with >>> buildings, dams and machines is to sacrifice our deep connection with >>> nature and all what nature brings to our tables to enable a good life. >>> >>> This is why we support the protests in Turkey against the decision by >>> the prime minister to continue with the plan to build a shopping mall >>> in the Gezi Park in the Heart of Istanbul. Two people have died in the >>> protests and almost 2000 have been arrested so far. Continuing the >>> shopping mall project at any cost makes Turkey a country lacking >>> interest in listening to the people. >>> >>> The future of the planet is at stake. Businessmen tells us all that >>> the essence of life is shopping. If we do not shop more and more we >>> will die, or at least there will be no work and thus no food on the >>> table. This is a lie. Food on our table comes from the efforts of >>> those working on the fields to grow food. There is meaningful work >>> also in a world were shopping is not the dominating ever growing >>> essence of society. >>> >>> The people of Istanbul and all over Turkey are struggling for us all. >>> The same resistance against shopping taking over our lives goes on >>> everywhere in the cities and towns as well as on the countryside. But >>> in Istanbul it has reached a point were those defending life are >>> facing those with money and arms in a historical battle. The Gezi Park >>> defenders show that social life without shopping malls is valuable and >>> that the destruction of nature can be stopped. >>> >>> Let us show they are not alone. Let us show that to Turkish interests >>> who can stop the attack on those that defend nature and a rich social >>> life based on other values than shopping. >>> >>> Long live the trees in Gezi Park and their defenders in Istanbul and >>> elsewhere! >>> >>> >>> >>> On Sun, Jun 9, 2013 at 5:26 PM, <maniazad@gmx.net> wrote: >>>> >>>> My dear Orsan, thanks >>>> just a question, so many flags of Turkey in fotos, Poster and films are >>>> merely carried by Kemalists or the other, like leftists and >>>> nonorganizedpeople, as well? lets say how strong is the nationalist trend >>>> and how is the response of anticapitalists? pls write more about the >>>> people >>>> of Occupy-Gezi. >>>> Piran Azad >>>> >>>> Gesendet: Mittwoch, 05. Juni 2013 um 17:00 Uhr >>>> Von: "Orsan Senalp" <orsan1234@gmail.com> >>>> An: "Discussion list about the WSF" >>>> <worldsocialforum-discuss@openspaceforum.net>, squares >>>> <squares@lists.takethesquare.net>, "WSF L&G" >>>> <wsf-l-and-g@lists.contrast.org>, esf-l-and-g >>>> <Esf-l-and-g@lists.contrast.org> >>>> Betreff: [WSF-Discuss] a brief update about #OccupyGezi and Capulcu >>>> (Looters') Uprising in Turkey >>>> I am based in the Netherlands but have been following Turkey closely >>>> since 2004, when I moved here from there. >>>> >>>> In Turkey I was working for Oleyis and DISK, progressive union and its >>>> confederation. I was also working for a PM at the parliament as an >>>> adviser. Erdogan government then kicked off its full fledged >>>> neoliberal offensive towards social and labour rights and nature in >>>> Turkey. But it also did the same towards the 'state class' >>>> (traditional secular elite in turkey fusion of large capital groups >>>> and military, bureaucratic cadre). Since I left the country, I have >>>> been intensely following and writing about the AKP rule, states >>>> transformation in Turkey within the global political economy context. >>>> I know the organised actors on the ground, I have also been follow??ng >>>> the OccupyGez?? uprising from the beginning. So I could try to briefly >>>> inform others:: >>>> >>>> As you know the 'unrest' sparked from the Gezi Park which is located >>>> next to the Taksim Square. Where big clashes took place last month >>>> between police and the people ??t was about the May 1 mobilisation. The >>>> meetings organised by Gezi Park?? resistance platform which is mainly >>>> resisting the commodification of the City and public spaces..They >>>> started to gather at the Park on the 28 and 29. The engagement with >>>> police on the 30st and the brutal attacks came from police on the 31st >>>> however sparked the massive nation wide uprising against the >>>> government. Social media has been used by act??v??sts and c??t??zens >>>> exactly like it was used in Tunis, Egypt, 15M, 15O and OccupyWS, >>>> Peaceful protest meetings met with brutal oppression by the police, >>>> pictures and info coming out on that second generated anger and it >>>> spread with the speed of light. There were reports from uprising and >>>> clashes at around 70 cities ??n 3rd day of the protests, Millions of >>>> people went out to the streets, parks and squares, most of the time >>>> peacefully in almost each >>>> case pol??ce attacked severely by using strong gasses and chemicals. >>>> There were speculations of course but feelings anger and message >>>> spread very fast. >>>> >>>> The main stream Media, almost 30 privately owned TV channels as well >>>> as many radio stations didn't put anything on air about what was >>>> happening on the street and central squares across the country ??n many >>>> large cities including largest ones: Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, >>>> Eskisehir. Since 2 days ago this was the case and,almost 5 days long >>>> total black out was adding more people to the revolt. The aggressive >>>> and macho reaction of the head of the government towards masses and >>>> media's total silence, only grew the anger and participation. Many non >>>> party, non organised people followed the events via social media, live >>>> streaming, twitter, facebook and went out to the streets. Same as in >>>> other cases like Wall Street occupation but here participation went >>>> massive in very short time, without mainstream media coverage. Being >>>> under attack and huge protests >>>> (https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HrXD4UVyDow) >>>> now media is apologising now and started to show some moderate and >>>> very limited most of the time manipulated news from the ground. The >>>> uprising and message went beyond the Park in the first day, democracy >>>> become the central issue, people everywhere calls Erdogan to resign, >>>> solidarity actions and groups spread across the world, it is feeding >>>> in other countries as it happened before with the precious uprisings. >>>> >>>> At the moment protests and gatherings continue and no one knows where >>>> is this headed, the momentum is lower today thogh in comparison to >>>> yesterday on the tw??tter and Facebook, but also on the streets for the >>>> moment. ??t might be after the apologies came from deputy prime >>>> minister but also president Gul's softer approach. The day before and >>>> yesterday we had also general str??kes by two large confederat??ons, >>>> taking place. So today started as a working day It might get ??nore >>>> intense towards the evening again. There were also arrests related to >>>> tweets sent, and other issues are coming up like the deregulat??on of >>>> the status of the national Parks so they could open them to markets. >>>> >>>> Br??ef background for the Turkish context: >>>> AKP was very successful in braking the rule of traditional elite >>>> structure and capturing the State during its first 2 terms. As one of >>>> the AKP ministers said internal and external conditions were >>>> overlapping, in favour of AKP. Like the post 9/11 US policy, crisis in >>>> the EU, rising of the BRICS etc. By massive privatisations, >>>> reforms/deregulation in health, education, social security as well as >>>> labour market they could attract massive foreign investments; large >>>> portion of the oil profits from the Gulf flew in some says even in >>>> cash carried by large planes. >>>> >>>> Massive infrastructure and City Transformation projects have been >>>> launched and tenders given to emerging new 'green' Anatolian >>>> capital,.Middle and small sized entrepreneurs transformed and >>>> interlocked to these internationalising capital groups. Most >>>> importantly traditionally ruling Military cadre jailed and the rest >>>> got under control. Secret service and other state apparatus as well, >>>> like juridical system, totally captured by the government, but also >>>> its ally international Gulen Cult, whose leader Fetullah Gulen is >>>> living in the US. And the Cult especially strong in and control the >>>> police forces, President Gul is the man of Gulen. >>>> >>>> This was also meant commod??f??cat??on of rivers, lakes, forests, >>>> beaches, parks and trees that are potentially providing large rants to >>>> be transferred to emerging new Islamic elite. Among many other >>>> platforms formed in last years Gezi Park Resistance Platform, alliance of >>>> organisations, left parties and groups were active in the fight against >>>> the >>>> expansion of neoliberalism to all sphares of life its disasterous >>>> outcomes, >>>> >>>> This is for the moment.,I will try to write more on the 'Capulcu' >>>> charachter of the movement and configuration of forces alliances, >>>> in solidarity, >>>> Orsan >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> ** WSFDiscuss is an open and unmoderated forum for the exchange of >>>> information and views on the experience, practise, and theory of the >>>> World >>>> Social Forum at any level (local, national, regional, and global) and on >>>> related social and political movements and issues. 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Join in !** >>> _______________________________________________ >>> WSFDiscuss mailing list >>> POST to LIST : Send email to WorldSocialForum-Discuss@openspaceforum.net >>> SUBSCRIBE: Send empty email to >>> worldsocialforum-discuss-subscribe@openspaceforum.net >>> UNSUBSCRIBE: Send empty email to >>> worldsocialforum-discuss-unsubscribe@openspaceforum.net >>> LIST ARCHIVES: >>> http://openspaceforum.net/pipermail/worldsocialforum-discuss_openspaceforum.net/ >>> LIST INFORMATION: >>> http://openspaceforum.net/mailman/listinfo/worldsocialforum-discuss_openspaceforum.net >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> ** WSFDiscuss is an open and unmoderated forum for the exchange of >> information and views on the experience, practise, and theory of the World >> Social Forum at any level (local, national, regional, and global) and on >> related social and political movements and issues. Join in !** >> _______________________________________________ >> WSFDiscuss mailing list >> POST to LIST : Send email to WorldSocialForum-Discuss@openspaceforum.net >> SUBSCRIBE: Send empty email to >> worldsocialforum-discuss-subscribe@openspaceforum.net >> UNSUBSCRIBE: Send empty email to >> worldsocialforum-discuss-unsubscribe@openspaceforum.net >> LIST ARCHIVES: >> http://openspaceforum.net/pipermail/worldsocialforum-discuss_openspaceforum.net/ >> LIST INFORMATION: >> http://openspaceforum.net/mailman/listinfo/worldsocialforum-discuss_openspaceforum.net > > _______________________________________________ > ** WSFDiscuss is an open and unmoderated forum for the exchange of information and views on the experience, practise, and theory of the World Social Forum at any level (local, national, regional, and global) and on related social and political movements and issues. 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