Gezi Parkı Essay

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An Introduction to the “Gezi Park” Protests Gezi protests started by almost 50 people against the government decision to change the “Gezi Park” into Artillery Barracks (It had been there in Ottoman times.) at the end of the May in 2013. That new barracks would include a shopping mall. This is argued by the Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan. Gezi Park is a unique green area at the heart of the Istanbul, Taksim. Protestors did not want to give this green area to a shopping mall or any kind of militarist construction. Because, Gezi Park is the only place that people could breathe smoothly in such a crowded and cosmopolite city like Istanbul. Protestors started to set up tents into the Gezi Park. However, It was not a forbidden activity, the police and the political authority did not allow it. It is all about the political view of the government. According to government’s political view, (not a written view) anyone can speak up and get together against itself. So, police made a hard intervention to the protestors with its weapons like baton and pepper gas. All active protests went on at the end of the June in 2013. Unfortunately, there was a real heavy loss. 6 people died on protests (one of them is a police officer) hundreds of people were injured by the unbalanced force of the police. Gezi Parkı protests are not mere protests to protect a park; those are transformed protests that against all injustice, oppression, divisiveness, prohibitions, lies and authoritarian ruling. Gezi park protestors are intertwined. It was possible to see lots of people from different political views together. Turkey has ever and never lived this type of protests and events in its history. A Short History of AKP The coming to power of the Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi (Justice & Development Party / AKP) in November 2002 was a result of unique historical contingencies. Its

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