Category Archives: Personal stories

Birgün: A deportation scandal

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It has turned out that the police, whose use of excessive power in the Gezi protests has been debated repeatedly, have started to do the courts’ jobs. Though the German citizen of Turkish origin Ekim Deniz Doğan who was arrested on July 7 was released by the court, the Public Security Branch Office (a department of the İstanbul Police Department) [...] → Read the full article…

Hürriyet: What if your kid was shot in the head while he was going to buy bread and had not yet woken up after 39 days?

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You see the question in this title… It wipes you out. It shatters you, it ruins you. How can any heart endure this pain? It’s your kid, it’s your life… What could be beyond that? There, Berkin, has been sleeping for 39 days, just like that… He has had two brain surgeries. He is still unconscious. It’s not clear whether [...] → Read the full article…

Friends, companions, comrades!

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Hello friends, comrades! First of all, I salute you with the Taksim revolts unabated excitement. As one of the captives of this revolt, I see all of your never ending determination and celebrate your courageous, honorable actions. Friends, companions, comrades! On these days, we witnessed the collapse of the wall of fear and turning to a massive movement. Taksim has been [...] → Read the full article…

Bianet: Özkan Güven “During the Gezi Resistance All Channels Hid the Public from the Public”

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This is the story of Özkan Güven who resigned from the kitchen of the media that ignored the people on the street but loved penguins. While resigning he said #yasasıngeziruhu (#longlivethespiritofgezi).    I resigned from NTV where I worked as an editor. #yasasıngeziruhu Özkan Güven who resigned from NTV Television because of its broadcasting policies during the Gezi resistance talked to Bianet. Güven tells of the effects of his protest against the media [...] → Read the full article…

Bianet: Those 20 days I spent in Gezi Park were the best days of the 22 years I have had so far

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A verdict has been reached on the trial of Yusufcan Yildirim who has been accused of having ties with four independent illegal organizations.  We discussed his 2-year-1-month long sentence and his days under custody following the Gezi protest. A verdict has been reached on the trial of Yusufcan Yildirim, an undergraduate majoring in political science at Ankara University. He will [...] → Read the full article…

I couldn’t think of a slogan!

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Hello, Cuss-words aside, the participants of Gezi protests created many innovative slogans since the beginning of the Resistance. Among them, one captured my attention: “I couldn’t think of a slogan!”. The writer of this slogan took the streets to express his feelings through graffiti. I guess, s/he couldn’t come up with anything about what was going on and wrote instead, [...] → Read the full article…

Radikal: I am a Looter (Çapulcu) in prison and I miss you, my brothers and sisters – Kubilay İyit

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Kubilay Yiğit is a Master’s student in the Faculty of Fine Arts Musicology Department of Dokuz Eylül University. He was taken into custody in a dawn raid on 20th June as a consequence of the Gezi Park events. He was arrested on the 23rd of June and transferred to Kırıklar F Type prison. He wrote a letter to his comrades [...] → Read the full article…

theguardian: The ongoing Turkish protests have left us enlightened and emboldened

Turkish anti-government protesters in Gezi Park, Istanbul

The overseas interest has waned but our protests continue amid a brutal government crackdown and give us reason to smile Turkish anti-government protesters in Gezi Park, Istanbul. Photograph: Bulent Kilic/AFP/Getty Images On 25 June, three weeks after the Gezi Park protest started, an American friend sent me an email. He asked me whether I was OK, and hoped that the [...] → Read the full article…

Firat News: ‘Ministry of justice exonerates torture!’

Although the Ministry of Justice has denied the accusation of the torture of eight people who were arrested during the Gezi Park protests, a refutation has come from 19 year old Özgür Yildirim who was, himself, tortured . Speaking, for the first time, to Firat News Agency (AFN)about what he had been through, Yildirim said, “My toes and my nose [...] → Read the full article…

habersoL: Gezi detainee talked about what he went through in Metris prison; ‘The inmates were recounting their murders’

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Umut Akgül, who was arrested during the Gezi Park protests, talked about what he went through in the cells of Metris Prison where he was held alongside homicide suspects . Akgul was not allowed to sleep for days, was forced to fast and shown news clippings of murders .. The prison attorney’s response was, “This is the prison, enjoy it!” [...] → Read the full article…