Reporters Without Borders: Occupy Gezi protests lead to wave of arrests of news providers

Reporters Without Borders is very worried by the growing number of news providers being arrested in connection with the continuing anti-government protests in Turkey. “The arrests of news providers throughout the country is a source of deep concern,” Reporters Without Borders said. “We urge the authorities to act with restraint and stop carrying out such arrests, which are so disproportionate [...] → Read the full article…

The star: Turkish trade unions join protests against PM Erdogan – Daren Butler and Humeyra Pamuk

Turkish trade unionists banging drums and trailing banners marched into an Istanbul square on Wednesday, joining unprecedented protests against Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan over what they see as his authoritarian rule. Members of more than a dozen unions chanting “Tayyip resign” marched down a major avenue towards Taksim Square. There were similar protests against Erdogan, prime minister for over 10 [...] → Read the full article…

BBC: Turkey government ‘welcome’ political challenges – Jeremy Bowen

Activists in Turkey have called for the sacking of police chiefs in Istanbul, Ankara and other cities over their forces’ violent responses to protests. They presented a series of demands to Deputy PM Bulent Arinc, who on Tuesday apologised to injured protesters. Thousands of striking workers have joined demonstrations to demand Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan resign. 05 June 2013 [...] → Read the full article…

The World Medical Association: WMA urges Turkish authorities to end excessive force

(05.06.2013) The World Medical Association has called on the Turkish authorities to end immediately the excessive use of force against peaceful protestors and to ensure the right to freedom of expression and assembly. It has also called for an independent and impartial investigation into the excessive use of force and for officials found to have ill-treated demonstrators or other members of [...] → Read the full article…

Hürriyet Daily News: Crowd attacks supporters of Gezi Park protests in Turkish PM Erdoğan’s homeland

  For the first time since the beginning of the countrywide protests which started over the demolition attempt of Istanbul’s Gezi Park, a crowd attacked the supporters of the demonstrations June 5 in the Black Sea town of Rize, homeland of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.  However, a catastrophic rampage was avoided after an escalation of the tension over the course of [...] → Read the full article…

Radikal: Police said, “If you are a lawyer, what are you doing here, whore?”

polissiddeti1

Crime report from the Ankara bar association: The police have committed the crime of torture that is not compatible with human dignity, and they have deployed disproportionate violence. They have beaten people who declared, “I am a lawyer.” The Ankara Bar Council has lodged a crime report and demanded the identity, and started a criminal case against the police officers [...] → Read the full article…

Story of Başak

379736_468150189944439_425674826_n

My name is Başak. I am 21 years old. Who did this to me? Handful of dogs!!! I guess a bit further than this would be death… We are not those provocateurs who, with sticks in their hands, are breaking the windows of the banks, destroying the streets and starting fire, and stirring up people making them run around. It’s true; I participated [...] → Read the full article…

Firat News: KCK – Taksim resistance a message for a new Turkey

In a written statement on the growing public resistance across the country, Kurdish Communities Union (KCK) Executive Council Presidency said the resistance has given a message for the structuring of a new democratic Turkey. KCK called on the Kurdish people to take initiative in the resistance and to take responsibility for the healthy progress of the process together with the [...] → Read the full article…