Thursday, June 13, 2013


As Peace Association Turkey, we share information with you about the public up rise in Turkey. Yesterday, the police attack in Taksim was veryserious and violent
Thank you very much for all your solidarity messages and support
 zeynep bespinar <>

Peace Association Turkey

Police attacked the protestors in Taksim Gezi Park and Square yesterday with unprecedented brutality. The attacks started in the morning, with the play of provocation staged by the police. According to the scenario, a group of protestors threw molotov cocktails at the police while the police called to the protestors to calm down. The show was broadcasted live on the Turkish TV channels, which lost all their credibility because of their one-sided and distorted coverage of the demonstrations.

The government claimed that the protestors are marginal extremists and should be separated from the harmless civilians. This has been the core message of the government discourse in last few days. However, people from all walks of life gathered together in Taksim throughout the day --in the evening their numbers reached a hundred thousand- and thus, defied the provocations of the government and media, which aim at dividing the popular movement. During the night, police attacked ten thousands of people that came together at the square and in the Park. Police used tear gas to disperse the protestors. Despite the extreme police terror, people continued to stay at the main roads that opens out to the square chanting slogans such as “Dictator Recep Tayyip Erdoğan”, “Government resign”, “Shoulder to shoulder against fascism”, “Everywhere is Taksim, resistance everywhere”.

At night, there were demonstrations in almost all neighborhoods of Istanbul and many cities of Anatolia. People came out of their houses to demonstrate their solidarity with the resistance in Taksim.

The rage of the people yesterday was also ignited with the news that came from Caglayan Courthouse in Istanbul where scores of lawyers were unlawfully arrested because they were protesting the police brutality in Taksim. Today lawyers came together in the same courthouse. Not surprisingly, they have grown in numbers. In Ankara lawyers are marching upon the call by the Bar Association of Ankara.

Because of the heavy police attack hundreds of people were injured, some severely, all over Turkey. Scores of people were arrested.

Despite the fascist assaults, people continue their resistance, risking their lives to protect their dignity. Taksim Solidarity, the group that was organized before the demonstrations to stop the notorious Taksim project of the government and has become the speaker of the resistance, has declared June 13 international day of solidarity with the resisting people in Turkey. In this regard, the group invites the progressive people around the world to condemn the police violence carried out by the direct order of the government and to show their solidarity. The Communist Party of Turkey, and many other resisting forces in Turkey, fully supports this initiative of the Taksim Solidarity.