Türkiye

Hundreds of Turkish police in riot gear breached barricades to force their way into Istanbul's central Taksim Square and fired tear gas at protesters in an attempt to take back control of the makeshift camp, as the prime minister warned "no one will get away with it". Speaking in Ankara as the police operation unfolded in Istanbul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged demonstrators to leave the square and insisted the protests were part of a conspiracy against the government. "To those who ... are at Taksim and elsewhere taking part in the demonstrations with sincere feelings: I call on you to leave those places and to end these incidents and I send you my love. But for those who want to continue with the incidents I say: 'It's over.' As of now we have no tolerance for them," Mr Erdogan said.

The protest movement that has now gripped Turkish society, galvanizing calls all over the country for social change, began when activists only sought to save a local park from being replaced with a shopping mall. Gezi Park, a simple park lined with towering sycamore trees, is the last significant green space in Istanbul, a city now overwhelmed by luxury hotels, pricey lofts, massive shopping malls and gleaming tourist attractions. . . . Berkeley's history as a hotbed of social activism is long and storied. People's Park, a green community space located south of the UCB campus, was often the hub of such activity. The space itself was a symbol of resistance, illegally appropriated on UCB property by activists.

Before outlining different steps that can be taken to help Turkey in these turbulent times, I want make two very important points that can’t be emphasized enough: This is Turkey’s revolution This is NOT a war between secularists and Islamists Whatever you can do to inform the press and your friends/family of these two facts would be a great start. What I mean when I say ‘this is Turkey’s revolution’ is that it should not be seen only in terms of geopolitics or regional trends. It certainly should not be seen only as it may relate to the strategic or economic interests of the West or the United States in particular — a particularly bad habit of the Western media and its elite benefactors. Moreover, its results (should) depend on and belong to the people of Turkey.

Beşiktaş football supporters march past Gezi Park (chanting back and forth their team colors Siyah (black) Beyaz (white)). Alongside the two other central Istanbul football teams Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, they have been accredited with much of the effort taken to defeat the police in Taksim, and now in keeping them from retaking the Park and the Square. It is also important to acknowledge the existence and action of other important 'civil-political' groups and collectives. Gezi Park is becoming increasingly organised with various workshops and activities. Crowds at night have been growing to the point where it is hard to move.