Türkiye

Police took extensive measures to cordon off the Central Anatolian city of Kayseri as the first hearing into the murder of Gezi protester Ali İsmail Korkmaz started today after the trial was controversially moved outside Eskişehir, where the 19-year old was living when he was beaten to death, for “security reasons.” The victim’s family was greeted with applause as they entered the courtroom. Emel Korkmaz, the victim’s mother, displayed photographs at the murder suspects. “How could you kill my son without pity? What has he done to you? How can you look at your own children?” she said, daily Hürriyet reported. A total of eight murder suspects, including four police officers, are being tried in Kayseri’s old courthouse, because it has bigger rooms than the new one, as well as due to security measures.

“Reclaim the city” was the hopeful slogan of the protest organized in Kadiköy, on the Asian side of Istanbul today. Around noon two large marches culminated at the sea-side center of the neighborhood, where a large stage surrounded by police barriers would form the epicenter of the protest. How the çapulers imagined to be able to reclaim the city while being caged-up, voluntarily stopped and searched, and obediently repeating the slogans they were served from the MC’s on stage remains a mystery, but as a test-case to see whether the Gezi battle cries could still muster the çapuling troops, the protest can be considered a success. Each of the two marches consisted of thousands and thousands of angry citizens, defiant students, rebellious workers, marching communists, anarchists and environmentalists, all up in arms. Banners were carried proudly on this sunny Sunday afternoon, and the slogans being shouted resonated in the small alleys and backstreets of this old, densely populated neighborhood. The police was present in full riot gear — obviously — hiding in the side streets along the main marching routes, the majority of them relatively young guys, joking about, having a cigarette or absent-mindedly staring into the void while leaning on their over-sized shields. They seem like guys you could probably have a beer with, in different circumstances. They look normal enough, without their gas masks and riot helmets.

Remember “Riot Granny” from Istanbul? She has been in jail for two months now. Emine Cansever (53), a.k.a. Riot Granny, was arrested with 18 other people in home raids in Gülsuyu neighborhood two months ago. Emine Cansever is accused of being a member of a “terrorist organization”. Pro-government media started a smear campaign right after her image with a sling shot went viral in both local and international media. Based on police reports, the media incriminated her of being a member of DİH (Revolutionary Worker’s Movement) and leading “illegal” protests on behalf of the organization. These allegedly terroristic activities included legal protests such as Hey Textile workers’ struggle against the company that refuses to pay their compensations and three months of salary, and protests against drug gangs in her neighborhood.