I admit that I did not know much about Turkey until 2013. When huge protests began in Taksim Square and Gezi Park, at first glance it appeared to be a protest against urban development. Gezi Park was one of the very few ‘green’ areas in Istanbul, a city of just over 14 million people. I was aware that it was a democracy, and that it was predominately Muslim. However, I was unaware that Istanbul contains 18.5 percent of Turkey’s population, and that the city has Jews, Christians, Hindus, and citizens of other religions and from many nations residing in complete harmony.

As the protests grew, it became obvious that this was about more than a park. Istanbul is the most cosmopolitan city in the region. It straddles Eastern Europe and Western Asia. Recep Tayyip Erdogan was adopting policies which angered the city’s population. Leaning towards sharia law, he banned the consumption of alcohol, displays of public affection, and women were forbidden to wear western style clothing. The protests lasted for three days and spread to other cities in Turkey.

Today there is a new and larger protest in Istanbul. Tens of thousands of Turkish citizens have marched an arduous 250 miles over three weeks for a protest in Istanbul on Sunday. This time their displeasure is focused upon Erdogan’s anti-democratic actions, and his autocratic rule.

After a controversial coupe attempt in 2016, Erdogan declared martial law and began jailing his antagonists. So many were imprisoned that new facilities were hurriedly constructed.

After his election in April of this year, questions regarding the validity of that election spread across the nation. Since that time Erdogan has attempted to consolidate even more power.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu is the leader of the opposition party. This protest today grew from his solitary resistance when one of his closest friends was incarcerated. It is being called the “March for Justice.”

“Turkey has stopped being a democratic country. It has become beholden to one man,” Kilicdaroglu told CNN. “This we cannot accept.”

Among the marchers is 62-year-old Refika Ozturk, a retired municipality worker who has been walking for 10 days.

“I’m marching for my rights, the law and justice. You can do something as hard as walking like this for so long when you believe in it, when it’s for a cause,” she said in Istanbul on Saturday, sitting on a grassy patch, exhausted, with her shoes off. She was with friends, all wearing T-shirts that read “justice” in Turkish.

My hope for America is that the majority of our nation’s people refuse to accept Trump’s fascist efforts and continue to be active and fight against tyranny and oppression. We must take our democracy back for the sake of our loved ones today and for our successors.

Please re-post; thank you.

Op-ed by James Turnage

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Image courtesy of DonkeyHotey

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