In its fourth year, Gezi Resistance heralds hope for Turkey’s future

CAN UĞUR

May 31st was one of the most critical days in terms of spread of the Gezi Resistance. The protest that was initially started by a group of people who stood against the cutting down of trees at Gezi Park turned into a resistance of millions of people. The memory of the resistance that started back in 2013 is still fresh today; and, it actually has created a new political and social framework in the country.

The young people who lost their lives during Gezi Protests have become symbolic of the resistance. They are – Mehmet Ayvalıtaş, Abdullah Cömert, Ethem Sarısülük, Medeni Yıldırım, Ali İsmail Korkmaz, Ahmet Atakan, Berkin Elvan - commemorated as the ‘Sprouts of Gezi’.

On the other hand, while cases on killings of these young boys also continue, it is clearly observed that there is no sufficient progress in the trials of the suspects. As the pressure of the current government on these judicial processes is felt, decisions made in some of the trials are far from defining the killings as ‘police brutality.’

Unjust practices are not observed only in these trials. According to a report prepared jointly by a number of civil society institutions, over 7000 people were wounded during Gezi Protests mostly due to police violence. However, no progress has been made in terms of legal action about it.

While this is the legal context surrounding the cases of Gezi, its political stage is also as significant.
Gezi Resistance has become a serious turning point in Turkey’s political conjuncture. While it has created an atmosphere of fear and shock on the bloc of the ruling party AKP, it has also been considered as good news by people who desire equality and freedom.

The local platforms that were created immediately after the end of the massive street protests still provide a chance to opposition groups to talk over their experiences and try to formulize a solution to the question of what kind of an era the opposition will be faced with in the short and long term…

Front-page article of BirGün on 31 May 2017, Wednesday

Source: https://www.birgun.net/haber-detay/baharin-mujdesi-buyuyen-umutlar-162000.html