Turkish Spring... perhaps

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

Tweets on Twitter saying crowds were being kettled into subways and then tear gassed.

Into subways and side streets...... video evidence of armoured trucks crashing into barriers and over people and reports of agent orange.... not looking good.

 

[Beach Hut]

Tweets on Twitter saying crowds were being kettled into subways and then tear gassed.

Did the Met train them ?

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

I tried to post a picture of Besiktas Istanbul 10 mins ago but didnt work. Try this... if it doesnt work Ill try another way:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BLsvrCgCIAAl8Rj.jpg:large

 

[Beach Hut]

I tried to post a picture of Besiktas Istanbul 10 mins ago but didnt work. Try this... if it doesnt work Ill try another way:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BLsvrCgCIAAl8Rj.jpg:large

Jesus, that is serious unrest did you just take that ?

 

[Ernest]

Hope it calms down quickly before anyone gets killed

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

Jesus, that is serious unrest did you just take that ?

Downloaded from Twitter. The key place is #occupygezi some of the tweets are Turkish but by no means all.

Gives the lie to BBC saying its all peace and quiet.

 

[Beach Hut]

Downloaded from Twitter. The key place is #occupygezi some of the tweets are Turkish but by no means all.

Stay safe mate, looks decidedly angry out there at present.

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

This happened in Ankara, I believe yesterday. Ran over at least two protesters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_0AoL72Evw

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I tried to post a picture of Besiktas Istanbul 10 mins ago but didnt work. Try this... if it doesnt work Ill try another way:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BLsvrCgCIAAl8Rj.jpg:large

Looks like a good night out in Croydon

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

Looks like a good night out in Croydon

Thats the first laugh I ve had tonight!!! Cheers Sleep Izmir seems to have gone quiet but the on one TV channel with live pictures is showing Istanbul and Ankara still very much alive... god knows what tomorrow will bring.

 

[blue2]

Not the Nike riots again the leaders of Istanbul would do well to look back at history

 

[Washie]

Makes ours look peaceful. I hope you and your family are safe whilst these troubles continue, and hope they end soon.

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

I DID say Izmir was nice and quiet...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...11822433.14009.100002764258239&type=1&theater

I was wrong

 

[Mackenzie]

Keep safe Sully.

 

[Stoo82]

Stay safe and hope everything calms down.

 

[MissGull]

All the best Sully and family

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Izmir didn't used to be sleepy once

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Fire_of_Smyrna

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

Thanks for all the wishes peeps. Its 00.30 here and despite whats happening in the centre of Izmir and all over Turkey its quiet now in our suburb and Ive got to be up and awake tomorrow morning not least to make sure I can keep the kids safe. So Im off the sleep. Will update tomorrow.

May you live in boring times.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Hope it calms down quickly before anyone gets killed

Too late. Pictures on my Facebook feed of the dead in the streets.

Take care Sully and family. Dark times all over the world at the moment.

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

It is very concerning the hints of Islamification of Turkey under the current regime and the treatment of journalists who oppose it. After seeing what has been happening in the region, perhaps it is not surprising that Turks feel strongly by the apparent threat to secularism and free speech under Erdogan.

However I am not worried that it will escalate into an Arab Spring scale event or anything close, democracy is still alive and well in Turkey - and unlike the dictatorships involved in the Arab Spring, the Turkish Army would oppose and even overthrow a government that goes against the six arrows of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Good morning everyone. No change here. Protests still entrenched in the big cities and much the same going on. All quiet here in Karsiyaka.

MK, sorry you need to be here but it is not as you think. I doubt that this is an Arab Spring , true, not least because Erdogan has a democratic mandate and there are parties opposing him in the mainstream sphere. However, the military has been de-fanged over the last ten years and they have neither the power nor the will to get involved. And this is probably just as well as the problem with Turkey in the past is that political awareness did not develop because whenever there was a crisis the military got involved..... people stayed divorced from the process. perhaps what is happening now is just part of Turkey growing up politically. I dont know. As for Ataturk.... the attitude to him has changed. he is no longer a godhead... Still a unifying force but unlikely to motivate a whole movement of disparate beliefs.