16 June 2013 / 14.00


To our student friends are taking their exams right now, we wish you every success, and we wish everyone a happy fathers’ day. Turkey’s rulers who benefit from the polarization of our country are responsible for all the problems faced by our student friends and all the troubles of children and fathers.

At a time when there was ongoing dialogue, the government has violently attacked Gezi Park despite the lack of any active protest in the square and while it was full of people. Those who claim that it is an excuse for us to defend the park and defend life have shown with their attitude last night that the park is indeed an excuse for the AKP. By ordering police attacks and by using the park as an excuse, they have shown everyone that the real aim is to supress the people so that we cannot claim our rights or have our voices heard. According to the information that we could get, around 150 people have been injured and taken to hospitals, hundreds more could not even reach a hospital. Despite all the announcements made by the Istanbul governor which lost their credibility, our citizens who sustained life-threatening injuries are in intensive care units in hospitals. There are injuries from rubber bullets. Mobile infirmaries have been established, hospitals have been attacked by water cannons, masks and medication people used to protect themselves from gas have been confiscated. The chemicals in the pressurized fluid which caused severe skin reactions have still not been disclosed by the authorities.

The government has committed a crime against humanity.

Many people are in police custody. The police have confiscated many personal belongings at Gezi Park. The ban on access to the park for the press is an effort to obscure evidence. Police helmet ID numbers have been hidden. This proves that the PM is determined to maintain his arrogant attitude by ordering police forces to commit crimes and thereby block dialogue. People in police custody should be released immediately.

Gezi Park, Taksim Square and all confiscated evidence should immediately be made accessible to the public.

Last night’s attack on Gezi Park and those in solidarity is a warning that the government is not only incapable of doing its job but has even turned against its own people. The mayor of Istanbul suspended public transport services .This in itself is proof of the animosity of the government against its own people and the lengths the government will go to.

We will never give up these humane and righteous demands. We demand that the Gezi Park remain a public park, and those who took life with police violence must be put on trial, we demand the prohibition of tear gas and plastic bullets against peaceful demonstrations and we demand that any obstacle to the rights of people to assemble and have their voices heard be removed starting with Taksim Square.

These demands of Taksim Solidarity have become the demands of the people since the very first day. The anger of our citizens were inflamed in response to the government not taking any steps towards fulfilling these demands. Our priorities are the acknowledgement of the unambiguous reaction of people, their voice being heard and their expectations being met. We demand that the police violence against the people cease immediately. Today at 4 PM, we will gather to commemorate our friends who have lost their lives at the hands of the police violence ordered by the government in Taksim Square. Each and every demonstration and ceremony we have organized has been peaceful and non-violent. The violence is state violence commanded by the government towards its own citizens. The atmosphere of the protest prior to the interference of the police has been unified and peaceful.

The attack last night and the terror which followed against hundreds of thousands of the people who are out in the streets of Istanbul and the whole country must stop immediately. The funeral of Ethem Sarısülük, who was killed in Ankara by a police bullet, has to be respected.



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