Gezi Park protests
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"Open Forums" in Turkey
New Forms of Participation
The Gezi Park protests have led to the emergence of local grassroots committees or "Open Forums" in many Turkish towns and cities. Their goal: To preserve quality of life in residential areas and foster political dialogue and development. A commentary by Ceyda Nurtsch from the "Open Forum" in the Istanbul neighbourhood of Beyoğlu
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The Istanbul Biennial
A Missed Opportunity for Art
As the art biennial opens, the smell of violence once again lies in the air in Istanbul. Can a major exhibition respond to the language of the street and fulfil its promise of a free and modern society? By Catrin Lorch
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Protests in Turkey
The Intolerance of Others
While police and demonstrators argue over who was responsible for the death of a protestor in Antakya, female students in Istanbul are abused for wearing headscarves – by other female students. Turkey is struggling with a wave of intolerance that is afflicting all camps. Michael Martens reports from Istanbul
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The Piano Man of Taksim Square
Playing for Peace
Davide Martello was on a world tour with his custom-built electric piano when he made a spontaneous decision to play Istanbul's Taksim Square. His music became the soundtrack of the Turkish protests. He has since continued his tour with a new message: peace
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Interview with Cengiz Aktar
''Turkey's Problem is Erdogan, Not the AKP''
According to Cengiz Aktar, Turkey's long-time Prime Minister Erdogan has become an autocrat. "Changing his mind would, in his opinion, be a sign of weakness", Aktar says in this interview with Ada Pagliarulo. He will therefore find it hard to manage the country's crisis, the political scientist predicts
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Protests in Turkey
Civil Society Versus Father State
For the first time in the history of Turkey, an increasingly confident civil society is peacefully calling for more freedom and, so far, the military has not got involved. This is a completely new experience for Turkey, writes Cemal Karakas
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Gezi Protests in Turkey
A Libertarian and Unifying Movement
Parallels have been drawn between the Gezi movement, the Arab Spring and some Occupy movements in Europe. Nilüfer Göle looks at the causes of the Gezi protests and some of the protester's demands
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Protests in Turkey
Erdogan Braces Himself for a ''Civilian Coup''
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan refuses to be cowed by recent demonstrations. He is planning huge rallies in Istanbul and Ankara this weekend as a show of strength and determination. He has also warned that his patience has run out. By Ayhan Simsek
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Protests in Turkey
A Turkish Spring with a Leftist Bent
What began as a protest against plans to build a kitschy shopping centre on the site of a small park in the heart of Istanbul has escalated into a conflict of values. By Ian Buruma
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Protests against Construction Projects in Istanbul
A Government Addicted to Superlatives
The unrest in Istanbul is not only an expression of resistance to a misguided urban development policy, it is also a protest against a government that seems to be determined to construct monuments to itself. By Marian Brehmer
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Mass Protests against Erdogan
On a Knife Edge
Turkey's head of government is finding himself under more and more pressure: Protest against his policies and billion-dollar development projects continue, with sustained criticism even being levelled against him from within his own camp. But the "Sultan of Ankara" is allowing the situation to escalate, as Jürgen Gottschlich reports
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Erdogan's Authoritarian Drift
Retreat from Democratic Achievements
In the past decade, there were three kinds of Islamist governments: absolute monarchies in the Gulf region, the Mullah dictatorship in Iran and the freely elected government of Prime Minister Erdogan in Turkey. How he is running his country is setting an example for the entire region. But experts believe that his authoritarian leanings are beginning to prevail. By Peter Hauff