Full Page Ad for Turkish Democracy in Action: OccupyGezi for the World | Indiegogo

WE HAVE ENOUGH FOR THE NYT AD. THANK YOU.

KEEP GIVING AND TELL US WHAT THE AWESOME COLLECTIVE HERE SHOULD DO WITH IT!!! WE WILL KEEP COLLECTING DONATIONS AND THE FUNDERS CAN DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH THE LEFTOVERS. SEE COMMENTS SECTION FOR SOME IDEAS.

The current team is busy executing on the NYT idea so other ideas need to be fully thought out and ready to be executed by new teams within our community.  

We are the Turkish people. No organizations, parties or affiliations. We have an editor and a graphics designer. We are condensing the below text that was shaped with your kind comments in the last 10 hours. We will most definitely make our $52,030 for the NYT A2 Full Spread. WE NEED HIGH RES PICTURES AT THIS POINT.

Here is the current version as of 11:59ET 6/3/2013.

From the Turkish People to their Government:

The violent response to a peaceful protest to save Istanbul’s Gezi Park symbolizes an autocratic government’s increasing encroachment on the civil rights of the country’s citizens. We hope for new dialogue—one that can restore the trust of Turkish citizens in a government that positioned Turkey as a global economic power, but which is now getting recognition around the world for condoning harsh police retaliation that strikes at the pillars of democracy.

This is not just about a park

Before the park came the the arrests of journalists, elected officials, laws restricting the sale of alcohol, systemic de-secularization of future generations through Islamification of school curricula. The plans to demolish Gezi Park despite public opposition and the subsequent police brutality directed at demonstrators finally sparked the reaction against Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s decade-long rule. The demonstrators are from different ideological, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. They are young, old, religious, secular, gay, straight, foreign, domestic, fringe, mainstream, anarchist, women in headscarves, women in tank tops, Alevi, Sunni, Jewish, and Christian. This is Turkish Democracy in action.

Wake up

This would not have happened had it just been the park. Protests are to no avail. In a true democracy, citizens can question and amend government initiatives.

This wouldn’t have happened had the Turkish goverment not used excessive teargas, plastic bullets, tanks, helicopters and physical voilence to crush the peaceful Gezi park protestors. A true democracy allows for protest and does not use excessive violence against its citizens.

This would not have happened had the big Turkish media channels covered the riots from the start. Unfortunately there are strong ties between media outlets and the government. This is why Turkish protestors use social media to seek the attention of foreign media. In a true democracy, media is independent and reports in a balanced way on events happening.

Turkish People

This Statement is Crowdfunded by Concerned Individuals from Around the World

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 Here is the previous version as of Midnite 6/2/2013.

We would like to explain to the world what is happening in Turkey and propose a call to action.

This is the proposed text for the ad we propose to buy in the Washington Post or NYTimes as soon as the funding goal is reached –hopefully by Tuesday, June 4th.

Please contribute and let us know your feedback! 

"From the Turkish people:

What you should know:

Turkey is at a pivotal juncture. The violent response to a peaceful protest to save Istanbul’s Gezi Park symbolizes an autocratic government’s increasing encroachment on the civil rights of the country’s citizens. We hope for a new dialogue, one that can restore the trust of Turkish citizens in a government that has done many good things, but is now getting recognition around the world for harsh police retaliation that strikes at the pillars of democracy.

How it started:

It all began with a small cluster of eucalyptus trees and a peaceful sit-in by a few concerned citizens who had been protesting Gezi Park’s scheduled destruction for months. On May 31, 2013, riot police set fire to the demonstrators’ tents and attacked them with pressurized water, pepper and tear gas during a night raid.

How it grew:

Hundreds and thousands of citizens from all walks of life then poured in to show support for the sitters, only to be met with hostility administered through armored personnel carriers, water cannons and more pepper spray. Clashes resulted in the arrests of hundreds and estimated thousands of people were injured. Demonstrations spread to other cities and citizens were met with similar brutality.

Call to action:

But this is not just about a park. Before the park was the closure of an Ottoman pastry shop, the arrests of journalists, laws on alcohol sales, constantly changing school curricula. Gezi Park and the subsequent police violence on demonstrators were just the latest examples of a fundamental shift away from basic civil rights.

The demonstrators are from different ideological, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. They are young, old, religious, secular, gay, straight, foreign, domestic, fringe, anarchist, mainstream, women in headscarves, women in tanktops, Alevi, Sunni, Jewish, and Christian. They are not provocateurs or foreign agents, save a few. This is the fledgling Turkish Democracy in action.

We call for reconciliation, to bridge a divide within our nation before it is too vast to repair.

Please listen to our concerns. Stop the violence on Turkish people. It is time to drop the tear gas canisters, batons, and water guns and come to the table. A leaf of peace, from a small grove of trees, we offer.

We need the world's support on this. We need the world to be a part of the conversation."

#occupygezi #occupytaksim #occupyturkey