Blog Archives
KURDISTAN/SYRIA: Anarchists join struggle against ISIS in Kobane
The city of Kobane has been under attack by Daesh (ISIS) fascists for a number of days leading to a mass exodus of Kurds from the city. But many Kurds are now returning to fight and defend the city despite being pushed back at the border by Turkish forces. Inside the border, Kurdish forces along with the Free Syrian Army continue to fight against Daesh.
Turkish and Syrian Kurds tear down the border fence to cross into Kobane in neighboring Syria. Photo:AFP
TURKEY: Revolutionary Anarchist Action’s (DAF) Statement about the Soma miners.
Killed by the state – Our sorrow is the seed of our rage
The fire that appeared in the coal mine in Manisa-Soma on 13th of May, became one of the biggest massacres in these lands. With the fire, hundreds of coal miners were poisoned by intensive carbon monoxide. The number of the workers who have died, increased every hour. The minister of energy, minister of labour and the prime minister tried to hide the real number of miners who have died while declaring that “it was a sad work accident”. The prime minister declared that “these kind of accidents could happen anytime.”
Managing disorder: towards a global state of control?
by on March 29, 2014
Refusing to tackle the causes of our troubles and allow public space for dissent, the neoliberal state is sliding inexorably towards authoritarianism.
Image: Brazilian police demonstrated its new riot gear last month.
When an Egyptian judge condemned 529 Muslim Brotherhood supporters to death this week, he underlined in one fell swoop the terrifying reality in which the world finds itself today. The revolutionary euphoria and constituent impulse that shook the global order back in 2011 have long since given way to a re-established state of control. Violent repression of protest and dissent — whether progressive or reactionary — has become the new normal. The radical emancipatory and democratic space that was briefly opened up by recent uprisings is now being slammed shut. What remains are dispersed pockets of resistance under relentless assault by the constituted power. Read the rest of this entry
TURKEY: Echoes of Gezi
21.09.2013 by PostVirtual
New protests in Turkey. Via salzburg.com
September 19
Dear people,
In Turkey a new wave of protest is spreading through the country. This time, it comes from the capital Ankara, in particular the campus of METU, the Middle Eastern Technical University. Read the rest of this entry
CYPRUS: Coup d’etat, War, Refugees, Dead, Occupation: Another “glorious” feat of Cyprus’ nationalists from both sides and their local and international bosses.
There have been 39 years already since the day that the turkish state invaded the cypriot land.
Many years of bicommunal and intra-community conflicts preceded this as the aspirations of the dominant nationalists of both communities were completely opposite. The peak of the conflict within the Greek-Cypriot community between the right wing sides of Makarios and Grivas was the military coup d’etat from the Greek Junta on the 15 of July 1974. This coup d’etat essentially gave the opportunity to the turkish state to invade under the pretext of protecting the Turkish-Cypriot community. Even at the most conservative discourses of that time, there is no question that the developments in Cyprus were directly linked with the lethal chessboard of the cold war and that the invasion as a “solution” was predetermined, as it would prevent future conflicts amongst NATO allies (Greece and Turkey) and it would negate any possibility of Cyprus being in “red” hands. Read the rest of this entry
TURKEY: “Everywhere Armutlu”
July 18, 2013 by: postvirtual
[German translation here]
Istanbul, July 18
Dear people,
The resistance in Armutlu is becoming an inspiration for citizens all over Turkey. At the moment, the neighbourhood is firmly controlled by the people. Police don’t even try to conquer it any more. They have lifted the siege. A few days ago, they made a final attempt to enter. We saw footage of that, it was epic. People threw down burning sofa’s from the roofs. Police employed armoured vehicles to break through the barricades, and didn’t succeed. Read the rest of this entry
TURKEY: Our Rage is Growing, So Does Our Struggle!
11 July 2013 by Revolutionist Anarchist Action (DAF)
The going on occupation of the Taksim Square and Gezi Park has been attacked by the police this morning. After the meeting of the Council of Ministers yesterday, the police came to the square early in the morning at about 7 oclock, while shooting tear gas, the police made announcements that they are not going to attack to the park. Hundreds of police entered to Taksim Square pleading that there will be no attack to the park and saying that only the banners will be moved away. While the pankarts on AKM are moved away another group of police wanted to move away the tents on the square. The people wanted to stop the police and police attacked to the people with tear gas. Read the rest of this entry
TURKEY: Interview: Anarchists in the Turkish Uprising
04.07.2013 by traven
To follow up our coverage of the uprising in Turkey beginning from Taksim Square, we’ve conducted an interview with anarchists in İstanbul. They talk about the background of the revolt, the relationship between this uprising and others around the world, and its implications for the future of Turkey. Read the rest of this entry
TURKEY: Tear Gas & Twitter in Taksim – an anarchist eyewitness analysis from Gezi Park, Istanbul
June 25, 2013 by Andrew Flood – Workers Solidarity Movement – WSM
Tear gas is a very good place to start trying to understand what is happening in Turkey. The main purpose of tear gas is to terrorise and thus break up large crowds of people. In Istanbul over the last weeks huge quantities have been used over and over to prevent large anti-government demonstrations developing.
This wasn’t about ‘riot control’ – generally there was no riot to control. In this piece I’m going to put the Gezi park revolt in the context of the cycle of struggles that began in 2010 and of the specific economic, politcal and historical situation of the Turkish republic to try and draw out the lessons for all of us fighting global capitalism.
TURKEY: The Unspeakable
July 1, 2013 by Postvirtual
Shoes at the resistance monument in Besiktas
Istanbul, July 1
Dear people,
As millions of people took the streets in Egypt and millions of Spaniards finished to vote on popular democracy in a nationwide plebiscite, Istanbul celebrated the biggest Gay Pride parade in its history. It was the grand finale of LGBT week. As expected, the people of Gezi Park joined them in an extravaganza of colours, joy and rhythm, a celebration of diversity and resistance. It was a styleful conclusion of a month that people in Turkey will not lightly forget.
