Dear brothers and sisters, dear friends of the democratic people’s movement in Turkey!
İstanbulites are under brutal attack and violence of the police and gendarmarie forces since 15th June evening when the police attack against Gezi Parkı started after the heavy provocations of PM Erdogan. The city is under clouds of tear gas of all kinds, including the prohibited kinds, used over all limits. Taksim square looks like a war field and now is closed to public access. Rubber bullets, water cannons scorching chemicals-acid and blast bombs are widely utilized until the first hours of this morning. There are queues of naked people waiting for aid in front of hospitals, yet hospitals and hotels that are used as shelters are also attacked with gas, over and over. Hotels around Taksim square are being evacuated due to extreme use of gas; numerous children are lost and heavily affected during the tear gas attack; a pregnant women lost her 3,5 months old baby. 132 people are reported to be seriously injured and 5 people are burnt due to chemical use.
Briefly the JDP government is waging a war against its own citizens by committing crimes of humanity: attacking hospitals and volunteering health care personnel; using tear gas and other chemicals inside houses, hotels and hospitals; closing the identity numbers on the police helmets; exercising widespread censorship over freedom of press; putting limitations over the Internet and prevention of media access. Police and gendarmarie forces attacked against thousands of Istanbulites marching from every corner of Istanbul in order to reach the Taksim square until sunrise by cutting the main highways and even walking across the Bosphorus bridge. Many people who are witnessed to be arrested by police cannot be found in the police stations.
Despite this war-like attack is evidenced by visual material and personal witnessing of various respectful members of the progressive international community, Istanbul governor and other government members claim that the police operation was “smooth” and no one was seriously injured. This discourse, beyond being a humiliation of the pains and suffering of Istanbulites, is heralding new crimes of humanity that are planned to be committed by the government following the “victory meetings” of PM Erdogan, today in Istanbul after the one yesterday in Ankara.
This brutal attack of the police forces should be stopped. The government is and will be responsible for the following events. We urge the progressive international community to strongly remind the JDP government its responsibility with all available means.
The mainstream media which is spreading disinformation in favour of a government which is waging war against its all people should be strongly reminded its democratic responsibilities.
We are seriously concerned with the health status of our citizens who are injured and would be injured. We urge the progressive international community especially to warn the government about the attacks against the children, pregnant women, injured citizens, voluntary health personnel, temporary health shelters and hospitals.
Yesterday evening ten thousands of people marched from every corner of Istanbul and today this march will continue. It is not possible to stop this march of our people.
We urge the progressive international community to start urgent solidarity actions with this democratic march of our people.
Oya Ersoy
People’s Houses Chairperson