Ertugrul Ozkok: Paris and Diyarbakir; to whom do their city squares belong?
Güncelleme Tarihi:
de Republique. And do you know what this renowned politician came to this public square, this square that was the scene of such heavy clashes during the day, to do? To congratulate the "CRS" as they are called, or the French society's police and gendarme crews. Who was this person? Why was this young politician shaking the hands of each and every police and gendarme present? Be a little patient, I will tell you....
When the events calmed down in Paris two nights ago, one of France's most famous figures came silently to the Place
Because first, it is time to speak openly about some truths....some truths about Turkey, our nation. But in order to find the courage and supporters for what I am to say, I will start first from another country.
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I watched the events the other day in Paris' Place de Republique from the sidelines. I was at a strategic point in the square that was held down by the French CRS. A group of youths wanting to provoke clashes were lifted roughly from where they were and squashed into waiting CRS vehicles. I say 'squashed,' because really, there wasn't the slightest concession shown on the part of the CRS police to these youths they call 'casseur,' which means 'those who break things.' Anyway, from the spot I was standing in, I couldn't see the main event. When I returned to my hotel and turned on the television, that's when I could see the real landscape of what was happening.
First of all, there wasn't as much breaking and shattering of things as there was on March 18.
But still, masked youths from the suburbs were engaging the police in clashes on the street. And do you know what the police of France, this country which reacted so strongly to images of a few young women being truncheoned during a protest in Istanbul, did to this group of young people who couldn't have numbered more than a few hundred? Well, to put it plainly, hitting, punching, kicking, truncheons, brass knuckles....these were some of the methods used to respond to the youths. Not just that, but among the protesting young people were some civil police members, dressed no differently than the protestors themselves. Without making any differentiation between the females and the males, they dragged these 'casseurs' to the waiting police cars. And when they weren't able to drag them, they used an interesting method; they sprayed them with a paint that couldn't be removed, and then left them.
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In any case, the politician who came to the square to thank the police was the French Interior Minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, one of the strongest candidates for the presidential elections to be held next year. He screamed out his thanks from the heart to the police and the gendarmes who had worked so hard-and without mercy-to calm the events down. You can be sure that what was done by the French CRS and gendarmes was no different that what has occured in Istanbul when young Turkish police dealt with protestors. But wait, I am still not done, there is more to explain here. Because during these incidents, there were even more striking moments. And I need to describe them.
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Two of the labor unions involved in organizing the Paris protests were called CGT and CFDT. These labor unions had their own security factions, and members of these security factions were carrying yellow truncheons in their hands. These yellow truncheons were used by the security factions of the labor unions against some of the young French protestors, especially when their paths were blocked, or when they were doing something that hindered the movement of the labor union members. In many ways, these yellow truncheons rained down on the 'casseurs' even more heartlessly than the blows administered by the police and gendarmes there.
Interestingly though, French television did not provide many details about this aspect of the street clashes. There was also almost news about this in the papers yesterday.
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And now, I would like to turn to Diyarbakir. I hope no one minds, but I would like to examine the images coming out of that city. A television program from a channel broadcasting out of Denmark gives an order to residents of Diyarbakir which starts, with its provocation, the events that have occured there this week. Businesses are attacked. Banks are looted. But what's that? Not a single truncheon is lifted. Neither the police nor the organizations that hold the funerals (which were at the start of the events) gets involved. And this being Turkey, I think it's time we start recognizing some of the truths here.
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This much is clear. The police and the soldiers are intentionally not intervening. It is clear that a 'message is coming down from somewhere.' There is some desire for everyone to see the incidents in Diyarbakir. And the PKK is happy about this. They are trying to spread the message that 'we are responsible for what happens in this region.' And so, I say: "If this is the Turkish Republic, and if this is a nation, then what is France, the country in which I spent the last two days?" In Paris, to whom do the city squares belong at nighttime? And in Diyarbakir? Who is congratulating whom here? And a note to the PKK: If that region belongs to you, why don't you confront these looters and pillagers about what they are doing? I am asking these things for myself. But in truth, everyone who desires peace and cooperation in this country should be asking themselves these questions.
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