Turkey has the potential to be a demolition Klondyke, but it will not be easily won.
Turkey has slowly risen through the ranks of developing countries to become one of the most eagerly anticipated demolition gold rush regions in the world. Indeed, only last year a conference dedicated to Turkish demolition potential attracted delegates and speakers from across the globe.
But the latest round of anti-demolition protests in Istanbul will serve as a wake-up call that has been regarding the country with envious eyes.
Local demonstrators and a number of parliamentary deputies partially blocked the demolition of the last green public space in the center of Istanbul on May 28, despite police forces again resorting to tear gas to disperse the group. The struggle eventually transformed into a night-long sit-in protest by the demonstrators.
Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Istanbul deputy Sırrı Süreyya Önder helped halt an operation to remove trees in Taksim Gezi Park when he obstructed the path of a bulldozer, amid running altercations between demonstrators on one side and police and company workers on the other. Önder demanded the license for the demolition, which was not provided by municipality workers.
Police pulled out of the area as dusk set, allowing around 1,000 protesters to stage a mini-festival during which they vowed that the park would not be turned over to “land speculators.” A group of protesters said they planned to stand guard at the site all night long to prevent any night-time demolition.
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