The Gezi Resistance, which started in Gezi Park in Istanbul on May 27, 2013, against the construction of a Topçu Barracks and a shopping mall by cutting the trees, and millions of citizens took to the streets across the country, has left its 10th year behind. Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects for Tayfun Kahraman, Hakan Altınay, Can Atalay, Mücella Yapıcı, Mine Özerden and Çiğdem Mater, who were each sentenced to 18 years in prison as part of the Gezi Trial, and Osman Kavala, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment since April 25, 2022. (TMMOB) and its affiliated professional chambers, the Justice Watch has left its 401th day behind.
On the 10th anniversary of Gezi, in front of the Türkan Saylan Cultural Center, “Freedom to Travel”, “This is just the beginning, continue the struggle”, “One day, the AKP will return to the people”, “Everywhere Taksim, everywhere resistance” 15th sapling Berkin Elvan “, “The Fear of the Palace is the spirit of Gezi”, “Justice Watch”, as well as TMMOB and its affiliated professional chambers, Izmir Bar Association President Sefa Yılmaz, Izmir Chamber of Physicians President Prof. Dr. Süleyman Kaynak, representatives of political parties and citizens attended. Kemal Çakmak, Member of the Izmir Board of Mining Engineers, read the press statement made after the 1-minute respect for those who lost their lives during the Gezi Park protests and said, “Darkness goes, Gezi remains.”
“WE ARE PROUD”
Çakmak, who started his speech by explaining that in the tenth year of Gezi, they stood side by side against bans, unlawful punishments, oppression, rent, plunder, lies and all policies of separation, and that they are still proud as they were on the first day, said, “May this country get the light. We are proud of the memories of our Berkin, Ali İsmail, Abdocan, Mehmet, Ethem, Ahmet, Meden and Hasan Ferit, who lost their lives at such a young age and separated from us. We are proud of the attitudes of those who lost their eyes during the Gezi resistance, those who were injured, those on trial, those who were sentenced to unemployment and exile, that did not put dust on the memory of Gezi despite every price paid! We are proud of the democratic forces of this country and the citizens who support democracy, defending Gezi as a disaster assembly area by defending the right to live in healthy and resilient cities with the law and professional principles, as proved once again in the 6 February Earthquakes!” he said.
“WE ARE AGAINST POLICE VIOLENCE”
Pointing out that it is an ‘active’ attitude to oppose, Kemal Çakmak said, “Our country’s unjust, unlawful, intolerant of different views, the management of democratic demands, reactions and actions with an understanding that is directly included in the scope of crime, the abolition of the independence of the judiciary, those who do not read the files, do not look at the evidence, to the courts that make decisions with the directive, to the fact that the seeker is suffocated with tear gas, to be subjected to police violence, to the youth of the country, the educated and cultured segment, the dissidents, the workers whose labor is exploited; We are against being forced to emigrate from this country, leaving his heart at home in search of a breath, a search for peace or an effort to survive, due to pressure, economic crisis, lack of future, incompetence!” used his statements.
“DARK GOES, TRAVEL FAILS”
Reminding the May 14 and May 28 elections, Çakmak said, “The result of one of the most unfair elections in the history of the world, where all the means of the state were used in the name of power, will not lead us to despair. On the contrary, we persist in holding each other’s hands for equality, freedom and justice, with all our differences, as in Gezi. We continue to fight for that enthusiastic, excited, together, hopeful, sharing and resilient “other world” that we opened in Gezi. Let them know that our compass is Gezi. Our demand for a humane, free, fair, prosperous, democratic life and our search for rights will always continue. In its tenth year, we commemorate the Gezi Resistance with the motto that always keeps us young, that keeps us alive and that we will always speak up until all our dreams come true. And we welcome the coming period with this slogan, ‘This is just the beginning, keep fighting!’ This pride is ours, we say; Darkness goes, travel stays!” he ended his speech.