Turkish PhD student: Protests are for human rights everywhere

PhD student in physics at the University of Copenhagen Tolga Bagci reckons that the protests in Istanbul are relevant to everyone everywhere, and not only for the large Turkish minority in Copenhagen.

There are more than 60,000 Turks in Denmark, currently the largest immigrant group, and some of these have been organising protests in tandem with those in Istanbul. Protests that in Istanbul for two weeks now have resulted in clashes with police.

A number of manifestations have been organized in Copenhagen and in other major cities to increase awareness on the situation in Turkey and show support to the protesters.

See our 2009 interview with two Turkish students ‘Closer to Allah in Copenhagen’ who discuss the policy of headscarves for women at universities here.

Civil rights not respected

“People with different nationalities are participating in the demonstrations, showing that what is going on is not limited to a single country. It is rather a universal concern regarding human rights and freedom of expression,” Tolga explains.

“What is happening goes beyond the Taksim Square and the police brutality,” he adds.

“It is a consequence of the increased tension during the ten years of Erdogan’s government. People felt that their civil rights are not respected,” he explains.

Majority rule

Mr. Erdogan, prime minister since 2003, recently promoted a series of laws. Among others, a ban on retail alcohol sales at night has been approved.

Even if tens of thousand Turks joined the protests, the main Turkish media remained silent on what is happening in the streets. For protesters, the best way to get and distribute news is through social media, mainly Facebook and Twitter.

“The Prime Minister frequently emphasizes that he has been elected by the majority, and he uses the argument as a basis for his authoritarian approach. This is one of the reasons why people are getting exasperated,” says Tolga.

See our 2009 interview with two Turkish students ‘Closer to Allah in Copenhagen’ who discuss the policy of headscarves for women at universities here.

universitypost@adm.ku.dk

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