Socialism
A movement that rose up against the government and for a short time even looked like it could lead to a small-scale revolution was naturally interesting for revolutionary people, who in Turkey almost exclusively represent leftist views. Different socialist groups played an important role in the protests and supported revolutionary sentiments that were shared by many more people than usual in the spirit of Gezi. The fraternal and unifying ideas of the movement were seen as an opportunity to unite and mobilize the working class.
All images
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Protesters and various banners on the square The photo shows a large number of protesters in Taksim Square. There are various flags and banners in the background. Some of the more legible ones include: - A banner commemorating İbrahim Kaypakkaya, a former Maoist revolutionary who was hanged in 1973. The text reads "To remember Him is to fight!". - A banner on the right by the "Platform for the Unity of Struggles" saying "Welcome to the Red Square", referring to the Red Square in Moscow and the color red as a symbol of communism. - A big rainbow flag. - A purple banner stating "We don't owe children to anyone, neither to men nor to the state". -
Wall with socialist and religious graffiti The wall is covered with numerous graffiti. One on the left depicts communist symbols and states "Taksim is red, and will remain red!". The sentence is based on the common anti-Islamist chant "Türkiye laiktir laik kalacak!" ("Turkey is laicist, and will remain laicist!"). The other big graffiti on the bottom says "All property belongs to God", on its own a common notion in Islam and other Abrahamic religions. Here it is contextualized against private ownership, supporting the rhetoric of "Anti-capitalist Muslims", a prominent grouping in the Gezi protests. -
Posters, banners and flags on the AKM building The photo depicts Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) during the Gezi protests. The building borders the Taksim Square and stands close to the Gezi Park. Various flags and banners were hung on the building by the public. Some of the more readable ones from left to right, top to bottom include: - Two Çarşı banners (football fan group) - A banner saying "All government will belong to the labor" by "The Struggle Association". The banner features an image of Deniz Gezmiş, an well-known socialist revolutionary who was executed in the 1970s. - A banner crying "Long live revolution and socialism" by "Socialist Democracy Party" - A banner in Kurdish that I unfortunately cannot understand - A banner saying "Long live the unity of workers and the fraternity of peoples" - Flag of the "Socialist Party of the Oppressed" (ESP), a very small Marxist-Leninist party - A banner calling out "Class against class / Revolution against order / Socialism against capitalism" - Two banners calling for a general strike - A banner by the Socialist Refoundation Party stating "Factories, fields, political government, everything will belong to the labor" - A banner by the "Socialist Solidarity Platform" saying "Justice or Apocalypse!" - A big banner by the Socialist Refoundation Party addressed to Erdoğan saying "shut up tayyip!"