Taksim Square
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Tahrir and Taksim – Part I
A new culture of protest
In 2011 and 2013, two major cities in the Islamic world were rocked by popular unrest. The extended demonstrations seemed to usher in a new culture of protest. In this two-part report, Amin Farzanefar looks at how the art and music scenes changed in Cairo and Istanbul as a result of these protests
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Art and protest in Turkey
Poking fun at the sultan
For about a year now, Turkey has been experiencing one of its worst ever political crises. It is a situation that has given the country's art scene a chance to flourish and to exercise its creativity in protest. However, such activity often entails the risk of serious consequences. By Senada Sokollu in Istanbul
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Book review: "Taksim is everywhere"
"This was a social uprising, not simply some demonstration"
Deniz Yuecel, a journalist for the German daily newspaper "taz", interviewed 96 different protesters for his first book, "Taksim ist Ueberall" (Taksim is Everywhere), which was recently published in Germany instead of in Turkey. In view of the fact that the writer Erol Oezkoray was taken to court for allegedly insulting Prime Minister Erdogan in his book on the Gezi phenomenon, this is perhaps a good thing. Luise Sammann introduces the book and its author
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Youth and protest in Turkey
"The pieces of the mosaic are shifting"
The Gezi Park protests in Turkey may have died down, but the social commitment of many young people is still high, and their battle for self-determination and participation continues. An overview by Anna Esser in Istanbul
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"Open Forums" in Turkey
New Forms of Participation
The Gezi Park protests have led to the emergence of local grassroots committees or "Open Forums" in many Turkish towns and cities. Their goal: To preserve quality of life in residential areas and foster political dialogue and development. A commentary by Ceyda Nurtsch from the "Open Forum" in the Istanbul neighbourhood of Beyoğlu
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Protests in Turkey
The Intolerance of Others
While police and demonstrators argue over who was responsible for the death of a protestor in Antakya, female students in Istanbul are abused for wearing headscarves – by other female students. Turkey is struggling with a wave of intolerance that is afflicting all camps. Michael Martens reports from Istanbul
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The Piano Man of Taksim Square
Playing for Peace
Davide Martello was on a world tour with his custom-built electric piano when he made a spontaneous decision to play Istanbul's Taksim Square. His music became the soundtrack of the Turkish protests. He has since continued his tour with a new message: peace
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Interview with Cengiz Aktar
''Turkey's Problem is Erdogan, Not the AKP''
According to Cengiz Aktar, Turkey's long-time Prime Minister Erdogan has become an autocrat. "Changing his mind would, in his opinion, be a sign of weakness", Aktar says in this interview with Ada Pagliarulo. He will therefore find it hard to manage the country's crisis, the political scientist predicts
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Protests in Turkey
Erdogan Braces Himself for a ''Civilian Coup''
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan refuses to be cowed by recent demonstrations. He is planning huge rallies in Istanbul and Ankara this weekend as a show of strength and determination. He has also warned that his patience has run out. By Ayhan Simsek
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Protests in Turkey
A Turkish Spring with a Leftist Bent
What began as a protest against plans to build a kitschy shopping centre on the site of a small park in the heart of Istanbul has escalated into a conflict of values. By Ian Buruma
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Protests against Construction Projects in Istanbul
A Government Addicted to Superlatives
The unrest in Istanbul is not only an expression of resistance to a misguided urban development policy, it is also a protest against a government that seems to be determined to construct monuments to itself. By Marian Brehmer
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Mass Protests against Erdogan
On a Knife Edge
Turkey's head of government is finding himself under more and more pressure: Protest against his policies and billion-dollar development projects continue, with sustained criticism even being levelled against him from within his own camp. But the "Sultan of Ankara" is allowing the situation to escalate, as Jürgen Gottschlich reports