Amnesty International calls for Urgent Action against abuses of peacefull protestors in Turkey [updated]

Also: an eyewitnessreport of the beginning of the protests wich are spreading at the moment. And Anonymous' efforts to help the people there.

With tens of thousands of protestors crossing by foot across the bridge connecting the Asian and European sides of the city it is clear that the protests in Istanbul and elsewhere in Turkey are intensifying.  News reports indicate that “police from as far afield as Antalya are being drafted in to help quell the violence.”

The Turkish government has clearly taken a hard line.  Prime Minister Erdogan is quoted by the BBC as saying, “Police were there (Taksim Square) yesterday; they’ll be on duty today and also tomorrow because Taksim Square cannot be an area where extremists are running wild.”

In fact, it is the police who seem to be “running wild,” using force excessively and indiscriminately.  Here is the latest from Amnesty:

"Friday night police used even greater levels of violence against demonstrators… There are unconfirmed reports of three deaths. Over 1000 people are thought to be injured, many of them seriously. More than 100 people have been detained in Istanbul. There are consistent reports of ill-treatment against those in detention.

Lawyers told Amnesty International that police beat protestors with truncheons when they apprehended them on the street, again at a police station close to Taksim. Similar violence against detainees was reported when protestors were transferred to the main security directorate in Istanbul.

According to reports, protestors on the street and in detention are being prevented access to appropriate medical care. Attempts by the Istanbul Medical Chamber to set up temporary medical facilities to treat injured demonstrators on the streets were prevented by continuous use of tear gas by police…

Medical professionals told Amnesty International that police security measures have also prevented many demonstrators from accessing the main public hospital in the Taksim area. Reports also indicate that the police fired tear gas close to the entrance to the hospital.

Reports also indicate that police apprehended injured demonstrators in need of hospital treatment and took them instead to police detention where they have not been able to access appropriate medical treatment."

Because Turkish authorities seem determined to continue on this course and have shown no inclination to “take the required steps to ensure the security of the demonstrators and members of the public in general,” Amnesty has updated its call to action.



Continue the actions outlined yesterday.  These include:

A. Use of social media:

Please use social media including twitter and facebook to circulate the below suggested messages, tagging @aforgutu for AI Turkey:

.@Valimutlu Police use of force against #direngeziparkı protestors is excessive, unacceptable & breaks international HR standards @aforgutu

.@Valimutlu @RT_Erdogan Istanbul authorities must immediately stop police violence against peaceful #direngeziparkı protestors @aforgutu

Amnesty International’s issuing international call to its activists to take action over police violence in #Taksim #direngeziparkı @aforgutu


B. Voice your concern directly to the Turkish government by writing to the Turkish embassy in your home country (see here for details on text)

Addresses and details for these embassies can be found here: http://www.mfa.gov.tr/turkish-representations.en.mfahttp://www.mfa.gov.tr/turkish-representations.en.mfa

In addition, Amnesty asks that you lobby your own government

Call or e-mail your representative in Congress or Parliament.  Let them know that you expect your government to speak out for freedom of expression and against the police violence in Turkey.

Contact your country’s Foreign Affairs Ministry (the State Department in the United States) and ask them to reiterate Amnesty International’s call for:

•     Turkey’s Prime Minister to intervene immediately to end the police violence against           protestors;

•      The authorities to allow the right to peaceful protest of the demonstrators;

•      The end of ill-treatment during arrest and in places of detention;

•      Unhindered access to health care for all those who need it including in detention;

•      An immediate, independent and impartial investigation into allegations of excessive use of force and a clear statement of attrition.

We need your help and, more importantly, the brave protestors in Turkey need your help.  The time to act is now.


Update 1:

New tweets have been issued in Turkish and English:

.@RT_Erdogan @Valimutlu Tavrınızı değiştirin! Şiddete son verin barışçıl gösterilere izin verin, ihlalleri soruşturup engelleyin #occupygezi

.@RT_Erdogan Turkish authorities must allow the right to peaceful protest of the demonstrators @aforgutu #direngeziparkı #occupygezi

For a complete list of suggested tweets in English and Turkish and additional information, click here. 


 Amnesty International

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Video: Disabled man asks police to stop the violence: 

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  Eyewitnessreport  from the beginning of the events.  What is Happenning in Istanbul?

 

 To my friends who live outside of Turkey:

I am writing to let you know what is going on in Istanbul for the last five days. I personally have to write this because most of the media sources are shut down by the government and the word of mouth and the internet are the only ways left for us to explain ourselves and call for help and support.

Four days ago a group of people most of whom did not belong to any specific organization or ideology got together in Istanbul’s Gezi Park. Among them there were many of my friends and students.  Their reason was simple: To prevent and protest the upcoming demolishing of the park for the sake of building yet another shopping mall at very center of the city. There are numerous shopping malls in Istanbul, at least one in every neighborhood! The tearing down of the trees was supposed to begin early Thursday morning. People went to the park with their blankets, books and children. They put their tents down and spent the night under the trees.  Early in the morning when the bulldozers started to pull the hundred-year-old trees out of the ground, they stood up against them to stop the operation.

They did nothing other than standing in front of the machines.

No newspaper, no television channel was there to report the protest. It was a complete media black out.

But the police arrived with water cannon vehicles and pepper spray.  They chased the crowds out of the park.

In the evening the number of protesters multiplied. So did the number of police forces around the park. Meanwhile local government of Istanbul shut down all the ways leading up to Taksim square where the Gezi Park is located. The metro was shut down, ferries were cancelled, roads were blocked.

Yet more and more people made their way up to the center of the city by walking.

They came from all around Istanbul. They came from all different backgrounds, different ideologies, different religions. They all gathered to prevent the demolition of something bigger than the park:

The right to live as honorable citizens of this country.

They gathered and marched. Police chased them with pepper spray and tear gas and drove their tanks over people who offered the police food in return. Two young people were run over by the panzers and were killed. Another young woman, a friend of mine, was hit in the head by one of the incoming tear gas canisters. The police were shooting them straight into the crowd.  After a three hour operation she is still in Intensive Care Unit and in  very critical condition. As I write this we don’t know if she is going to make it. This blog is dedicated to her.

These people are my friends. They are my students, my relatives. They have no «hidden agenda» as the state likes to say. Their agenda is out there. It is very clear. The whole country is being sold to corporations by the government, for the construction of malls, luxury condominiums, freeways, dams and nuclear plants. The government is looking for (and creating when necessary) any excuse to attack Syria against its people’s will.

On top of all that, the government control over its people’s personal lives has become unbearable as of late. The state, under its conservative agenda passed many laws and regulations concerning abortion, cesarean birth, sale and use of alcohol and even the color of lipstick worn by the airline stewardesses.

People who are marching to the center of Istanbul are demanding their right to live freely and receive justice, protection and respect from the State. They demand to be involved in the decision-making processes about the city they live in.

What they have received instead is excessive force and enormous amounts of tear gas shot straight into their faces. Three people lost their eyes.

Yet they still march. Hundred of thousands join them. Couple of more thousand passed the Bosporus Bridge on foot to support the people of Taksim.

No newspaper or TV channel was there to report the events. They were busy with broadcasting news about Miss Turkey and “the strangest cat of the world”.

Police kept chasing people and spraying them with pepper spray to an extent that stray dogs and cats were poisoned and died by it.

Schools, hospitals and even 5 star hotels around Taksim Square opened their doors to the injured. Doctors filled the classrooms and hotel rooms to provide first aid. Some police officers refused to spray innocent people with tear gas and quit their jobs. Around the square they placed jammers to prevent internet connection and 3g networks were blocked. Residents and businesses in the area provided free wireless network for the people on the streets. Restaurants offered food and water for free.

People in Ankara and İzmir gathered on the streets to support the resistance in Istanbul.

Mainstream media kept showing Miss Turkey and “the strangest cat of the world”.

***

I am writing this letter so that you know what is going on in Istanbul. Mass media will not tell you any of this. Not in my country at least. Please post as many as articles as you see on the Internet and spread the word.

As I was posting articles that explained what is happening in Istanbul on my Facebook page last night someone asked me the following question:

«What are you hoping to gain by complaining about our country to foreigners?»

This blog is my answer to her.

By so called «complaining» about my country I am hoping to gain:

Freedom of expression and speech,

Respect for human rights,

Control over the decisions I make concerning my on my body,

The right to legally congregate in any part of the city without being considered a terrorist.

But most of all by spreading the word to you, my friends who live in other parts of the world, I am hoping to get your awareness, support and help!

Please spread the word and share this blog.

Thank you!

For futher info and things you can do for help please see Amnesty International’s Call for Urgent Help.    [see previous text above [red]

 source

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Greetings citizens of the world. We are Anonymous.

The whole world is watching this battle and we have heard the cries of the oppressed in this country. Anonymous does not stand idly by as governments crush opposition to their dictatorial rule. Thus, we are calling for all active anons to assist in #OpTurkey.

#OpTurkey ~ Survival tips for civilians in areas of urban conflict. Below is a guide written by ex-military aimed at assisting those on the streets fighting for their freedom. While many of these points seem obvious to some, the stress and chaos of the rebellion can dampen and confuse even the bravest of people at times. Thus, we strongly advise that you please review ALL points in their entirety.

Turkish government. You should expect us.

irc.anonops / #opturkey

#opturkey on Twitter

@anonsturkey

 ____________

SURVIVAL GUIDE

1. If you hear close weapons activity, DO NOT leave your building unless absolutely

essential

2. If you do have to, DON'T walk in a straight line and resist the temptation to run, stay low

- The human eye recognizes movement before light and colour, if someone wants a target

and you are moving quicky, you will be seen more easily

- Your body is saying RUN LIKE MAD and so is that adrenaline high you are experiencing,

anticipate shakes, high nausea levels and a strong volition to move quickly.

3. If you cannot leave or decide to stay, and start hearing explosions or feel a large impact to your building, stand in a doorway. If there is no convenient doorway nearby move any large object (table, large chair) you can near to a supporting wall and get under it.

- A supporting wall is a wall that others stem from, the 'spine' of a building, usually the most centrally-running and/or thickest wall in the building but NOT an external wall

4. Move to ground floor, moving as low as possible past any windows BUT if you hear loud/rushed conversation directly below you, DO NOT RUSH DOWN. not being on the ground floor is far from ideal, but neither is running into combat-stressed individuals with weapons who have holed up in your building

- Take your time at the point of descent (stairs), if in doubt, find the most secure spot and wait until you feel safer to move on.

- Again, your body is screaming RUN RUN RUN, many unfortunate casualties happen due to this behaviour

5. If you need to signal, DO NOT S.O.S in morse code, for 2 reasons;

- S.O.S can either not be noticed or to be misinterpreted

- Using morse may signify to someone observing that you may have some military training potentially, trust me, this can cause a lot of misunderstanding and attention your way

THE INTERNATIONAL SYMBOL FOR DISTRESS IS SIX SHORT WHISTLE BLASTS/MIRROR FLASHES, PAUSE FOR 30 SECS, REPEAT

6. Mirror Flashes - the correct way to get noticed is not to just move around a shiny surface;

- Make a 'peace' V with your fingers, aim the bright reflection towards one of the fingers

- Aim your V at the direction you wish to signal, and flash the bright reflective patch from your object past your two fingers back and forth - the reflection is thus precisely aimed to catch any attention you aim at.

7. One of the best things in a survival situation is actually your cellphone. If it (or a network) is dead, smash it open.

- There is usually a highly reflective plate located behind the screen

- The circuit boards can be sharpened to give a very nice and reliable cutting edge if a knife is needed but unavailable (sharpens on stone/concrete floor easily - sharpen ONE side only holding the board at a 30 degree angle from the floor)

8. Fire: is not ideal in any conflict area, can become uncontrolled and/or attract unwanted attention.

- If needed, cellphone comes in handy again. That battery may not be able to power the phone, but using any thin wiring, surround the wire with whatever you wish to start the flame with (dry fabric, paper shreds, dry plant) and connect one end to +ve and one end to -ve, it gets VERY hot VERY quickly (sometimes white hot if using wiring from the phone itself)

- Making a fire in a building is a BAD IDEA. Even if you control its size, a mild yet prolonged fire will, in a small airless space, produce things you don't want to breathe in, and suck out what you do want to breathe in. Sleepyness becomes unconsciousness becomes death.

9. Move out (of range/target area)

- Do not think it is a good idea to travel to places/buildings of authority looking for help unless specifically told to do so. Areas of importance to military or authority, and known large groups of people (eg. a hospital) will be the first major targets of any competent enemy force, remove the danger by removing yourself from such locations.

- Move to opposite edges of your geographical area to the conflict, or if surrounded by conflict to a degree, move centrally but NOT TO THE ABSOLUTE CENTRE - find shelter in a quiet place until it is safe to move to an even safer area.

10. Take notes - Try to find something to write with and on and ask EVERYONE YOU MEET if they have heard ANYTHING.

-A good questions checklist would be

a) Are there any new designated safe areas?

b) Any news on the levels of safety in local medical centres? (never know when one might be needed, good to know if any are no go areas.

c) Any new resource points? food, water, shelter?

d) Which direction have you come from? NO NOT trust your ears to suss out a dangerous direction to avoid, in urban environments, sound reflection can completely distort where the danger is.

e) Have you heard of any safe routes leading far away from the conflict?

- The first priority is the security of you and your group, ask questions relative to that first!

- Updates on political progress to end a conflict will trickle through and are not the immediate priority to an individual in a conflict zone, don't waste your time talking about it.

11. Emergency first aid: is very dangerous if done by a person with no experience. If, however your group is affected by explosion or similar and feel you have to, always check the people who are not moving or even awake but very quiet FIRST, the screamers are telling you 2 things, 1) they are still alive and 2) either little or no head trauma. While you may gravitate towards a distressed sounding person first, the ones in more need are the ones not making any sound.

- If unconscious, check pulse

- If pulse found, make sure their mouth is closed (opens airway)

- Firmly, but not shouting, say "can you hear me?" and holding both shoulders VERY LIGHTLY shake them as you speak.

- If no response, tilt your head horizontally, holding ear close to nose/mouth of patient looking down the body.

to feel air flow with your ear OR see chest rising and falling with breathing.

- If pulse but no breathing, start assisted breathing, two deep exhales into the mouth of the patient every 30 secs.

- Try to revive again with VERY LIGHT shaking with a hand no each shoulder, repeat "can you hear me?"

- If no pulse, begin compressions: 2 deep breaths into mouth of victim followed by 30 chest compressions (this is current advised standard).

- Chest compressions are dangerous, don't use whole body weight!!!

using your LEFT Hand, seat the palm of your hand (so the fingers point right) in the slight groove of the breast bone, place your right hand above your left.

- With straightened arms, press downwards (DO NOT RUSH/PRESS TOO HARD) in a CONTROLLED, CALM manner.

Be under no illusions, CPR is not successful in restarting a heart, it simply allows the chance for enough oxygen to reach vital areas of the body until such a time that a medical team can restart the heart correctly.

People have been successfully revived after correct CPR after having no pulse for a much longer time than the usual point of brain damage and death from hypoxia.

UNSKILLED ATTEMPTS AT FIRST AID ARE STILL VERY DANGEROUS, SERIOUSLY CONSIDER THIS BEFORE COMMENCING ANY AID

12. Bug-out bag: prepare a bag full of emergency essentials if you need to exit in a hurry, good items are:

- Knife (contrary to the idea of a 'good' knife, folding knives with a reliable locking mechanism is best in case you fall on your bag)

- Water (2 Litre is ideal (2 day supply for one) but whatever you can fit)

- As much of the least perishable food items as you can fit in, freeze dried meals are optimum but understandably not widely available in many conflict regions). If really stretched, take a balg of flour and more water to make a quick hard dough once relatively safe and cook it over a fire, can be sustaining for a short period as your only meal

- As many different ways of fire starting as you have, lighters, matches etc

- Our seemingly useless dead cellphone, or far more usefully a spare working cellphone, stick it in the bag

- A small pot or big cup for cooking in

- Spare items of clothing to suit for 2 complete sets of fresh gear for 2 days

- Waterproof warm jacket if available (even in hot dry climates, you never know (and i know the desert is f****** cold at night))

- First aid kit if available

Naturally, this list can suit for many different environments but takes up a lot of space, if no large bag is available, you may have to cut out the clothing and maybe other items, but if you are lucky enough to be able to prepare a bug-out bag, DO NOT leave out the food water and knife.  Place your bug out bag in a very visible location near what you use as your main exit of your premises.

13. Some hard facts

A) If a member/members of your group die and you are in close proximity to combat, your main priority is the remaining survivors in your group.  The honourable approach of 'never leave a man behind' is usually a code that is adopted by trained combat professionals who are more capable of achieving this should they wish. You will probably not have military training and MUST make the horrible decision to leave the deceased and concentrate on the survival of the rest of your group (very highly trained operatives know that whatever moral code is in place, transporting the dead is simply not feasible in areas of intense combat (or areas with no friendly forces within close (20 miles) radius), Hollywood does not know what it is talking about).

B) If you are not used to it, very large natural doses of adrenaline will mess with you in a big way. A trick if you are feeling overwhelmed and panicked is to look and concentrate on immediate objects and mentally say them eg door, table, light etc, to bring you back into a more stable way of thinking.  One of the worst effects of adrenaline is sudden memory loss (you just freeze and go blank) linking with inbuilt natural defence mechanisms. Prepare for this as best you can, go over and over action plans mentally BEFORE any danger occurs.

example, think about if a bomb explodes/shooting begins:

What are my exit routes from the area?

Who is around me that I must aid?

What is my first choice of safe haven after getting away?

Is my bug-out bag ready? Where is it?

C) Grief is almost as disabling as an adrenaline rush, you have to try your best to SHUT IT OUT until you are in a position far safer. To link to point a), it is extrelemy hard to leave a very close family member or a child if dead and your body will not want you to do it.  A decision in these moments could potentially save or end your life.

Good luck, and be safe.

We are Anonymous.

We are Legion.

We do not Forget.

We do not Forgive.

We do not compromise.

Expect Us!

______________

Turkish government websites hacked by Anonymous

Anonymous @YourAnonNews:

TANGODOWN:
http://gudul.meb.gov.tr/index.php
http://www.gatab.gov.tr/images/
http://www.akpartiankara.org/
http://tccb.gov.tr 
http://istanbul.gov.tr    
http://iem.gov.tr    
http://Akparti.org.tr
STILL DOWN > Presidency http://tccb.gov/  & http://www.ankara.bel.tr/  |http://ancara.gov.tr/  | Anonymous Operations #OpTurkey

List of Damage under #OpTurkey; include (Leaks, Hacks and Defacement)

For people in Turkey free VPN access:

Username: vpnbook
Password: rac3vat9

Server #1: euro1.vpnbook.com (Anonymous VPN)
Server #2: euro2.vpnbook.com (Anonymous VPN)
Server #3: uk1.vpnbook.com (UK VPN – optimized for fast web surfing; no p2p downloading)
Server #4: us1.vpnbook.com (US VPN – optimized for fast web surfing; no p2p downloading)

____________________

“We will attack every Internet and communications asset of the Turkish government,” Anonymous threatened in a YouTube video posted Sunday. “You have censored social media and other communications of your people in order to suppress the knowledge of your crimes against them. Now Anonymous will shut you down, and your own people will remove you from power.”

Anonymous used distributed denial of service, or DDoS, hacks to overload servers and knock target websites offline. In addition to websites belonging to the Turkish government, political parties and police department, Anonymous hacked websites belonging to media outlets that support Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan. One example was the private news broadcaster NTV, which was criticized for not reporting on the police brutality.

We are coming Turkey. Be strong, We will not let you down. Stay in the streets, We will take your government offline. #OpTurkey
— Anonymous(@AnonOpsMob) June 2, 2013


TANGODOWN:tccb.gov.tristanbul.gov.triem.gov.trAkparti.org.tr Via @wikicrew #YA
— Anonymous (@YourAnonNews) June 2, 2013
Other Turkish websites were hacked and defaced to include images supporting the protesters in Turkey. Several Tunisian hackers got involved with #OpTurkey and claim to have hacked more than 145 Turkish websites.

#opTurkey: gatab.gov.tr/images/ hacked and defaced
— Anonymous (@Crypt0nymous) June 4, 2013

 Turkish protesters using encryption software to evade censors
ow.ly/1X55Ec#OpTurkey
—Anonymous (@AnonRRD) June 4, 2013

______________________

#OpTurkey chatroom and an other

IRC: irc.anonops.com | PORT 6667 | SSL PORT 6697|| Channel #Turkey || Webchat: http://webchat.anonops.com/

IRC: irc.cyberguerrilla.org | PORT 6667 | SSL PORT 6697 Fingerprint=21:05:1D:5B:FC:58:E6:E9:3C:F8:48:00:3A:C5:22:3A:95:52:FF:ED | IRC Client setup | /RULES || Channel #OpTurkey

_______________________

How to connect to the internet in Turkey should your government shut it off. Please share with Turks.

#occupygezi Dial Up
+46850009990
+492317299993
+4953160941030

User: telecomix
Password: telecomix

OR +33172890150

Login: toto
Password: toto

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┗━╱┈╲┃┈┈┗━╰━╯┈┃┈

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‘Direct fire’: HRW urges Turkey to end ‘incorrect, unlawful’ teargas use, cites victims (GRAPHIC PHOTOS) 
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Threat: Anonymous #opRevolutie2013 Netherlands start

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