It is our pleasure to present to you a book about what have come to be known as the Gezi protests happening in Turkey at the moment. The book is written by novelist and journalist Kenan Görgün, a Belgian citizen of Turkish origin, who has been at the frontlines of the protest since day one. His book is a combination of diary and journalistic essay with some literary reflections as well. It is both personal and political.

In the book, Görgün explains how the protests came to happen, and he looks at events not only through the eyes of the protesters, but through the eyes of the police whose duty it has been to combat them.

Of course, the protests are not over, and Görgün will be updating the book insofar as possible as time progresses.

************************

I have been in Istanbul from the very first day of one of the greatest protests in the country’s history. In Turkish, there is and will be a vast literature about those events – journalistic & sociological works, mostly.

But in other languages, and except for the foreign press representatives who came, informed and left (of which there are now fewer and fewer), I am almost the sole non-Turkish (but Turkish-rooted) writer around. The circumstances – and my will – pushed me to the frontlines of the protest… but also from one side to the other of these lines – from the “protest side” to the “repression side”, among others. I wrote hundreds of pages and memos, in my handbooks, my laptop, even on my cellphone, depending on where I was and what was happening there on the moment.

From live reports, testimonies and analysis, I selected and edited what appears to be the most accurate material, in order to compose what might be given to readers as a whole, a set that would remain significant even when this period is over (though its consequences will last for years).

“REBELLION PARK” is the result – dairy & essay.

Istanbul – The Zero Moment

In a few short chapters, this part of the book sets the circumstances and parameters which fed the initial protest and the way it expanded to become a nationwide awakening. In other words, a report on the events that made the Gezi Park protest reach a point of no return.

Through the eyes of the Gas Mask

Portraits, testimonies and talks from the protest and the protesters.
Students, doctors, lawyers, political activists, shopkeepers who helped the protesters in Gezi, even the itinerant sellers who made business out of the protest… A day-to-day report (with an analytic dimension) of the exceptional unity that arose from Gezi Park.

Through the eyes of the Gas Grenade

Testimonies and talks among the special squads assigned to repress the protest – by all means necessary. After the Prime Minister and his court, these squads are at the receiving end of the brunt of protestors’ criticism. And though their guilt will stand as a statement of impunity and disproportioned use of force, different voices tell you different versions of this unprecedented flashpoint.

At the Sultan’s Court

An outrageous use of force is combined with a ludicrous propaganda campaign in the course of events, causing a virtual war to erupt in the media and the social networks, ending in numerous arrests and abuses of the law. This part looks at the conspiracy theories of the government, and how those theories actually serve to enlighten the government’s real hidden agenda. How this government took its power from the past and present conflicts of Turkey and how it plans to keep that power. This part concludes with a fictional interview between Tayyip and… Erdogan, a surreal dialogue which takes us on a journey through the landscape of the New Turkey which this man seeks to shape –again, by all means necessary.

Manifesto for Tomorrow

Though no one can deny the existence of opportunists and «professional protesters» among the Gezi movement, the heart of the movement remains the youth. Now what remains to be seen is how this highly intelligent, witty, brave youth will shape brand new perspectives for the country. Confronted with blatant violence that has caused the loss of lives and limbs, the members of this movement have held steadfast, refusing to compromise on their dedication to non-violence. And now the core protesters have started another battle, one that is harder than to combat: the battle of ideas. Will the movement survive the end of physical violence, which in trying to break the movement has in some ways served to propel it, and succumb to the ideological violence that attempts to destroy it? Forums are held in parks (dozens of parks throughout Istanbul as well as in other cities of Turkey) and citizens of all backgrounds gather there and try to imagine new forms of action. Will these forums succeed in rallying people around concrete issues, getting them to take action and thus further the legitimate expectations of the movement? As we know, this youth-led movement is the latest obstacle to the government’s New Turkey project, and the battle of ideas that it has launched is already shaping the future of the country – and probably, one way or another, the future of the region.

Istanblood

From the Battle for Constantinopolis until this modern battle for the conquest of Neo-Istanbul, Istanblood is a narrative poem telling the tale of this land, the diversity of its people, of its conflicts and numerous renaissances… It will be divided into “chapters” and these chapters will connect the different parts of the book.

“Do You Speak Gezi?”

Extremely clever jokes and and other forms of ‘creative writing’ were rampant throughout the protest. Not only in Gezi Park, but all along the streets surrounding it one could see political graffiti, a true goldmine of creativity, boldness, intelligence and irresistible humour! Most of this material was erased during the final assault on Gezi. I knew that this moment would come. I asked around but could find no one who was archiving this materials, and so I took it upon myself to do so. I spent many days writing down each and every line visible in the park and on the walls of the streets through the district. It is for me a precious heritage of OccupyGezi and the spirit of this community that was “chapulling” in the park for two unforgettable weeks!

“May hope rise from this Pandora’s Box!” 

*********************

Osoby zainteresowane materiałami recenzenckimi proszone są o kontakt mailowy z Justyną Czechowską pod adresem justyna@literatura.com.pl