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It is clearly a significant breaking point. In the videos you could see young, old, woman with head scarves, men in suits and men in jeans all very upset with the way they are being treated by the Turkish goverment. I hope they can boot Erodgan out and work towards the changes they need.
The compliation of issues they are concerned about very important and needed. The only one I disagreed with is they wanted less tax on alcohol and tobacco. Instead they should request those particular taxes go toward health issue caused by smoking or excessive drinking.
I am posting the collective list of concerns here: I think it is important.
- Taksim Project must be cancelled.
- The Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Draft Law must be withdrawn from the National Assembly’s agenda.
- The right to congregate and demonstrate must be secured under the constitution.
- Democracy must not be practiced only at election times: A democratic process based on community participation must be adopted.
- City councils must take an active role in decisions related to the city and the citizens’ opinions must be taken into account.
- Electoral threshold must be lowered (which is 10% in Turkey).
- Safety of elections must be ensured; an e-voting system must be implemented.
- Internet filters must be removed and Internet access should not be restricted.
- Bans affecting people’s lifestyles, including the ban on alcohol and the ban on headscarves in state-owned buildings must be lifted.
- Freedom of information must be raised to international standards.
- Media censorship must be considered illegal.
- Compulsory military service must be repealed.
- Military courts must be abolished.
- The US military bases in Turkey must be closed.
- Students in custody must be released.
- All discrimination based on nationality, ethnic origin, skin color, gender, sexual orientation and sexual identity must be prohibited.
- The destruction of nature across the country must be stopped.
- Environmental and animal rights must be protected by the law.
- Local referendums must be held in the regions in question for building nuclear plants, thermal plants or dams.
- Environmental Impact Assessment reports for future dam projects must be prepared by independent scientific institutions, not by companies certified by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization.
- Gezi Park, Taşkışla, İnönü Stadium, Dolmabahçe Palace and Maçka Park must be preserved as public spaces.
- Science, universities and the arts must be liberated.
- Anatolia’s cultural heritage must be protected.
- Religion section must be removed from government issued identification cards.
- Natural history museums, botanical gardens, art galleries must be prioritized over shopping malls.
- Taksim is a symbol: Taksim must be open to all peaceful congregations and demonstrations.
- The Law of Police Powers, the Civil Code, the Criminal Code, and the Code of Criminal Procedure must be democratized.
- Freedom of expression must be ensured at international standards.
- Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) must not be demolished.
- Turkey must come to terms with the Armenian Genocide.
- The government must investigate the assassination of Hrant Dink, massacre in Roboski and the Reyhanlı incident.
- The State Theaters and the State Opera and Ballet must not be shut down.
- The State must be impartial to all religions and sects.
- Individual and group lifestyles and lifestyle choices must be respected and protected by laws.
- Turkey must stop threatening Syria. Syrian refugees must be moved to safe locations far from the border.
- Police violence must stop.
- Civil organizations must be liberated, and unionization must be facilitated.
- Income inequality must be remedied.
- The wage ceiling must not be more than 10 times the minimum wage.
- The Prime Ministers’ discretionary funds must be regulated.
- Political transparency must be ensured. All political immunities must be repealed.
- Instead of making a new constitution, the 1961 constitution must be modernized.
- The rule of law must be unconditionally upheld, unlawful detention of people must be stopped.
- Mineral reserves must be nationalized.
- The Turkish Petroleum Corporation must be the only institution authorized for exploring and drilling oil.
- The Prime Minister’s office must be chaired in rotation.
- Basic sciences must be supported.
- Soldiers and journalists under arrest must be given a fair trial. Extrajudicial imprisonment for months and years must be stopped.
- The abortion law must be withdrawn.
- Once the new airport is opened, the existing airport at Yeşilköy, İstanbul should be transformed into a public park.
- Education at all levels must promote scientific and up-to-date content.
- Indicative labels must be mandatory on GMOs.
- Demonstrators taken into custody since May 27th must be released immediately with no legal ramifications.
- All barriers to active political participation must be removed.
- All bans on the congregations, rallies, parades and demonstrations must be lifted; the right to congregate and demonstrate must be fairly implemented.
- The people must be actively included in the control mechanism of civil society organizations.
- The Prime Minister’s office in the Beşiktaş must be relocated, and the pier must be opened to public.
- Journalists imprisoned for expressing their thoughts and contributing to people’s freedom of information must be released.
- Active participation of professional associations must be ensured in the processes involving the legal arrangements in their respective fields.
- Unsolved murders must be resolved, assailants must be prosecuted.
- The sexist education system must be reformed.
- Concrete steps must be taken towards securing children’s rights to education, healthcare and justice.
- Exploitation of labor must be stopped: permanent measures must be taken to protect workers’ rights and freedoms such as occupational health and safety, and flexible working hours.
- Domestic and small-size capital must be supported, monopoly must be prevented.
- Astronomic taxes on gasoline, alcohol and tobacco must be reduced.
- Access to safe and effective birth control methods must not require prescription; basic protection methods should be available to all at regional healthcare centers.
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