What Happened?
As most would know by now, two days ago Tayyip Erdogan targeted Afrika Newspaper. His statement that the newspaper’s headline calling the Afrin operation (in Syria) “Another Occupation Move by Turkey” should be “answered promptly by my Northern Cypriot brothers” was an open call for a lynch campain.
The fact that Erdogan began to target newspapers in an other country than his own is seen as an attemt to create a tension based on ethnicity in our country like he has been doing in Turkey and Middle East.
Yesterday, the “protestors” who came to protest Afrika also humiliated “trnc” by climbing on top of the parliamentary building and doing “rabia” signs and waving the flag of the fascist “İYİ” Party.
The newspaper was stoned. Those who attemted to climb inside the building has broken the signs of the newspaper. The police has done nothing, even after President Akinci went in the area to show his disaproval of the little police intervention.
UBP Benefited from the Events
As Erdogan ordered his supporters to take on the streets, UBP, afraid that it might be sidelined by a quandripartite coalition jumped on the opportunity on this situation which might shake the balance in the country, and showed strong attendance in the violent “protest”.
UBP-ruled municipalities such as Büyükkonuk (Komi Kebir), Morphou and Karpasia moved free buses to the protest and known faces of UBP such as Faiz Sucuoglu went among the protestors to show support.
It is known that any other protests in the same area is usually blocked by heavy police presence. However because of a “temporary” 10th article in the constitution, the police is subsidiary to the Turkish Army. Since the orders of the assault came from Erdogan, the army ordered the police to just watch as everything happened. This also showed the true meaning of the “temporary” 10th article, which none of the past ruling parties has removed.
On the other hand, the tensions were attemted to be shown as a “Turks vs. Cypriots” clash. However the fact that UBP backed up the protest and a lot of “Cypriots” were seen in the crowd shows us that in fact this is but an attack by fascism on freedom of thought and expression.
Inside the Parliament
While the violent acts were ongoing outside Afrika and the parliamentary building, inside, the newly elected known fascist Bertan Zaroglu attacked Dogus Derya while she added “All together against fascism” at the end of her election vow.
Huseyin Angolemli (from TDP) who is head of the parliament as the eldest member until the government is formed, has called the Police General Manager into question about the little police intervention in the violent events and asked for a through investigation to start immediately.
Angolemli also decided that he will put into use the parliamentary bylaws against the newly elected fascist MP Bertan Zaroglu.
In the meantime, last night progressive movements and individuals gathered outside the Afrika newspaper to show solidarity. Even though the fascists came back for another gathering, they were outnumbered and dissipated with the beginning of the rain.
Independence Path: Freedom is always the freedom of those who think differently
In a press release, Independence Path stated that freedom of expression is indeed for the ideas that disturb the ruling. The fact that those in power target a newspaper for ideas they do not fancy is not within democracy but is fit for fascism.
The statement also mentioned that Erdogan is calling upon his “brothers” in the north of Cyprus, but Turkish Cypriots know very well of how painful an ethnic conflict is, and that we are brothers and sisters with peoples of Turkey and the world, but nothing with those who attempt to drag people into hatred and war.
Independence Path said the Turkish Cypriot people believe in democracy, human rights and freedom of expression and would play no part in such games that aim to escalate tension among the community.
Baraka: We See Who’s Giving the Orders
In a statement Baraka said we see who’s giving the orders and stand by Afrika and freedom of press. Those who want to escalate tension to stay in the government is fuelling a “turkish vs. cypriot” separation; but we believe in the solidarity of the peoples. We see who the police will attack as long as it is dependent on Turkey, and ask to rule our own country.
