in istanbul I had to experience a new side.

in the middle of he night, there was noise in the stairways, heavy knocking at the buildings door, some arguments. police annoyed my nighbours upstairs and I was quite cınfused. as far as I know, they didn`t arrest anyone, just made some stress. I was a little bit confused, on the one hand I wanted to show my solidarity, on the other hand I didn`t want to appear to curious. maybe a little bit stupid, cause ı am quite sure, i appreciated most reactions after police searching my house in germany rather than no reaction.

well, next day, we just were about to have breakfast, there was someone knocking the door. we expected the neighbors` kid wanting to play with kedicim, so we were quite surprised having 2 rude men in front of the door. they said, they are polis, and one of them presented his ID - he wouldn`t need to, because only police can be so ugly and aggressive. meanwhile a third one appeared. they wanted to see our passports and tried to get in the flat. we kept in their way and they didn`t use violence to come in. all in all they seemed to be surprised, finding some foreigners. They asked some questions about work, but I didn`t answer. In some situations doing smalltalk can be a strategy dealing with police here, but they didn`t behave like I felt having smalltalk and anyway, thats the way I learned in general as a reaction to police. we told them, if they want to come in the flat, they should wait outside, so i can call my lawyer. this made them significantly less aggressive. So they checked our passport and immigration stamps and finally went.

So what is was all about? They said, they had a call about drugs, but I don`t believe. There is absolutely no reason for it, and even if there was, our neighbors would rather complain directly than call police. It seemed to be the standard excuse to annoy people.I think, it connected to “temizlik”, the “cleaning” of the quarters, which means more light in the street, more regular garbage collection and so on as well as trying to expel those doing illegal business, transvestites, poor, and anyone who is not welcome in a better off quarter.

will not go to germany. this I had to learn due to this european commission decision (EC) 1467/2006.
the procedure is like this:

1. the cat has to be chipped and get vaccination (rabies).
2. 1 month later there has to be done a blood examination. the blood has to be sent to ankara.
3. then the cat has to wait another 3 month - no idea why.

all in all the costs of the procedure would be about YTL 350. well if İ would want to bring a (human) friend to germany, I would think about spending this effort, but (though I love her) its a cat.

plan B:
I will find a nice new home fr my cute hunter and hopefully will get back in a year. but unfortunately I guess, evrybody living with the cat some while, will fall in love… (sigh)

at least I have some things to organize, so my time be be melancholic about moving is not to much.

found somebody to take over my flat. and wonder if I should have asked for more money for my furniture and stuff. but anyway, it was, what I thought to be fair. maybe I`m not a real businessman.
so there are just 3 things left to organize:

…somebody who showed me a watch. He got for 25 years working in a german company. 25 years and just a cheap watch as a present from the management. I think there is no more direct way to say to somebody: “you`re not important for us at all”. they could give a bottle of wine or something, what you are not supposed to keep a reminder for being unindiviadual resource …
but this guy was proud of it someway, even if he added, that he got a better watch, when he left for retirement.

jelena wrote about the situation at Taksim at mayday 2007. For those of you, dear readers, who don`t understand german, I will try to summarize the thesis: turkish police is less using methods of surveillance and categorizing people in potentially dangerous and harmless than we are used in Europe but more using violence, which is effecting all, like using tear gas. So the chances of people to letting them self be controlled and so not be involved in a conflict is less, and this is in a way also a chance or the “european” or maybe “german” way to control demonstrations is not less dangerous for democracy. - at least this is how I understand her post.
all in all it was a very strange situation to observe the demonstration. I definitly felt some kind of solidarity with those demonstrating, but for to reasons I tried not to be involved to much (and the situation was a little bit like either to be in or tho be out): first I couldn`t really estimate the situation, like I didn`t know, who much risk I would go involving me. The pain İ got by standing 100 m away from exploding tear gas bombs was enough to see, that being in is not really fun. But I definitely respect the courage of those who did go the risk of being hurt in order to fight for the possibility to demonstrate at the place they want to.
the more complicate problem is definitly, that I have to question how much I have in common with those protesters. two years ago I have been to the big, legal rally in kadıköy. here you can find different parties, labour unions and so on, all of them carrying huge turkish flags. nearly all of them have slogans like this:

translation: “neither USA nor EU - total independent turkey” - I have to mention that isçi partisi - “workers party” - is not really a leftist party but seems to be a kemalist party for workers. but nevertheless similar slogans can be said by e.g. TKP - the capitalism is something which is brought from outside into turkish sociaety, nationalism is mobilized against imperialism.
I don`t know, if those protesting in Taksim differ from those protesing in kadıköy, but I am quite sure, that I will not really be able to discuss for example antisemitism with most of them, probably not even nationalism. anyway the situation, that the confrontation with the police was to be feared al the time was not a good time to discuss.
hm, I hope I can discuss the question, who was supporting the protest and what position do they have soon.