The other week (April 27th to May 1st), while we were in Turkey for a long weekend visit to Istanbul together with our Bologna friends Irene Ruggero and Carlo Coniglio, we had the interesting and inspiring experience of being able to mingle with the enormous crowds of turkish citizens of all age groups, with a very large component of young people, both male and female, who took part in a vast peaceful demonstration in support of a secular state.
The scene above is from a brief gathering with public appeals and speeches held around the Independence Memorial in Taksim Square, high up on the East bank of the Golden Horn.
The Taksim area itself is well worth a visit in any case in order to enjoy the excellent views of the old city center on the other bank of the Golden Horn with the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Topkapi Palace, and then to walk down the lively pedestrian precinct which meanders all the way back down to the waterfront again.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
April 29th 2007: Political demonstration, Istanbul, Turkey
