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2017 March for Justice

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The March
Featured Article Adalet yry) was a
for Justice (Turkish:
content Read
450km (280-mile)
Current events march Talk Ankara to Istanbul to protest
from Edit
2017 March for Justice
against
Random arrests
article that were made as part of the government View history
crackdown following
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the July 2016 coup d'tat attempt. After
the coup attempt, the ruling Justice and Development Party
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More
(AKP) government declared a state of emergency. Since then
atInteraction
least 50,000 people have been arrested and another Search
140,000 people have been removed from their positions. The
protest
Help was led by opposition leader Kemal Kldarolu, in Search Wikipedia Search Go

response to a lengthy prison sentence that Enis Berberolu

About Wikipedia
received
Community for allegedly giving the press a video that shows
portal
Turkish intelligence
Recent changes smuggling weapons into Syria. The march
concluded
Contact pagein Istanbul on 9July with a rally attended by
hundreds of thousands of people, during which Kldarolu
spoke
Tools at length about the effect that the government purge
has had on the judiciary and rule of law in Turkey. [2]
What links here
The 450 km route that the 2017 Turkish March
of Justice followed from Ankara to Istanbul
Related changes
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan declared the protest
Upload file Date 15June2017 9July2017
march illegal. [3][4] During the march, Prime Minister Binali
Special pages
Yldrm and President Erdoan compared the march to the Location Ankara, Bolu, Dzce, Sakarya,
Permanent
July 2016 linkcoup attempt, and accused the participants and Kocaeli, Istanbul
Kldarolu of supporting the Glenist FET organization that
Page information
the government
Wikidata item says was behind the coup attempt. Counter- Caused Protest against the government
demonstrations
Cite this page have been held by AKP supporters. Police by crackdown, mass arrests and corrupt
officers provided security for the marchers, and the march judicial process
concluded
Print/export peacefully at Maltepe, Istanbul (where Berberolu
isCreate
imprisoned). Goals Rule of law, judicial reform, free
a book
press, free speech
Download as PDF
Contents
Printable version Methods Peaceful 450 km march from Ankara
to Istanbul concluding with rally at
1 In other projects
Background Maltepe, Istanbul
2 Wikimedia
March Commons
2.1 Maltepe rally Status Ended
2.2 Government response
Languages Casualties
3 Deutsch
References
Death(s) 1 reported from cardiac arrest[1]

Background
Trke [edit]
Ting Vit
A Zazaki
"state of emergency" was declared in Turkey after the failed coup attempt in 2016. Over 50,000 Turks
were jailed inEditthe aftermath of the failed coup.[5][6] 140,000 have been removed from their jobs in a
links
number of fields, particularly civil service, military, judiciary, academia and media.[5][7] The government has

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2017 March for Justice - Wikipedia

said that it is targeting those who are suspected of supporting Fethullah Glen, who the government
believes was behind the coup attempt.[7]

The Guardian reported that interviews with people involved with the Turkish judiciary and various experts
on the topic has shown:

"a broad and systematic attempt at intimidating and reshaping Turkey's judicial branch in an
effort to further consolidate power in the hands of the ruling AKP and Turkey's president Recep
Tayyip Erdoan."[7]

Experts have commented that the Turkish justice system was "crippled" following the 2016 coup attempt.[7]
4,000 prosecutors and judges have lost their jobs since the coup attempt.[8] Kldarolu commented that
judges wait for orders from the presidential palace before making decisions.[7]

In an opinion piece published in the New York Times opposition leader Kemal Kldarolu said that he and
others were marching for "democracy, justice and freedom from fear and authoritarian rule in Turkey."[9]
Kldarolu listed democracy, rule of law, freedom of expression, the jailing of parliament members, and
dysfunctional courts as reasons for the march.[9]

The march began in Ankara on June 15, 2017 after CHP member Enis Berberolu was sentenced to 25
years in prison for providing the opposition paper Cumhuriyet with a video that showed Turkish intelligence
agents smuggling weapons into Syria.[1] Turkish government officials have confirmed the authenticity of the
videos, but have maintained that the videos were published by FET members. Cumhuriyet' s editor in chief
Can Dndar was sentenced to five years in prison, and fled to Germany after surviving an assassination
attempt outside the Courthouse. [10][11]

The law that stripped members of parliament of their immunity and made Berberolu's imprisonment
possible was passed in May 2016. Though dozens of pro-Kurdish HDP members have since been jailed,
including HDP chairman Selahattin Demirta, Berberolu is the first CHP member to be imprisoned in 15
years of AKP rule.[12]

March [edit]

The protest was led by opposition leader Kemal Kldarolu.[13] The march
has been compared to Gandhi's 1930 Salt March.[14][15] Thousands of
protesters participated in the march, carrying signs that read adalet (the
Turkish word for "justice") and chanting "rights, law, justice".[16]

A diverse group of citizens participated, including members from different

political parties, trade unions, as well as ordinary citizens. [17] On 6 July 2017
Bloomberg reported that 30,000 protestors were participating in the
march.[13] Marchers have reported difficult conditions, including walking 20
kilometers a day, hot weather and rain. At least one elderly protester has Kemal Kldarolu during the
died of cardiac arrest during the march. [1] March, just before arriving by
the sea of Marmara
Protestors have given many different reasons for participating in the March, including a recent court
decision permitting a mining project in Artvin that has been opposed by many local residents and other
citizens throughout the country.[18] In the aftermath of the July 2016 coup attempt, the government
declared a "state of emergency" in which 50,000 Turks have been arrested and a further 140,000 people
have been fired or suspended from their jobs, including the chairman of Amnesty International Turkey.
Judge Aydin Sefa Akay, a member of the United Nations war crime panel, was sentenced to more then
[15]

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2017 March for Justice - Wikipedia

seven years in prison for suspected involvement in the coup attempt. Some who participated in the
march had been directly affected by the purges, including a former political science professor who was fired
by government decree in April 2017.[5] He was one of the 1,100 academics who were investigated for
signing a petition calling for an end to violence in Turkey's southeastern conflict with the Kurdish people.[19]

Counter-demonstrations have been held by AKP supporters.[13]

Maltepe rally [edit]

The march reached Istanbul on July 9, 2017 with a mass rally attended by
hundreds of thousands of people in Maltepe, where Berberolu is
imprisoned [20] the biggest opposition gathering since the protests in Gezi
Park in 2013.[21][22][23] Kldarolu spoke at the rally. During his speech
Kldarolu said that the state of emergency declared by Erdoan and his
government in response to the 2016 coup attempt had suspended the
powers of the national parliament and the judiciary.[24] He said: "We
marched for justice, we marched for the rights of the oppressed. We
marched for the MPs in jail. We marched for the arrested journalists. We
marched for the university academics dismissed from their jobs. [25][26]

He read a list of demands which included an end to the state of emergency,

an independent judiciary, and the release of imprisoned journalists,
politicians, and others who were arrested during the purges that followed
the coup attempt. He said that "subjecting the judiciary to partisan politics is
a betrayal of democracy."[24] He also said that the rally was only the
beginning, adding: "This is a rebirth for us, for our country and our children.
We will revolt against injustice." [27] He said that the April constitutional
referendum that had eliminated the post of prime minister and greatly
expanded the powers of the presidency was "unlawful" (the changes take
effect in 2019). Because the state of emergency was in place when the
referendum was carried out, Kldarolu said that "all public resources were
exploited to manipulate the outcome". [24] The final rally in Maltepe

Government response [edit]

President Erdoan has said that the marchers are supporting terrorism: "If you are launching a march for
terrorists and for their supporters, something which you have never thought about doing against terrorist
groups, you can convince no one that your aim is justice."[28] He said that the opposition party's actions
exceeded the scope of political opposition and said that they were "acting with terrorist organisations and
the forces inciting them against our country". [29] Erdoan likened the march to the coup attempt: "The
coup soldiers had their F-16s and tanks; Kldarolu has his march." [30]

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yldrm called the march "non-national" saying: Mr. Kldarolu, you should
give up. You can go nowhere with separatists and FET but a dead-end street.[31] On June 16, the second
day of the march, Yldrm said that Kldarolu should have marched against the coup: "Those who did not
take to the streets that day [July 15] are now marching from Ankara to Istanbul. If you will march, you
should march against coup. Justice cannot be sought in the streets."[32] He mocked the protestors, saying
they should have taken a high-speed train to Maltepe instead of walking in the hot summer weather.[32]

AKP Justice Minister Bekir Bozda said that Kldarolu's comments that the Turkish judiciary was "worse
than the police force" and subject to manipulation by the governing AKP were slander against Turkish
courts, judges and prosecutors.[8]

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2017 March for Justice - Wikipedia

After Erdoan said that the march was only being allowed as a government favor, former AKP official
Abdllatif ener said that the comment "should ring warning bells for democracy," adding that it "comes to
mean that you can do nothing if we (the government) do not want you to." [33][34] Some commentators at
the pro-government Daily Sabah newspaper have written that the march "is an attempt to release some
pressure emerging from intra-party dissident voices." [35]

Devlet Baheli, chairman of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) said that the march "aimed at
anarchy". Baheli said that Kldarolu's actions were equivalent to supporting FET.[35]

The government did not try to stop the rally from taking place. 15,000 police officers were deployed to
provide security for the crowd gathered at Maltepe, Istanbul.[25]

References [edit]

1. ^ a b c Fahim, Kareem (2017-07-03). "March for justice by Erdogan opponents in Turkey gains momentum and
alarms government" . Washington Post . ISSN0190-8286 . Retrieved 2017-07-08.
2. ^ "Thousands gather in Istanbul to protest against President Erdogan following 'justice march' " . The
Independent. 9 July 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
3. ^ "Spotlight: Turkey's opposition-sponsored march for justice continues amid tensions - Xinhua |
English.news.cn" . news.Xinhuanet.com . Retrieved 12 July 2017.
4. ^ "Main opposition CHP leader defies gov"t calls to end "justice march" - POLITICS" . Hrriyet Daily News |
LEADING NEWS SOURCE FOR TURKEY AND THE REGION . Retrieved 12 July 2017.
5. ^ a b c Lowen, Mark (2017-07-05). "Turkey protesters stage long march against Erdogan" . BBC News . Retrieved
2017-07-10.
6. ^ Cunningham, Erin (2017-07-09). "Turkeys opposition stages massive rally in a show of strength against
Erdogan" . Washington Post . ISSN0190-8286 . Retrieved 2017-07-10.
7. ^ a b c d e Shaheen, Kareem (2017-07-07). "March for Turkey's jailed judges highlights purge on dissidents" . The
Guardian. ISSN0261-3077 . Retrieved 2017-07-10.
8. ^ a b "Opposition"s "justice" march upsets Turkish government - MURAT YETKN" . Hrriyet Daily News . Retrieved
2017-07-10.
9. ^ a b "Kilicaroglu to end 'justice' march with mass rally" . Retrieved 2017-07-10.
10. ^ Srivastava, Mehul (2017-06-14). "Turkish court sentences opposition MP to 25 years on spy charges" . Financial
Times. Retrieved 2017-07-10.
11. ^ "A Journalist in Exile Awaits Turkeys Momentous Referendum" . The New Yorker . Retrieved 2017-07-10.
12. ^ "Opposition MP joins other lawmakers in Turkish prison" . Retrieved 2017-07-10.
13. ^ a b c "On 250-Mile March, Turkey Opposition Starts to Find Its Way" . Bloomberg.com . 2017-07-05. Retrieved
2017-07-08.
14. ^ "The Justice March is changing Turkey MURAT YETKN" . Hrriyet Daily News . Retrieved 2017-07-09.
15. ^ a b Kingsley, Patrick (2017-06-15). "Erdogan Adversary Begins 250-Mile Protest March in Turkey" . The New
York Times. ISSN0362-4331 . Retrieved 2017-07-09.
16. ^ "Thousands Turn Out For March For Justice In Turkey" . NPR.org . Retrieved 2017-07-08.
17. ^ "Turkeys opposition head leads march for justice" . Retrieved 2017-07-08.
18. ^ "Turkish high court rejects cancelation of copper mine in Black Sea"s Cerattepe GREEN" . Hrriyet Daily News .
Retrieved 2017-07-08.
19. ^ "Turkey: Detention of academics intensifies crackdown on freedom of expression" . Amnesty International .
Retrieved 2017-07-10.
20. ^ "Huge crowd rallies in Istanbul against Turkey's post-coup crackdown" . Reuters . 2017-07-09. Retrieved
2017-07-09.
21. ^ Kilicdaroglu, Kemal (2017-07-07). "A Long March for Justice in Turkey" . The New York Times. ISSN0362-
4331 . Retrieved 2017-07-08.
22. ^ agencies, The New Arab &. "Turkey opposition chief enters Istanbul in 'march for justice' " . alaraby . Retrieved
2017-07-08.
23. ^ "Turkey protest: Istanbul rally concludes anti-Erdogan march" . BBC News . 2017-07-09. Retrieved 2017-07-09.
24. ^ a b c "Hundreds of thousands rally as Turkish opposition leader ends 25-day 'March for Justice' " . Los Angeles
Times. 2017-07-09. ISSN0458-3035 . Retrieved 2017-07-10.
25. ^ a b "Turkish opposition stages huge justice rally to challenge Erdogan" . South China Morning Post . 2017-07-10.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_March_for_Justice[7/16/2017 6:38:41 PM]

2017 March for Justice - Wikipedia

Retrieved 2017-07-10.
26. ^ (www.dw.com), Deutsche Welle. "Turkey's 'March for Justice': opposition calls for unity, reform | Europe | DW |
09.07.2017" . DW.COM . Retrieved 2017-07-11.
27. ^ Gall, Carlotta (2017-07-09). "March for Justice Ends in Istanbul With a Pointed Challenge to Erdogan" . The
New York Times. ISSN0362-4331 . Retrieved 2017-07-10.
28. ^ "Erdogan slams CHP as opposition march nears Istanbul" . Retrieved 2017-07-10.
29. ^ "Turkey protest: Istanbul rally concludes anti-Erdogan march" . BBC News . 2017-07-09. Retrieved 2017-07-10.
30. ^ "Opposition leader"s march challenges Turkish politics - MURAT YETKN" . Hrriyet Daily News . Retrieved
2017-07-10.
31. ^ "Debate over CHP"s "justice march" escalates POLITICS" . Hrriyet Daily News . Retrieved 2017-07-08.
32. ^ a b "If you march, you should march against coups: PM Yldrm tells CHP head - POLITICS" . Hrriyet Daily
News . Retrieved 2017-07-10.
33. ^ "Turkish opposition leader accuses 'dictator' Erdogan of judicial interference" . Reuters . 2017-06-20. Retrieved
2017-07-10.
34. ^ "Spotlight: Turkey's opposition-sponsored march for justice continues amid tensions" . Xinhua . Retrieved
2017-07-10.
35. ^ a b "Will Kldarolu's march bring him candidacy in 2019 elections?" . DailySabah . Retrieved 2017-07-10.

v te Protests in the 21st century

Georgia (Rose, 2003 Kyrgyzstan (Tulip, 2005 Lebanon
Colour revolutions (2000s)
(Cedar, 2005 Ukraine (Orange, 200405
Bahrain (2011 Egypt (2011 Libya (2011 Syria
Revolutions/ Arab Spring (2010s)
(2011present Tunisia (201011 Yemen (201112
Uprisings
Abkhazia (2014 Burkina Faso (2014 Kyrgyzstan (2010
Other Palestine (200005 Philippines (EDSA II, Jan 2001
EDSA III, Apr 2001 Ukraine (Euromaidan, 201314
Canada (Newfoundland and Labrador Greece Ireland Italy
Anti-austerity (2011 Rome 2012 Sicily 2013 social Portugal Spain
(2012 Asturias United Kingdom
War in Afghanistan (200114 Iraq War (200312 Russia (2014
Anti-war
Sri Lankan Civil War (200809 Canada
Algeria (201012 Djibouti (2011 Egypt (201213 201314
Iraq (2011 201213 201516 Jordan (201112 Lebanon
Arab Spring (2011 Mauritania (201112 Morocco (201112 Oman (2011
Saudi Arabia (201112 Sudan (201113 Tunisia (201314
Western Sahara (2011
Catalonia (2010 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Iraqi Kurdistan
Specific issues
Autonomy/ (2009 in Turkey 2011 in Iraq 201112 in Turkey 2014 in Turkey
Independence Palestine (201112 Ukraine (Crimea Southeastern Ukraine
Western Sahara (2010
Belarus (2006 Armenia (200304 2008 Iran (2009 Moldova
Against elections (2009 Russia (2011 Malaysia (2013 Mexico (2012 Serbia
(2017 South Korea (2012 United States (2015present
Austria (2009 Bangladesh (2015 Canada (2005 2012 Chile
(2006 2008 201113 Colombia (2011 Croatia (2009 Hong
Student Kong (2012 2014 Ireland (2010 Netherlands (2007 Puerto
Rico (201011 South Africa (#RhodesMustFall #FeesMustFall
Taiwan (2014 2015 United Kingdom (2010

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2017 March for Justice - Wikipedia

Anti-Japanese protests (2005 2012 May Day (2009 2012 2013

2014 2015 2017 Occupy movement Black Lives Matter
International
Protests against Donald Trump (Women's Marches
Executive Order 13769 #NiUnaMenos (Peru, 2016
Albania (2011 2017 Argentina (Dec 2001 13 Sep 2012
8 Nov 2012 18 Apr 2013 13 Nov 2014 Armenia (2011 2012
2013 2015 Azerbaijan 2011 Belarus (2006 2011 2017
Bolivia (2011 Bosnia and Herzegovina (2014 Brazil (2013 2014
201516 Bulgaria (Borisov's first cabinet Oresharski cabinet
Burkina Faso (2011 Burundi (2015present Cambodia (201314
Cameroon (2008 Canada (2010 Idle No More Chile (Aysn
Magallanes China (2011 DR Congo (2015 2016 Ecuador
(2012 2015 Estonia (2007 Ethiopia (2016 France (2005
2010 2015 Corsica Gabon (2016 Georgia (2007 2009 2011
Hong Kong (2003 2005 200910 Jan 2010, Jan 2013 2014
Hungary (2006 2014 Iceland (2009 2016 India (201112
Iran (201112 Iraq (201517 Israel (Reserve soldiers
Other protests
Cheese boycott Social justice Kazakhstan (2011 Lebanon
(200608 201516 Macedonia (2015 2016 Malawi (2011
National
Macau (2010 Malaysia (Bersih HINDRAF Bersih 2.0 Bersih 3.0
People's Uprising Bersih 4.0 Bersih 5.0 Mexico (Indignados
Moldova (2013 201516 Montenegro (2008 201516
Myanmar (200708 Nepal (2006 Nicaragua (201416
Northern Ireland (flag protests Pakistan (Long March Azadi march
Inqilab March Paraguay (2017 Philippines (2013 201617
Poland (2016 Romania (201215 ( 2012 Shale gas
Roia Montan Project Colectiv 2017 Russia (200508 Strategy-31
201113 2017 Serbia (2008 2017 South Korea (2008
201617 Slovenia (201213 Taiwan (2006 Thailand (2010
201314 Tunisia (2016 Turkey (2007 2013 2017 Ukraine
(200001 2013 United Kingdom (2011 United States
(Public employee Tea Party Wall Street Wisconsin Uzbekistan
(2005 Venezuela (2007 201417 (2014 2017 Zimbabwe
(201617

List of ongoing protests

Categories: 2017 in Turkish politics 2017 protests June 2017 events in Asia
June 2017 events in Europe July 2017 events in Asia July 2017 events in Europe Protest marches
Protests in Turkey Turkish democracy movements

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