Michael Kimmelman of The New York Times has published an amazing article about Istanbul's Taksim square — where protests against plans to demolish Gezi Park have entered their ninth day— and the power of public space.
Kimmelman, the architecture critic for the Times, details why Taksim is "the heart of modern, multicultural Turkey" and may be Prime Minster Recep Erdogan's Achilles' heel.
The power of public space, Kimmelman argues, is why the dissidence has been so successful:
Revolutions happen in the flesh. In Taksim, strangers have discovered one another, their common concerns and collective voice.
...
Mr. Kanipak, the architect, told me that the threat of Mr. Erdogan’s architectural intervention at Taksim “has for the first time helped to break down the walls of fear about opposing an autocratic state.” That said, tensions are swiftly rising after Mr. Erdogan’s latest speeches.
If someone wants to know about the significance of what's happening in Turkey, Kimmelman's insights are a great place to start.
Check out the article at The New York Times >
Here's what the square, which lies about 2,000 feet from Erdogan's office, looked like on Saturday:
Please follow Military & Defense on Twitter and Facebook.