Report From Izmir By Irish Citizen

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Wednesday June 05, 2013 10:54 by Turing

On our way home we needed to cross a street on which there were some police. We approached them very carefully making it clear that we were not protesters. As soon as they saw us they grabbed us very forcefully and pushed us against a wall. We explained who we were and what we were trying to do but they proceeded to treat us very badly. My student - a Turkish citizen - was pushed on the ground and beaten around his stomach and buttocks with batons. They then told him they were not interested in him and kicked him to the other side of the street where he was able to escape. However, they held my friend, a Canadian national with Chinese origins, and myself. I was initially pushed to the ground and beaten very severely around the legs for ' what I was doing'. We were then marched around the centre of Izmir for a further 2 hours as the police decided what to do with us - constantly pushing us and harassing us - along with a number of Turkish people that they had taken into custody. Eventually we got away by being friendly to one police officer who suddenly said ' just disappear up this street'. At that stage the police (including very ferocious riot police who had orıginaly detained and beaten us) were escorting probably over a hundred Turkish citizens to some unknown destination.

Dear sir/madam,

I am an İrish citizen living in Izmir. I have been trying to ring the Irish embassy in Ankara and the Irish Consulate in Izmir for the last hour this morning. Neither are picking up their phones. I am also copying this message to the Irish times newspaper.

Last night as you know there were protests against the Turkish government in Izmir. I was out in one of the bars in the centre of İzmir in an area that was away from the protests. Eventually there was commotion on the street where the bar was. All the customers went inside but we still needed to cover their faces because of the strength of tear gas from the streets. When it got quieter we obviously declcded to go home as quickly as possible. I work as a lecturer in Izmir Ekonomi Universitesi. I had been having a drink with one of the master students of the university and also a USA based artist who is doing an art project in Izmir at the moment.

On our way home we needed to cross a street on which there were some police. We approached them very carefully making it clear that we were not protesters. As soon as they saw us they grabbed us very forcefully and pushed us against a wall. We explained who we were and what we were trying to do but they proceeded to treat us very badly. My student - a Turkish citizen - was pushed on the ground and beaten around his stomach and buttocks with batons. They then told him they were not interested in him and kicked him to the other side of the street where he was able to escape. However, they held my friend, a Canadian national with Chinese origins, and myself. I was initially pushed to the ground and beaten very severely around the legs for ' what I was doing'. We were then marched around the centre of Izmir for a further 2 hours as the police decided what to do with us - constantly pushing us and harassing us - along with a number of Turkish people that they had taken into custody. Eventually we got away by being friendly to one police officer who suddenly said ' just disappear up this street'. At that stage the police (including very ferocious riot police who had orıginaly detained and beaten us) were escorting probably over a hundred Turkish citizens to some unknown destination.

This whole experience was very frightening, and also there were several aspects of it that were disturbing. As they walked around it was obvious that there were a number of people with the police who were carrying weapons and sticks but they were not police - merely nationalist thugs that were friendly with some police officers. Initially we thought they may have been plain clothes officers but were assured - by the testimony of other detainees and also the unrestrained behaviour of these individuals - that this was not the case.

We were also aware throughout this experience that the police themselves were unaware of how they should behave but compensated - in some cases - by being as brutal as possible.

I have lived in Turkey for 4 years now and have always known what a kind, gentle and hospitable people the Turkish are. To be treated myself, and to see them being treated so callously by the present government and the security forces employed by them has been very shocking.

I hope that my interests as an Irish citizen will be wholeheartedly represented by you in you reaction to this government and that you will also wholeheartedly let it be known that you are appalled by how they are treating their own citizens.

Thomas Keogh Lecturer Ekonomi Universitesi Balcova İzmir