Since May 31, a number of news agencies in the U.S. have been reporting recent ongoing protests in Turkey. As the Turkish Community of Tuscaloosa (The University of Alabama students, faculty and Tuscaloosa public), we feel obliged to make a statement regarding the situation.

The Turkish demonstrations reported in the U.S. media are against the present government’s decision to build a shopping mall in one of the few green areas left in the center of Istanbul, the Taksim Gezi Park. The park is basically similar in its setting to New York’s Central Park and is very important for people in Turkey. The Turkish Student Association of Tuscaloosa believes people in New York would also protest very harshly if the mayor of New York decided to build a shopping mall or conference center in Central Park.

On May 26, the protests started as peaceful demonstrations by a group of people, who did not belong to any specific organization or ideology. However, the events escalated due to excessive use of force by police, including the use of tear gas and water cannons on people who were merely exercising their right to speak their mind. People from all over Istanbul, regardless of their background or political and religious beliefs, gathered in Taksim despite roadblocks and other transportation blocks to democratically protest the government’s decision to build a shopping mall in the Gezi Park.

The brutal attacks of the police increased the tension, and thousands of people have been involved in the protests not only in Istanbul, but all around Turkey. Unfortunately, a large part of the mainstream Turkish media has been silent about the police brutality and demonstrations.

It is a fact that Turkey is a democratic and secular country. Turkish citizens are tired of a bullying government with its corrupt management of public spaces and reckless abuse of land. Therefore, Turkish people are using their democratic rights to protest the government.

As the Turkish Student Association of the University, we understand our citizens’ concerns and support their democratic protests. We certainly hope the government solves the situation in a peaceful and democratic way. We also believe Turkey will come out from these hard times as a much stronger country.

This letter represents the consensus of the Turkish Student Association.