The Turkish Summer

Toronto — 31 January 2014.

Insights and Lessons from the Gezi Park Resistance

The protests in Turkey from May 2013 began in opposition to development plans for Istanbul’s Taksim Square-Gezi Park. Massive sit-ins, protests, and strikes developed and spread across Turkey. The protests began around a much-despised urban development project but soon encompassed questions of freedom of speech, social inequalities, women’s rights, issues of secularism, and others. Many of the divisions against the Islamist-inclined AKP government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan emerged. This forum features a wide-ranging discussion of insights, lessons and strategizing in terms of both the Turkish and international left.

Moderated by Stefan Kipfer. Presentations by:

• Sedef Arat-Koç is Associate Professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Ryerson University, Toronto
• Yasin Kaya Political Science, York University
• Murat Ucoglu Environmental Studies, York University
• Pelin Asci Geography, York University
• Anna Agathangelou is Associate Professor in Political Science and Women’s Studies at York University, Toronto