Goodbye Istanbul Protests: My Leaving Photos

For me, Istanbul is over. I won’t go back, not for a long time, if ever.

In the city however, the troubles continue. I shared some photos from the first few days of the riots, then I went back and made a short video of the chaos. When all the trouble looked like it was over, I speculated that it was only the eye of the storm. These speculations proved to be true.

Just before I departed from Istanbul to hitchhike across Europe, I visited Gezi Park and Taksim Square one last time. Here are some pictures from that day.

The following night, my friends moved into the park to take part in planting a garden. On their first morning in the park, the police arrived with water guns and tear gas. My friends were heavily gassed and lost all of their belongings to the police who forced them out of the park.

I refrain from making political statements concerning situations that I know little about, but I cannot help but notice the heavy handedness of the Turkish police and the idiocy of the president.

The rules of Gezi Park

Goodbye Istanbul Protests-7

Goodbye Istanbul Protests-3

Homes of the protestors

Goodbye Istanbul Protests-5

Washing a duck

Goodbye Istanbul Protests-6

Goodbye Istanbul Protests-8

Goodbye Istanbul Protests-9

Goodbye Istanbul Protests-10

Goodbye Istanbul Protests-11

Goodbye Istanbul Protests-12

Goodbye Istanbul Protests-13

Pro vegan

Goodbye Istanbul Protests-14

Goodbye Istanbul Protests-15

A cat with it’s tail ripped off

Goodbye Istanbul Protests-17

Goodbye Istanbul Protests-18

Goodbye Istanbul Protests

By | 2013-12-12T03:25:51+00:00 July 7th, 2013|Photo, Stories|5 Comments

5 Comments

  1. Sally 20/07/2013 at 05:39 - Reply

    I loved visiting Istanbul this past January, I’m so sad that it’s a place people are now terrified to go. Here’s to hoping the situation resolves soon. I love the photographs, they’re quite poignant.

  2. Maria Alexandra 11/07/2013 at 23:16 - Reply

    you will never, EVER visit Istanbul again? Is it because of the political climate? I hear it is a marvelous city…!

    -Maria Alexandra

    • Jamie 25/07/2013 at 20:34 - Reply

      No, the political climate was fine. It was many other factors instead. I’ll share them when I have many minutes to write them all down and think about it properly.

  3. Melanie Murrish 07/07/2013 at 14:42 - Reply

    That’s so sad-it’s somewhere I would have loved to have taken the kids.

    • Jamie 09/07/2013 at 04:21 - Reply

      In all honesty, what I saw was very tame. I am sure it will be tourist friendly in no time.

Leave A Comment Cancel reply