8 September 2015
Location: Mahmutlar, Alanya, Turkey Map
3am this morning I heard gunshots in the street. Quietly at first, and then, closer and closer, louder and louder followed by sound of car horns and screech of tyres. I understand they are protesting about Turkey's involvement in Syria, and the loss of life on the Turkish side. Some young Turkish soldiers were killed in north eastern Turkey the other day (see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34183797) , by terrorists, they say, and blame Kurdish businesses for supporting those terrorists. I don't know the truth of that, but my inclination is to believe only that these business retail people were doing only what any other business retail people do, and that is to struggle to make a not-easy living.
https://youtu.be/kbjaXWLFWTA this video by Alanya Tv, caption reads translated from the Russian, , "Published on 8 Sep 2015
Some of emissions in Mahmoud's neighborhood was burned by an angry crowd and the Duo." :
8 September late evening.
About 10 mins ago a march of people waving Turkish flags, cars flashing indicators, and tooting horns just went past the apartment. 21:44 local time. They were making a lot of noise peeping horns, shouting slogans, and heading off in direction of centre of Mahmutlar.
9th September
This video below has the caption, "Published on 9 Sep 2015
9th September at 2am . In a sign of the eviction of Kurds from Turkey. From Alanya to Mahmutlar all facilities owned by the Kurds were ..." , appears to have been filmed sometime after the motorcade, and the marchers that preceded the motorcade, went passed our apartment:
Walking about the area later in the day I saw these sights:
Walked further down to Barbarossa Street, and to the left, a shop and restaurant both destroyed by fire, by the side of "Dostlar" restaurant.
Over the road a clothing shop and general goods store trashed, later seen advertised for sale. Moving down Barbarossa towards the central gardens, evidence of intermittent shops and restaurants smashed up or that had been put on fire. JJs popular restaurant was OK, but clothing shop opposite, 'Melisa Bazaar' stock was destroyed. Brothers restaurant OK, but general knick knack and gift shop next door attacked and a lot of stock damaged.
It was suggested to me that about 10 restaurants in Alanya and same number in Mahmutlar were attacked last night, in a reprisal against Kurdish run businesses in retaliation for the killing of several young Turkish army/policemen near Azerbaijan border.
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| Windows smashed in. This is off one of the roads down from Ataturk Cad. Slogan translated reads: "The brotherhood stubborn. Stubborn to Peace" Nearby, in Baris Cad, a couple more shops smashed up (unphotographed). |
10th Sept
A dozen or so vehicles went past the flat about 11:30pm last night in Kargicac direction, beeping horns etc. Later, while I slept, about 1:30 this morning some 50 vehicles collected between the school road and the road by the former Jasmin Garden Restaurant. All flashing lights and beeping horns. Dad said he watched it all. Then when they were all collected up they went off in centre of Mahmutlar direction.
Cycled further down town this morning. A furniture store (image below from video) and a few smaller shops I hadn't seen before, had been trashed/ destroyed, presumably the other night. Some signs of clear up operations. Almost certainly all Kurdish businesses.
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| Stills, taken from a Russian video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvFA9klNCYs of a drive through the town. Caption reads, translated, "Published on 10 Sep 2015
Morning, September 10, specifically prokatilispo Mahmutlars and made a video. It's not so bad, as many wrote."
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Footnotes:
What newcomers will see will be intermittent damaged businesses. Maybe they will wonder what happened there. Maybe they will just blink and just pass by enjoying the sunshine. A few will start searching for more information, and find other videos on YouTube of troubles in this region for many months previous.
