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Updated | Prime Minister receives Turkish community at Castille
Members of the Turkish community in Malta meet Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to discuss protests in Turkey.
8 June 2013, 12:00am
Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
2 min read
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat greets representatives of the Turkish community
Members of the Turkish community in Malta who call themselves the 'Chapulling Movement' met Prime Minister Joseph Muscat this morning to discuss the ongoing protests in Turkey.
The unrest in Turkey begun following the severe police action against campaigners protesting against the Turkish government's plans to demolish a park in Istanbul's Taksim square in order to construct a shopping centre.
"We, the Chapulling Community of Malta, are a group of people with common sense, mainly members of Turkish community in Malta. We are giving full support to the suppressed dissidents fighting on the burning streets of Turkey. Chapulling is a civil rights movement and we want it to remain so without any political interruption," the statement said.
The group explained that the Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan is defying the popular resistance which has risen all over Turkey describes the civil protestors 'looters.'
The Chapulling Community of Malta said that state controlled Turkish media is not revealing what is truly is happening in Turkey and called on the media, politicians and civil society in Malta to support their cause.
The group will be meeting Prime Minister Joseph Muscat this morning at 11.30am and will also hold a peace walk in Valletta at 5pm.
"We would like to thank Joseph Muscat, the Prime Minister of Malta, the Maltese Police Force, the Maltese media, Maltese Civil Society organizations and the people of Malta for joining our movement and giving support to Turkish public and the voice of these unheard protesters fighting for their right to demonstrate against their government just like in any other democratic state," the group said.
The group added that the world famous American linguist and political activist Noam Chomsky had endorsed the Turkish protestor's cause, as had pop stars such as Pink Floyd's Roger Waters and Madonna.
"We need your support just like we were given by the White House and Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany as well as the world media, the community said.
The trouble in Turkey broke out a week ago when police violently dispersed demonstrators opposed to the redevelopment of Gezi Park.
It then spread across the country, with riot police firing tear gas and water cannon at thousands of protesters calling for Erdogan's resignation and for an end of his increasingly authoritarian policies.
The protests are the fiercest challenge yet to Erdogan's decade-long rule.
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@bullly. Your moronic self as usual, first of all Turks are not arabs therefore anyone refering to events in Turkey as partaining to the arab spring is an idiot. Secondly if you were living abroad and there was physical problems in Malta I hope you are considerate enough to worry at least if not for the country for your family.
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The EU should not accept any country that has religious/political parties. Also any such parties that might excist today, like the Christian Democrats are to either change their name or disband.
Paul Pandolfino •
Our Government must insist with the Erdogan's Govt to stop becoming increasingly authoritarian and trying to impose conservative Islamic values on a secular state. Our Government must insist with the Erdogan's Govt. to stop running roughshod over half of the population.
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As long as the Turkish people's aspirations for freedom of speech and democracy are downtrodden by Erdogan and his Islamist theocracy the whole of Europe, including our Prime Minister, should be steadyfast to deny absolutely any idea of union with the EU. Secularist Turkey, whose constitution is being broken daily by Erdogan's party of dictators, must be upheld by the only way Europe can - i.e. block any contact with the West and stop further influxes of Turkish citizens, especially from Erdogan's party from entering the EU.
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As thou we do not have enough problems of our own! For goodness sake if you are so heroe and believe in your causes when don't you go back and fight it out between yourselves. Those mentioned as supporting the cause are either interested to have their names in the paper or are already selling arms to those burning Christian church like war planes, small weapons and submarines. This is really nice what arab spring is this?
