Another political group, really?
By Daniel Steinvorth in Political Tremors in Istanbul: The Rise of Turkey's New Left - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News says:
In the wake of the May riots in Turkey, another group has now entered the power struggle in Istanbul. In addition to pro-secularism Kemalists and conservative Muslims, workers and the left are now making their voices heard.
Although there is much truth in Mr. Steinvort's article, I am not sure if we can speak of an emerging politically active group. Trade Unions are notariously politicaly savvy - not necessarily for the benefits of workers- and they know when to act. Two major labor confederations, particularly DISK, knew well that their act would be reported intensively. In a feud between the major media organizations and the government, media would become suddenly become pro-labor and cover the story in an anti-government fashion.
Unproportional use of police force has been a notorious tradition in May 1 anniversaries, and one wonders why the mainstream media becomes labor friendly in the last two years. In other times, our media would probably emphasize the "illegal leftist" groups or PKK sympathizers among the demonstrators and would justify the police force...
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