Climate Conference: Rainbow Despite Raids - Thousands Demonstrate in Turkey

One of the largest civil society protests in Turkey since months took place halfway through the climate conference in Antalya, according to organizers for climate protection and human rights. Over 10,000 people peacefully marched on the streets, as reported by Nil Ormanli from the organizing committee of Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa).

Turkish authorities typically do not disclose attendee numbers. Turkish civil society organizations from Turkey and abroad gathered for the so-called "Summit of the Peoples" in Antalya. The upcoming days were supposed to focus on environmental destruction, withdrawal from fossil fuels, and democracy. Besides international organizations, numerous Turkish associations, trade unions, and opposition parties were present, using this rare opportunity to draw attention to the situation in the country.

Government-critical assemblies are repeatedly banned in Turkey. The authorities had imposed a comprehensive demonstration ban during the NATO summit in Ankara in July and arrested dozens of people. When the climate conference began, Turkish Environment Minister and summit president Murat Kurum emphasized that peaceful protests were allowed.

He stated that Turkey was one of the fairest countries in the world. "Therefore, there are no arrests during peaceful demonstrations in Turkey," he said. Demonstrators gathered in central Antalya, with police controlling the entry points to the fenced-off area. Deniz, a 15-year-old, said he had hidden his rainbow flag because he knew the police would seize it.

He also carried a Palestinian flag. "We are here to stand by the oppressed, whether it's the queer people in Turkey or the Palestinians," he said. Despite concerns, several rainbow flags were visible during the demonstration. During the conference, LGBTQ+ people in Turkey are particularly under scrutiny, with nationwide raids targeting LGBTQ+ associations in September.

Green party member Claudia Roth proudly displayed her rainbow socks before the protest. She viewed the repression against LGBTQ+ individuals in the run-up to the climate conference as a potential "warning shot" to civil society not to exploit the two-week summit for their own interests. However, arrests of individuals from around the world attending the conference were more difficult, fitting the "glitz and glamour" of the summit, according to Roth.

Neubauer, a climate activist from Fridays for Future, stated that they stood in solidarity with Turkish civil society, which passionately fights but experiences intense repression. The demonstration avoided controversial messages on signs and banners to protect everyone. Neubauer warned of the danger that local demonstrators might face consequences after the conference once international activists and journalists left. This was due to the extensive police controls and security warnings.