The point I tried to get across John (unsuccessfully it would seem) was that what we have seen taking place across Turkey over the last year was not simply the actions of a disciplined police force following orders -no matter how unlawful- but also the undisiciplined, but determined efforts, of a significant number of Polis and other security thugs relishing the opportunity to violently and indiscriminately attack citizens that they should be protecting.
With hindsight I probably shouldn't have quoted your reply.
You don't have to make the point, at least not to me, that elements of the Polis (and AK Party activists acting with the full authority of Polis Chief Hüseyin Çapkın last year and subsequently under Selami Altınok ) take a great delight in assaulting their fellow citizens whenever the opportunity arises. Be it with CS gas, baton rounds, water cannon or the more basic "big stick" or baton, it matters not when the blood lust comes to the fore, these guys just love it. You dont need a Gezi type scenario to see it exhibited, I've seen first hand on more than one occasion just how brutal some Polis can be.
Incidentally, there was a wonderful quote recently - when asked about the weekend, Istanbul Polis Chief Selami Altınok stated "
it had been a nice day without trouble". Where the phuck was he, on a day out in Buyukada maybe?
It also must be pointed out that within the Polis these guys are a minority. Much of the violent behaviour exhibited by the Polis is down to a lack of training - they find themselves being put in a situation they've been neither trained nor prepared for. Often, I suspect, their actions/reactions are more down to fear and inexperience than anything else.
JF
