Turkish Protesters Are Crowdfunding a Full-Page Ad in The New York Times

[Turborama]

The Istanbul protesters who drew out riot police over the weekend have some overseas admirers, it seems. Inspired by the demonstrations against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a handful of New York-based supporters are raising money online for a full-page ad, to be placed in either The New York Times or The Washington Post.

Barely a day into the campaign and with almost a whole month to go until the deadline, the crowdfunding campaign's already gathered $35,000 in pledges—two-thirds of its goal of $53,800. Most of the donations are in small amounts ranging from $3 to $100, but about four percent of the 833 contributors so far have kept the value of their pledges a secret, meaning the vast majority of the money raised so far has come from just a handful of people.

A back-page ad in the front section of the Post costs about $30,000. Securing a spot should be no problem, as far as funding is concerned. Getting space in the Times, however, could be a little trickier. According to the Times' rate card, full-page ads for causes and appeals in the international section run between $140,000 and $153,000, depending on the day.

The prospective ad appears to be mostly text, explaining how the protests evolved from a peaceful demonstration against tearing up Istanbul's Gezi Park, and calls for "the world's support."

"This is not just about a park," the ad copy reads. "Before the park was the closure of an Ottoman pastry shop, the arrests of journalists, laws on alcohol sales, constantly changing school curricula. Gezi Park and the subsequent police violence on demonstrators were just the latest examples of a fundamental shift away from basic civil rights."

More: http://www.nationaljournal.com/tech/turkish-protesters-are-crowdfunding-a-full-page-ad-in-the-new-york-times-20130603


Update on this (apologies for the full caps, but it's copied and pasted as is):

$74,879 raised so far

WE HAVE ENOUGH FOR THE NYT AD. THANK YOU.

KEEP GIVING AND TELL US WHAT THE AWESOME COLLECTIVE HERE SHOULD DO WITH IT!!! WE WILL KEEP COLLECTING DONATIONS AND THE FUNDERS CAN DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH THE LEFTOVERS. SEE COMMENTS SECTION FOR SOME IDEAS.

The current team is busy executing on the NYT idea so other ideas need to be fully thought out and ready to be executed by new teams within our community.

We are the Turkish people. No organizations, parties or affiliations. We have an editor and a graphics designer. We are condensing the below text that was shaped with your kind comments in the last 10 hours. We will most definitely make our $52,030 for the NYT A2 Full Spread. WE NEED HIGH RES PICTURES AT THIS POINT.

PLEASE VOTE FOR ONE OF THESE VERSIONS HERE: https://docs.google.com/a/unsal.com/forms/d/1HgEZdDFi68t9R8hzsMaQhlRuAraiPKhJumGC3F7oqLo/viewform

VERSION 1 - SOFT VOICES TOGETHER ECHO LOUDER

What started as a peaceful protest to save Istanbul’s Gezi Park from demolition, quickly turned violent – thousands of protesters were rocked by the force of Turkish police with chemical weapons and water cannons expelling them from the park. Turkey stands as a global economic power today – but will now be recognized by the world for condoning brutal police retaliation that strikes at the pillars of democracy.

And this is not the only incident. Many previous arrests of journalists, elected officials--laws restricting the sale of alcohol, and the systematic de-secularization of future generations through Government mandated Islamification of school curriculum parallel a disturbing notion: the people of Turkey are not heard by their government. The continuation of plans to demolish Gezi Park even after peaceful, public opposition ended with ruthless attacks promoted by the Turkish government – and people are outraged. In a country of democracy, their voices are silenced with force.

What is being silenced is the best of Turkish democracy in action--Turkish people from all different ideological, religious, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. They are young, old, religious, secular, gay, straight. People united with the same goal. Change. We’re here to bring attention, awareness and a louder voice for the people of Turkey. Lend us your voice – rally with the millions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_protests_in_Turkey

#GeziPark #OccupyGezi #DirenGeziParki (“Resist Gezi Park”)

This Statement is Crowdfunded by Concerned Individuals from Around the World.

VERSION TWO -- A BIT HARSHER/LONGER

From the Citizens of Turkey:

The violent response to a peaceful protest to save Istanbul’s Gezi Park symbolizes an autocratic government’s increasing encroachment on the civil rights of the country’s citizens. We hope for a new dialogue—one that can restore the trust of Turkish citizens in a government that positioned Turkey as a global economic power, but which is now being recognized around the world for condoning harsh police retaliation striking at the pillars of democracy.


This is not just about a park

Numerous arrests of journalist and elected officials, laws that restrict the sale of alcohol, systemic de-secularization of future generations through Islamification of school curricula during Prime Minister Erdoğan’s term have all sent citizens of Turkey the same message: the government is not listening. The plans to demolish Gezi Park despite public opposition, and the subsequent police brutality directed at demonstrators became the last straw that sparking the reaction against Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s decade-long rule.

The demonstrators are from different ideological, religious, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. They are young, old, religious, secular, gay, straight, foreign, domestic, fringe, mainstream, anarchist, women in headscarves, women in tank tops, Alevi, Sunni, Jewish, and Christian. All share the same goal: change.

This is Turkish Democracy in action.

Wake up

This movement would not have been born had it just been about a park. This movement would not have been born had the Turkish government not used excessive tear gas, plastic bullets, tanks, helicopters and physical violence, often on unarmed citizens, to crush peaceful Gezi Park protesters. In a true democracy, citizens have the power and ability to question and amend government initiatives without threat to their lives or well being.

This movement would not have been born had the major Turkish media channels covered the riots from the start. Instead, strong ties between media outlets and the government have compelled Turkish protesters to use social media like Twitter and Facebook (both deemed “a menace to society” by Prime Minister Erdoğan) to seek the attention of foreign news sources. In a true democracy, the media is independent and journalists report current events in a balanced way.

We are here to bring attention, awareness and a louder voice for the people of Turkey.

As we aim to bridge the divide within our nation before it is too vast to repair, we need the world's support. Please hear our concerns and spread the word to help us stop this government-sanctioned, senseless violence against the people of Turkey. Become a part of the conversation and stand with us in solidarity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_protests_in_Turkey

#GeziPark #OccupyGezi #DirenGeziParki (“Resist Gezi Park”)

This Statement is Crowdfunded by Concerned Individuals from Around the World.

VERSION 3 - Trying to be concise, crisp and clear and focus on American reader.

A Call-To-Action for all Global Citizens:

The Turkish people have been outraged by the excessive and violent reaction of their government to a peaceful protest to save Istanbul’s Gezi Park.

Outraged but not surprised.

THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT A PARK
The desperate attempts of our people to hold on to one of the last patches of green in overdeveloped Istanbul, and their subsequent brutal eviction from that same park, was but the last straw.

As Turkish citizens, our basic human rights have been eroding for years.

Numerous arrests of journalists and elected officials, laws that restrict the sale of alcohol, laws that control a woman’s reproductive health, and systemic desecularization of future generations through constant changes in the school curricula during Prime Minister Erdoğan’s term have all sent citizens of Turkey the same message: our government leaders are becoming disinterested in the democratic process.

They care neither about our rights nor about our opinions.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE
Turkey has long been a shining example of a democratic and secular Muslim country. We are one of the United States’ staunchest allies in the Middle East. We are gate keepers. We are peace brokers. We are a democracy in a part of the world that sorely needs democratic voices and practices.

And yet in recent events, our own media has been shamefully silent. Our Prime Minister has mocked and tried to trivialize our concerns. But we will not be silenced. Not this time.

WHO WE ARE
We are young, old, men, women, children, students, teachers, workers, mothers, fathers. We are Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Sunni, Alevi, Kurdish, Turkish. We are liberals, conservatives, and every ideology in between. But first and foremost, we are Turks, concerned about our country’s future.

We demand an end to the police brutality. We demand an end to autocracy and tyranny. We demand an open dialogue so that we can uphold the democratic and secular values upon which our great nation was founded.

Please hear our concerns and spread the word to help us stop this government-sanctioned, senseless violence against the people of Turkey. Become a part of the conversation and stand with us in solidarity. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_protests_in_Turkey

#GeziPark #OccupyGezi #DirenGeziParki (“Resist Gezi Park”)

This Statement is Crowdfunded by Concerned Individuals from Around the World.

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/full-page-ad-for-turkish-democracy-in-action-occupygezi-for-the-world--39?c=home

[MADem]

1. If they make the ad interesting enough, the news will cover it and give it more exposure. nt