the bomb and the jets
02.11.2010

last sunday I attended the celebrations of the 87th anniversary of Turkish Republic. the ceremonies were planned to be done in 29th -which is the official birthday of the republic- but because of the bad weather conditions the sunday morning was chosen. the event takes place every year in Vatan Caddesi, which is a large avenue- where the land cruisers can pass easily. the road was closed to the traffic, and police was everywhere. people weere waiting on the two sides of the road for the procession begins (it should start at 10:30). with a little delay the procession began, led by a military band playing anthems. troups of students from different schools, some civil clubs, the police, troups of soldiers, and finally land cruisers passed. meanwhile, the sounds of the anthems played by the military band, the voice of the soldiers accompanying them, the sounds of the land cruisers, the sound of the jets and helicopters flying over the people were mixing with the sounds of handclappings. what is interesting, this last part with the jets and helicopters was the most excitedly waited part of the procession by the participants.during the procession there was a moment when people began to chat about something that happened in Taksim, but no one knew what was it, and the police was refusing to answer the questions. after the procession finished, people left the avenue without knowing anything about Taksim. I called a friend to learn the details and learned that at the same time with the start of the procession a bomb exploded in the center of Taksim.even though we didn't hear the explosion from Vatan Caddesi, on sunday in Istanbul the sounds of bombs, military planes and helicopters, anthems were in a sort of symbolic dialogue...

schechner- the street is the stage/leaders

"Since the development of television, the audiences are whomever mass media can reach, including the leaders of opposing nations. But there is another audience, too, those on the reviewing stands. The arrogance of the leaders looking down from reviewing stands is matched only by their insecurity (both actual and imagined). They need reassurance of their popularity and invincibility. Each salute given and returned, each tank rolling by as part of neat and obedient phalanxes, warms the hearts of these leaders, democrats and despots alike." (Schechner 1993:84)

Schechner - The street is the stage/official parades

"Official culture likes its street displays to be orderly, arranged in longitudinal rectangles moving in one direction, and proceeding from a known end in time as well as space. Soldiers, big weapons, citizens and nubile cheerleaders all moving to band music and passing below a reviewing stand is the perfect example of this celebration of official culture. Countless parades around the world conform to this type. " (Schechner 1993: 82)