Double standards for citizens in Taksim: "Barricades for locals, a fair for the British"

Gezi Park, which has been closed off to its own people with iron barriers for 13 years, was opened wide to Aston Villa fans; beer sales in Euros were flying around inside.

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Double standards for citizens in Taksim:

The historic UEFA Europa League final played in Istanbul witnessed a scandalous double standard that went beyond sports enthusiasm. Gezi Park, which has been closed off to its own people with iron barriers for 13 years, was opened wide to Aston Villa fans; beer sales in Euros were flying around inside.

The UEFA Europa League final, played at Inönü Stadium between the English team Aston Villa and the German representative Freiburg and resulting in a 3-0 victory for Aston Villa, revealed a tragic contradiction that will be etched into the city's memory. The celebration area for the British, who were experiencing the joy of a European trophy after 43 years, was Gezi Park, which has been closed for 13 years to all kinds of democratic activities and even to the entry of ordinary citizens on the grounds of "security."

''FREE ONLY FOR THE BRITISH: 30 THOUSAND LITERS OF BEER IN EUROS''

According to information reported by T24, Gezi Park was practically allocated to the approximately 20 thousand Aston Villa fans who flocked to Istanbul for the final match. While Taksim and its surroundings were filled with tourists singing with alcohol bottles in their hands, only British citizens with match tickets were allowed into the park. The authority, which does not allow its own citizens even a single banner, set up food and beverage stands inside the park for foreign fans. Officials in the park stated that exactly 30 thousand liters of beer were stored in the area solely for the consumption of tourists and that sales were made entirely in foreign currency, with prices ranging from 6 to 9 Euros, rather than in local currency.

''THE PUBLIC COULD NOT ENTER, TURNSTILES WORKED FOR FOREIGNERS''

While intense police measures drew attention throughout Taksim, the color of the security cordon changed depending on the person. Citizens of the Republic of Turkey who did not have a match ticket or a British passport were not even allowed to pass near Gezi Park. The mentality that responds to its own people's slightest search for rights or gathering in the park with police barricades shelved all its red lines overnight when it came to foreign tourists and hard currency, proving once again the market-driven reality behind the excuses of "public order."

News Source: 12punto