Governor’s cryptic midnight tweet debated on Gezi anniversary
A cryptic message tweeted by the governor of Istanbul on the early hours of May 28 has sparked a debate on Turkish social media just before the first anniversary of the Gezi Park protests.
âYou canât make baklava with maize flour and you canât make a dough roller from a mulberry tree,â Gov. Hüseyin Avni Mutlu, or @Valimutlu, tweeted to his more than 800,000 followers. Baklava is a Turkish sweet pastry.
Along with Police Chief Hüseyin Ãapkın, Mutlu was one of two most controversial authorities in Istanbul during the Gezi Park protests in June 2013.
Although several people accused him of ordering the police to use disproportionate force against the protesters, Mutlu was also known for his mild statements and warm-hearted tweets that frequently surprised many.
One of the most surprising messages that Mutlu tweeted was a poetic salutation to the youth who resisted the police in Gezi Park, as thousands of people were marching throughout Turkey in anti-government protests in early June.
âYoung people; Iâve heard that there is a peaceful morning in Gezi Park with birdsongs, smell of linden and bees bumbling; is it true? Iâd like to be with you,â Mutlu had tweeted on early June 9. The same day, Mutlu had also become the first official to apologize because of the âindividual mistakes and extremeâ behavior displayed by the police during the protests.
Protesters were also following Mutluâs Twitter account to gain insight regarding the next move of the security forces. âThey ask me if police will intervene [in Gezi Park] or not. Iâm saying that they will not. Is it clear? Good night,â he tweeted another night at...
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