Video

Denizli in western Turkey was the host of another Festival of the Republic (Cumhuriyet Mitingi) on Saturday, May 26, 2007. People peacefully protested against the AKP government because of its non-secular practices that harm the country's constitutional principles. Since April 2007, frustration of the people is demonstrated in a series of massive but peaceful rallies in Ankara, Istanbul, Canakkale, Manisa, Marmaris, Izmir, Samsun and Denizli. Each is literally attended by millions of people and broke all known attendance records. None of these protest meetings were organized or sponsored by political parties. They were initiated, sponsored and organized by civilian women's organizations, and hundreds of NGOs actively supported them. ADD Ataturkcu Dusunce Dernegi, CYDD Cagdas Yasami Destekleme Dernegi, and CKD Cumhuriyet Kadinlari Dernegi were particularly active in the organizations. The music used in this clip is a medley of sorts combining three local songs: Denizli'nin Horozu, Hop Diri Diri, and Gelive Gidive by Efe. The songs were originally compiled by Turkish folklorist and musician Özay Gönlüm. Schedule of Turkish Cumhuriyet Meetings: Ankara - 14 April (Nisan) 2007 Istanbul - 29 April 2007 Canakkale - 5 May (Mayis) 2007 Manisa - 5 May 2007 Marmaris - 5 May 2007 Izmir - 13 May 2007 Samsun - 20 May 2007 Denizli - 26 May 2007