Reverberations in the Echo Chamber (Nâzim Hikmet Ran: The Walnut Tree)

.

People stand on a Turkish army tank at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul: photo by Huseyin Aldemir/Reuters, 16 July 2016

Anti-coup protesters attend to a man who was wounded by gunfire in Istanbul's Taksim square: photo by Emrah Gurel/AP, 16 July 2016

 

Turkish soldiers, held by civilians, are handed to police officers in Taksim square: photo by Selcuk Samiloglu/AP, 16 July 2016

  

Thousands of people heeded a call from Erdogan to take to the streets and protest against the attempted coup: photo by AP, 16 July 2016

Turkish police arrest soldiers involved in the coup at Taksim Square: photo by Tolga Bozoglu/EPA, 16 July 2016

 

People demonstrate outside the Ataturk international airport in Istanbul: photo by Huseyin Aldemir/Reuters, 16 July 2016

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is surrounded by supporters at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport: photo by Huseyin Aldemir/Reuters, 16 July 2016

 

Jubilant Erdogan supporters cheer outside Istanbul's main airport: photo by Huseyin Aldemir/Reuters, 16 July 2016

People surround a Turkish police armoured vehicle carrying Turkish soldiers who surrendered after being involved in the coup: photo by Emrah Gurel/AP, 16 July 2016

 

Thousands react in aftermath of failed #TurkeyCoup @AdemAltan3: image via NBC News Pictures @NBCNewsPictures, 16 July 2016

Thousands react in aftermath of failed #TurkeyCoup @ozannkosee: image via NBC News Pictures @NBCNewsPictures, 16 July 2016

Thousands react in aftermath of failed #TurkeyCoup @gurel_emrah: image via NBC News Pictures @NBCNewsPictures, 16 July 2016

TURKEY - Workers inspect the Grand National Assembly bombed by rebel jets in Ankara #turkeycoup . By @AdemAltan3: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 16 July 2016

TURKEY - Workers inspect the Grand National Assembly bombed by rebel jets in Ankara #turkeycoup . By @AdemAltan3: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 16 July 2016 

TURKEY - Workers inspect the Grand National Assembly bombed by rebel jets in Ankara #turkeycoup . By @AdemAltan3: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 16 July 2016

TURKEY - Workers inspect the Grand National Assembly bombed by rebel jets in Ankara #turkeycoup . By @AdemAltan3: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 16 July 2016

A police armoured vehicle uses a water cannon to disperse anti-government forces on the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul: photo by Murad Sezer / Reuters, 16 July 2016

People react after they take over a military position on the Bosphorus bridge in Istanbul: photo by Bulent Kilic / AFP, 16 July 2016

 Policemen protect a soldier from the mob after troops involved in the coup surrendered on the Bosphorus bridge in Istanbul: photo by Murad Sezer / Reuters, 16 July 2016

TURKEY - People react after a military position was taken over at the Ataturk airport in Istanbul. By Gurcan Ozturk: image via AFP Photo Department @AFP, 16 July 2016

TURKEY - People react after a military position was taken over at the Ataturk airport in Istanbul. By Gurcan Ozturk: image via AFP Photo Department @AFP, 16 July 2016

 

TURKEY - Police officers take over a military position at the Anatolian side at Uskudar in Istanbul. By @Kilicbil: image via AFP Photo Department @AFP, 16 July 2016

TURKEY - A Turkish police officer embraces a man on a tank after #TurkeyCoupAttempt in Istanbul by @Kilicbil #AFPphoto: image via AFP Photo Department @AFPphoto, 16 July 2016

#Erdogan foils bloody coup attempt and closes in on remnants of renegade military in #Turkey @Kilicbil @AFPphoto: image via SundayTimesPictures @STPictures, 16 July 2016



"The people defeated the coup in Turkey: When people of all persuasions stood against it, they turned a dark night into a bright morning for Turkish democracy" (Galip Dalay): image by Reuters via Al Jazeera, 16 July 2016

 
Commentary: Will Turkey's failed coup break up Erdogan's echo chamber?: image via Reuters Top News @Reuters, 16 July 2016

Nâzim Hikmet Ran: The Walnut Tree

 Gulhane Park (Istanbul): photo by Skaldum, 2015

my head foaming clouds, sea inside me and out
I am a walnut tree in Gulhane Park
an old walnut, knot by knot, shred by shred
Neither you are aware of this, nor the police

I am a walnut tree in Gulhane Park
My leaves are nimble, nimble like fish in water
My leaves are sheer, sheer like a silk handkerchief
pick, wipe, my rose, the tear from your eyes
My leaves are my hands, I have one hundred thousand
I touch you with one hundred thousand hands, I touch Istanbul
My leaves are my eyes, I look in amazement
I watch you with one hundred thousand eyes, I watch Istanbul
Like one hundred thousand hearts, beat, beat my leaves

I am a walnut tree in Gulhane Park
neither you are aware of this, nor the police

Nâzim Hikmet Ran (1902-1963): The Walnut Tree, translated from Turkish by Gun Gencer

Istanbul - Gulhane Park: photo by deepgoswami, 10 October 2008

Walnut Breeze: photo by Virginiapoet, 22 September 2009

Istanbul - Gulhane Park: photo by deepgoswami, 10 October 2008

Parakeet in Gulhane Park: photo by Arthur Pennant, 1 November 2011

Reverberations in the Echo Chamber 

 

INDIAN ADMINISTERED KASHMIR - Kashmiri Muslims walk past an Indian paramilitary trooper during a curfew in Srinagar. By @TauseefMUSTAFA: image via AFP Photo Department @AFPphoto, 16 July 2016

 

Dylan Noble, 19, is shown in this image captured from police body camera video, being shot while approaching Fresno, California police officers against their order during a traffic stop shortly before he was shot and killed: photo by Fresno Police Department / Reuters,  25 June 2016

 

Spanish bullfighter Miguel Angel Perera is tackled by a bull during a fight at the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona, northern Spain: photo by Susana Vera / Reuters, 13 July 2016

 

Trees frame the site where two passenger trains collided in the middle of an olive grove in the southern village of Corato, near Bari, Italy: photo by Alessandro Garofalo / Reuters,  12 July 2016

 

A man who was injured by pellet gun fire in the clashes between Indian police and protesters, sits inside a hospital, in Srinagar, Indian administered Kashmir: photo by Danish Ismail / Reuters, 14 July 2016

Bodies are seen on the ground after at least 30 people were killed in Nice, France, when a truck ran into a crowd celebrating the Bastille Day national holiday: photo by Eric Gaillard / Reuters, 14 July 2016 

 

  A paramilitary policeman yawns while standing guard in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, near the portrait of late communist leader Mao Zedong: photo by Stringer / AFP, 13 July 2016

 

 

A dike between two lakes is seen under demolition in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China: photo by China Daily / Reuters, 14 July 2016

The sun sets over Manhattan, aligned exactly with the streets in a phenomenon known as "Manhattanhenge" : photo by Mark Kauzlarich / Reuters, 11 July  2016

 

Police officers investigate the dead body of an alleged drug dealer, his face covered with packing tape and a placard reading "I'm a pusher," on a street in Manila, Philippines. Philippine On July 1, President Rodrigo Duterte urged communist rebels to start killing drug traffickers, adding another layer to a controversial war on crime in which he has warned thousands will die.: photo by Noel Celis / AFP, 8 July 2016

  

 Couples dance tango in the street in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Tango and milonga dance room owners protested the rise of up to 400 percent in gas and electricity bills, arguing that they might have to close due to the lack of money to pay the price hike.: photo by Natacha Pisarenko / AP, 12 July 2016

  

This handout photo released by Solar Impulse 2 shows the solar powered plane, piloted by Swiss pioneer André Borschberg, during the flyover of the pyramids of Giza, prior to landing in Cairo, Egypt. The 16th leg of the round-the-world-trip from Seville in Spain covered a distance of 3,700 kilometers and took almost 49 hours. The Solar Impulse 2 landed in Cairo on July 13, 2016 for the penultimate stop in the solar-powered plane's world tour, two days after setting off from Spain.: photo by Jean Revillard / AFP, 13 July 2016

Kashmiri villagers carry the body of separatist leader Burhan Wani during his funeral procession in Tral, some 38 kilometers (24 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian administered Kashmir. Indian troops fired on protesters in Kashmir as tens of thousands of Kashmiris defied a curfew imposed in most parts of the troubled region Saturday and participated in the funeral of the top rebel commander killed by Indian government forces, officials and locals said.: photo by Dar Yasin / AP, 9 July 2016

A kiss is not just a kiss on Cleveland convention billboards: image via Reuters Top News @Reuters, 16 July 2016

 

 This image released by NASA was taken by the Juno spacecraft, five days after it arrived at Jupiter. The image shows Jupiter's Great Red Spot and three of its four largest moons. Juno is on a 20-month mission to study Jupiter's poles, atmosphere and interior.: photo by NASA, 10 July 2016