In Focus: The Istanbul riots (Part 1)

It's been a couple of years (well, maybe more than just a couple!) and a couple of conflict zones to make me realise that although it was the adrenaline rush that made me pursue stories in dangerous places in the first place, the main motivation has become much more.

I feel that it is a journalist's responsibility to convey stories about the human race - stories that are about human suffering and oppression, conflict and violence. Not because these are hot topics that people want to see and read about, but because we need to show that these are things that the human race can do without.

I've been to Afghanistan, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia and even Patani to tell stories that hopefully will promote peace and understanding amongst human beings. And when the public uprising began in Turkey, I knew once again that I had to go and witness it so I can tell their story to other Malaysians.

I'm sure everyone is now familiar with the situation in Turkey. What initially started as a demonstration to protect a city park (the now infamous Gezi Park) from unnecessary development eventually became a nationwide resistance.

But little do people around the world know that things have been festering in the half-European, half-Asian country. Human rights have been slowly disappearing with an almost-dictator Prime Minister slowly trying to turn things around so he can have more control.

One thing that struck me most while I was in Istanbul shooting the documentary was the fact that the people of Turkey were really solidified and united in their stand. After they were beaten, shot at and killed for expressing their feelings, they decided to do things more creatively.

The started standing quietly in protest in the city's main Taksim Square. Sometimes a dozen people would be standing, and sometimes there would hundreds and even thousands. People stood as long as they could. Maybe it was five minutes for some and maybe a couple of hours for others. The important thing was that around the clock, there would be people standing in the square.

Also, small groups of people would gather in all the neighbourhoods around the city at night. They would discuss and debate how they felt their Turkey should be governed. The outcome of these discussions are published and distributed on the Internet for all to see, with the target audience being the ruling government. Somehow, it was like democracy at it's roots.

But sometimes, things don't really go quite as peaceful and smooth as everyone would like. My last day in Istanbul, a giant demonstration took place in Taksim Square where tens of thousands of Istanbul locals decided to march to the square in memory of those killed in the initial protests.

To find out more and to see in more depth what took place in Istanbul (and is still taking place now), don't forget to tune in to 'In Focus' tonight, Tuesday (9th July 2013), at 8:30pm. And since one episode would not do justice to the story, a second part will be aired next Tuesday (16th July 2013) at the same time.

*Catch the new season of In Focus every Tuesdays, 8:30pm, on Astro AWANI.