Istanbul and Marketing Science I
Introduction
Roland Rust expresses concern that the upcoming Marketing Science conference may put attendees at risk and that attendance would implicitly endorse the government crackdown
Turkey and the Marketing Science Conference
As many of you know, the Marketing Science Conference is due to be hosted in July in Istanbul. For those of you who have not been watching the news, here is a brief synopsis of the recent events in that city and throughout Turkey:
Prime Minister Erdogan decreed that Gezi Park, one of the few remaining green spaces in central Istanbul, and a place symbolic of the Westernization and secularization of Turkey, was to be demolished. Protestors stood in the way of the bulldozers. The police were called in, and defenseless protestors, many of them women, were subjected to water cannons, pepper spray, and tear gas cannisters fired at high speed directly at them (e.g., see ). This outraged many Turks, and the protests quickly spread throughout Turkey. The cause of the protests was not just the preservation of the park, but concern about Erdogan’s authoritarianism and anti-secular policies. Chief among the protestors were the seculars, academics and intellectuals. Soon the labor unions threw their support behind the protestors.
Hundreds of people were arrested, including not just protestors, but dozens of lawyers, many journalists (including some from the Canadian Broadcasting Company), and a number of people who posted on social media. Hundreds of lawyers then joined the protest and had their own demonstration at Taksim Square. Thousands of protestors were hospitalized as a result of the police attacks. Prime Minister Erdogan condemned social media as being a menace to the country. He also said that the cause of the protests was foreigners who wanted to keep Turkey down. He said Gezi Park smelled like piss (actually it smelled like police tear gas).
I attended the EMAC conference which recently concluded in Istanbul. I did not personally feel unsafe, although it was disconcerting to see hundreds of police in riot gear every day on my walk to the conference site. Also the hotel told me to keep my windows closed, to avoid exposure to tear gas. I can tell you for a fact that the conference attendees were concerned by the police and not the protestors. One recently-arrived conference attendee (from the US) suggested that he had nothing to fear if he didn’t throw rocks at the police. Unfortunately this was not true. Several conference attendees went home early after being exposed to tear gas. EMAC’s immediate past President, Veronica Wong, got a severe rash on her face from the tear gas. I can guarantee you that she was not threatening the police in any way. In some cases a police cruiser would drive down the street and aim water cannons at any groups of people—in some cases knocking down elderly women. The conference was forced to move several events (often at the last minute) to sites further away from the hostilities.
The epicenter of the protest has been Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Since EMAC, the police overran Taksim Square by force, telling protestors that they would not be harmed if they retreated to Gezi Park. Then the police went back on their word by engaging in an extended tear gas attack on the park. Since then, Prime Minister Erdogan told protestors that they must abandon the park or be driven out by the police. Subsequently the police drove out the protestors by force, using tear gas and rubber bullets.
Whether to go ahead and attend the Marketing Science Conference in Istanbul is a difficult question. The situation may not be the “Turkish Spring,” but clearly the situation is unstable, and the last couple of weeks have shown that the situation can quickly deteriorate. The conference site (and main conference hotel) is quite close to the epicenter of the protests, Gezi Park. For these reasons, I have urged the INFORMS Society of Marketing Science (ISMS) to cancel the conference. They have responded cautiously, which is understandable. Clearly it is important that the Marketing Science Conference be held, and it is in the personal interests of the ISMS leadership and the organizers to have the conference proceed as schedule. Conference organizers Koen Pauwels, Tulin Erdem, and others are first rate, and certainly it is in everyone’s interest for Turkey to continue its fast rise into the elite of the marketing world. The Marketing Science Conference is probably the world’s premier marketing conference, and it would be very unfortunate if it had to be cancelled.
Still, I can’t help thinking that we need to put this in a larger context. I have been in the field for more than 30 years, and I have never before made a political statement in connection with my job. So I am reluctant to do so now, but feel a duty to do so. I am concerned that holding the conference as scheduled not only may put our attendees at risk, but also may send a message that authoritarian, anti-intellectual, anti-secular government crackdowns are acceptable. I have a big problem with both issues.
I have not yet personally decided whether to attend Marketing Science, even though I have already made hotel and airline reservations. There is a possibility that Prime Minister Erdogan will adopt a more conciliatory tone, and the problem will defuse. Currently I would not bet on that. He seems happy to give fiery speeches to his conservative rural supporters that indicate no tolerance and no mercy toward the protestors. In the last 48 hours he has offered to have a referendum on the park, and has met with the leaders of the protest, both of which raised hopes for a negotiated outcome. Still if things deteriorate further I see no alternative to canceling my trip. I encourage everyone planning to attend Marketing Science to catch up on the news on Turkey by checking Google News, CNN.com or any other independent news source (Turkish news sources apparently are banned from covering the protests).
I am sorry to have to share these personal concerns with you, but I feel compelled to do so. I hope everyone watches the news carefully and makes a decision based on their personal conscience.
–Roland Rust
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