As the uprising this weekend was aired on CNN International for the world to see, CNN Turkey showed a documentary on penguins.
Yes, penguins.
The media has self-censored and all but eliminated coverage of the uprising domestically. One channel, Halk Haber TV, continues to cover the protests live but on the other channels, including major international networks, coverage is limited to short roundtables of talking heads at best.
This culture of media self-censorship is not new here. Turkey boasts one of the worlds top ratings of internet censorship, as well as a collection of journalists who have been jailed, without trial, under charges of terrorism.
So, the media is perhaps a little wary for good cause.
Strangely, in a message from the Canadian Consulate in Ankara advising us Canadians in Turkey to be conscious of our surrounding whilst in Turkey, we have been advised to "remain vigilant at all times, avoid all demonstrations and large gatherings, follow the advice of local authorities and monitor local media."
Oh, the irony.
Hence the Penguin.
Tonight, Turkey waits for their Prime Minister to speak. He has been in northern Africa on a diplomatic tour, and has received an honorary doctorate no less for his "humanitarian" efforts. Ankara in general has worked to calm the situation, yet Erdogan remains ever flippant and stubbornly insists the plans for Gezi Park will go ahead, and continues to believe that the people of his country are being goaded into action not by him, but by extremists.
In fact, by the very extremists responsible for a terrorist bombing in Ankara earlier this year.
Tonight, the pots and pans in Goztepe rang more loudly than last night. All of Turkey waits to hear if Erdogan will work to smother the flames or fan them.
The smart money is on the latter.
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