MAY-DAY/TURKEY-ERDOGAN Turkey's Erdogan says sees 'no good intentions' in Taksim protests

Record ID: 135394

  • Title: MAY-DAY/TURKEY-ERDOGAN Turkey's Erdogan says sees 'no good intentions' in Taksim protests
  • Date: 1st May 2015
  • Summary: ANKARA, TURKEY (MAY 1, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE MARCHING TO MARK MAY DAY
  • Embargoed: 16th May 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA8IOQBTOOVH0783I3QS3X52TBF
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he did not welcome mass gatherings in the city's Taksim square on Monday (May 1), while police in Istanbul dispersed protesters firing tear gas and water cannon after local authorities denied unions permission to hold May Day demonstration.
    Europe's biggest city was under a security lockdown as thousands of police manned barricades and closed streets to stop demonstrations at Taksim, a traditional rallying ground for leftists that saw weeks of unrest in 2013.
    Riot police unleashed water cannon and chased protesters down sidestreets in the nearby Besiktas neighbourhood, where they fired off canisters of tear gas, according to a Reuters reporter at the scene.
    Several people were detained after demonstrators lobbed stones and bottles at police and set off fireworks.
    Citing security concerns, much of Istanbul's public transport had been shut down and police helicopters circled over the city.
    The government had said Taksim would only be open to those who came peacefully and not for "illegal demonstrations".
    "Everybody is focusing on Taksim square. If you insist on going there with 10,000 of people and hold a rally, this is not commemoration. This is creating chaos and we don't see good intentions here," Erdogan said during a meeting in Ankara.
    Tens of thousands also gathered to march in the capital, where the mood was more festive, with dancing and singing.
    Critics say President Tayyip Erdogan and the government have become more authoritarian in the buildup to June elections.
    The normally thronged Istiklal shopping avenue leading to Taksim was deserted, with shops shuttered and metal barricades blocking off sidestreets.
    Opposition parties and unions called on the government to lift the ban.
    Erdogan has previously dismissed protesters as "riff-raff" and terrorists, outraged by the unrest in 2013 that brought unwanted international attention and posed the biggest challenge to his AK Party since it came to power in 2002.
    He is aiming for a massive victory for the party in June parliamentary polls, which would allow it to change the constitution and give him broad presidential powers.
    The 2013 Taksim protests began as a peaceful demonstration against plans to redevelop Gezi Park, a leafy corner of the square.
    After a police crackdown the demonstration spiralled into weeks of nationwide protests against Erdogan's rule.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Audio restrictions: This clip's Audio includes copyrighted material. User is responsible for obtaining additional clearances before publishing the audio contained in this clip.
Register