TURKEY: Protesters remain defiant as Turkish PM calls on them to quit park

Record ID: 217660

  • Title: TURKEY: Protesters remain defiant as Turkish PM calls on them to quit park
  • Date: 11th June 2013
  • Summary: ANKARA, TURKEY (JUNE 11, 2013) (REUTERS) TURKISH FLAG HUNG AT KUGULU PARK PROTESTERS PREPARING LUNCH MAKESHIFT TENTS AT OCCUPIED KUGULU PARK BANNER OF KUGULU INITIATIVE, THE GROUP OCCUPYING KUGULU PARK TO SUPPORT GEZI PARK ACTIVISTS PROTESTERS AT PARK BANNER CRITICISING TURKISH MEDIA FOR IGNORING THE PROTESTS (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) TURKISH PROTESTER SAYING: "I used to sup
  • Embargoed: 26th June 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA1I33DBSG07TN5AG83TCCVXNPD
  • Story Text: Protesters at Istanbul's Taksim Square and Kugulu Park in Ankara on Tuesday (June 11) dismissed a call from Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan to stop demonstrating.
    What began as a protest at redevelopment plans for Istanbul's Gezi Park, a leafy corner of the square, has grown into an unprecedented challenge to Erdogan who has governed Turkey for over 10 years.
    In Ankara, protesters occupy Kugulu park in solidarity with Gezi Park activists.
    One protester, a former AK Party supporter, said he was frustrated with Erdogan.
    "Today, for the past two years, he (Prime Minister Erdogan) has assumed a dictatorial stance. The country is shifting towards monarchy and we are against this," he said.
    Another Ankara protester said that Erdogan's remarks showed he didn't understand the point of the protests.
    At Taksim Square, epicentre of the ongoing protests, riot police backed with armoured vehicles moved in soon after dawn. Bulldozers began removing barricades made of paving stones and corrugated iron.
    Turkish riot police fired tear gas and water cannon at hundreds of protesters armed with rocks and fireworks as they tried to take back control of the central Istanbul square at the heart of anti-government demonstrations.
    Protesters said they would not give up despite the police advances.
    "We have confidence in ourselves. We have confiscated this square with struggle and from now on, no matter how much police forces will come, we will continue to struggle and we will continue to fight. We will not withdraw," one protester said.
    Another protester said she blamed Erdogan for the police's actions.
    "It was the Prime Minister's choice to expose thousands of people here to tear gas, smoke grenades and water cannons. This is fascism. Our struggle will continue. We will keep on resisting," she said.
    Western allies have expressed concern about the troubles in a key NATO ally bordering Syria, Iraq and Iran. Washington has held up Erdogan's Turkey as an example of an Islamic democracy that could be emulated elsewhere in the Middle East.
    The police move came a day after Erdogan agreed to meet protest leaders, whose peaceful demonstrations two weeks ago spiralled into anti-government protests in cities across the country in which three people have been killed.
    Police appealed to the protesters not to throw rocks, calling from loudspeakers, "Dear Gezi friends. We are unhappy with this situation. We don't want to intervene. We don't want to harm you. Please withdraw."
    Turkey's Medical Association said that as of late Monday, 4,947 people had sought treatment in hospitals and voluntary infirmaries for injuries, ranging from cuts and burns to breathing difficulties from tear gas inhalation, since the unrest began more than ten days ago.
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