TURKEY: Protesters in Istanbul sceptical about Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's offer of a referendum and are braced for a police raid.

Record ID: 217662

  • Title: TURKEY: Protesters in Istanbul sceptical about Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's offer of a referendum and are braced for a police raid.
  • Date: 13th June 2013
  • Summary: ISTANBUL, TURKEY (JUNE 12, 2013) (REUTERS) (NIGHTSHOTS) VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS IN GEZI PARK VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS SITTING PROTESTERS CHANTING PROTESTERS MAKING VICTORY SIGNS PROTESTERS CHANTING (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) GEZI PARK PROTESTER EMRE HAYDAROGLU SAYING: "If the prime minister said this, we can expect anything from him. We were really hopeful that he would sort this
  • Embargoed: 28th June 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAEV1Z6TIZZII7A88MMGQ59G8IF
  • Story Text: Turkey's ruling AK Party on Wednesday ordered protesters to leave Istanbul's central Gezi Park immediately and said it would consider holding a referendum on redevelopment plans which sparked almost two weeks of violent demonstrations.
    It follows concern expressed by the European Union about Turkish government action to clear Istanbul's Taksim Square of protesters overnight on Tuesday, when police fired tear gas into a crowd of thousands.
    Many in the park on Wednesaday night fear the same violent scenes will play out again and voiced their distrust of Prime Minister Erdogan.
    "If the prime minister said this, we can expect anything from him. We were really hopeful that he would sort this out before. More than ten days have now passed and he hasn't changed his position. Each day we expect there will be a solution but now we have lost all hope," said Emre Haydaroglu.
    Top EU officials also called on Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's government to investigate cases of excessive use of force and to hold those responsible to account.
    Riot police used tear gas and water cannon on people in office clothes and families with children, as well as youths in masks who had fought skirmishes for control of the central Istanbul square.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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