Protests Continue In Turkey Against Erdogan Government

Tens of thousands gather in the streets in Turkey in protest against the government. Turkey is a NATO country and is working with U.S. to undermine neighboring Syria., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

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Protests in Turkey focus on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Behind the hostility seems to lie wide discontent with the perceived arrogance and intolerance of the leader, who has rejected parallels to the 'Arab Spring.'

By Glen Johnson and Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times
8:47 PM PDT, June 3, 2013

ISTANBUL, Turkey — What began as local dispute about threatened green space in this metropolis has morphed into a nationwide movement protesting what critics say is the heavy-handed style and increasingly Islamist agenda of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

After four days of protests, however, the staying power of a spontaneous movement lacking national leadership is far from clear. Erdogan retains substantial support, has his eyes on a run for president next year and seems unlikely to be forced from office.

All the same, a country long lauded as an economic juggernaut and democratic model for the Muslim world is abruptly faced with its most violent street protests in years. A police crackdown widely denounced as excessive has spurred a kind of referendum of the streets against the three-time prime minister.

Late Monday, thousands of protesters filled central Taksim Square again. And police once more peppered demonstrators near the square with tear gas, leaving a caustic cloud over the iconic patch of downtown.

Running battles between police and protesters were reported during the day in Ankara, the capital, and demonstrators also took to the streets in coastal Izmir and several other cities.

Although the sudden spark and the youth-led street protests are reminiscent of the "Arab Spring" rebellions, Turkey is a thriving democracy with a vibrant economy that bears little resemblance to the stultified autocracies that ruled Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and Yemen. Nor does Turkey's multiparty political system resemble the four-decade rule of the Assad family and the Baath Party in neighboring Syria.

In fact, Turkey has been regarded as a model for countries such as Egypt trying to emerge from decades of authoritarian rule, modernize their economies and establish democratic rule.

The country is also a key U.S. ally, the eastern bulwark of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and its government aspires to become a member of the European Union.

Earlier Monday, this city spanning Asia and Europe appeared to be returning to a semblance of workweek normality, as workers and demonstrators cleared rubble and debris left after a weekend of street battles. But after nightfall crowds again assembled in Taksim Square and some clashes were reported.

"The problem is Erdogan," said a protester who gave his name as Burak, a scarf covering his mouth and swimming goggles stretched around his head to protect him from tear gas. "He is imbued with authoritarianism. He can never change."

Video showed police dispersing protesters with tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets and batons. A doctor's group said more than 2,300 had been injured and at least one protester had been killed, apparently after being hit by a car.

Erdogan's Justice and Development Party, riding the nation's economic success, won about half the vote in the most recent parliamentary elections. The economy grew by 8.5% in 2011 and 2.5% last year.

The protests appear to have evolved without national leadership and absent the urging of Turkey's formal opposition parties, though several opposition leaders joined in denouncing what they said was an overreaction by police.

Erdogan blamed the opposition Republican People's Party and "extremist" groups, while also lashing out at social media, a key opposition organizing tool. Published photos of the protesters cleaning up litter after rallies tended to counter the extremist label, however.

Investors seemed anxious about the globally broadcast images of chaos in Turkey's streets, as the nation's main stock exchange dropped by 10% by day's end. The nation's major confederation of public workers unions reportedly said it would stage a two-day strike beginning Tuesday in opposition to the crackdown on protests.

Behind the hostility toward Erdogan lies what appears to be widespread discontent with the prime minister's perceived arrogance and intolerance for dissenting views on signature initiatives including Islamist-inspired restrictions on alcohol sales, curbs on the media, pro-business development schemes and the government's aggressive policy of aiding rebels in Syria.

Erdogan, a former mayor of Istanbul, has dismissed the protesters as hooligans and extremists and rejected parallels to the "Arab Spring" turmoil. Anyone making such comparisons "knows nothing about this country," Erdogan told reporters. He singled out Twitter as a repository of "the worst of lies."

The government has not backed down on its plans for a shopping mall and residential complex in the park alongside Taksim Square, the issue that set off the protests. But Erdogan has said that a museum could be part of the redevelopment plan.

Protesters appear to be mostly young and secular in nature. But there are also indications that older people and pious Muslims not enamored of Erdogan's abrasive style have joined in.

Beyond calling for Erdogan's resignation, demonstrators don't seem to have a clear set of broad demands, just vague slogans for greater freedom and political transparency.

"We have lost faith in our politicians," said Emra Tashal, standing in Taksim Square. "We need a government that can carry us forward."

The prime minister's self-assurance — his critics call it hubris — was evident in his decision to leave the country Monday on a previously planned trip to North Africa, where many admire his style of Islamist-tinged democracy.

The prime minister appears to retain considerable support among conservative business elements who have prospered under his rule.

"These protesters are nothing," said Ahmet Bersoz, a storekeeper whose shop sits on the fringes of the poor Kurdish neighborhood of Tarlabasi. "He [Erdogan] brought money and business to Turkey. He is developing our country."

The prime minister, who has hinted he could easily marshal "a million" supporters to the streets, dwarfing the ranks of protesters, has preferred to restrain his backers.

So far there has yet to be a major counter-protest to that by the tens of thousands who have been vocally calling for Erdogan's resignation. But there were signs of fissure even in Erdogan's Justice and Development Party. Turkish President Abdullah Gul defended the right of citizens to protest, taking a softer line than the prime minister.

"Democracy does not only mean elections," Gul said, in counterpoint to Erdogan's suggestion that the ballot box, not the street, is the appropriate place to voice differences of opinion. "There is nothing more natural than being able to voice those differences."

Special correspondent Johnson reported from Istanbul and Times staff writer McDonnell from Beirut.


US calls for investigation of Turkey police violence

Tue Jun 4, 2013 1:37AM GMT
presstv.ir

The United States has called on Turkey to carry out an investigation into the police’s violent crackdown on anti-government protesters described by defiant Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as extremists.

"We are concerned by the reports of excessive use of force by police," US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters on Monday. "We obviously hope that there will be a full investigation of those incidents and full restraint from the police force."

On the fourth day of the anti-government protests, Turkish police used teargas and water cannon to disperse the demonstrators who had gathered in the downtown Kizilay Square in the capital Ankara to demand Erdogan’s resignation. The protests in the city continued into the early hours of Tuesday.

Riot police fired teargas to disperse thousands of protestors massing near his Istanbul office in the Besiktas district late Monday.

In Taksim Square, the focal point of the protests, a helicopter hovered over thousands of demonstrators who were shouting "Tayyip, resign!" and wafted teargas into the square.

The violence, which erupted on Friday over plans to build over Gezi Park in Istanbul, has so far claimed the life of one protester who was killed when a car crashed into a crowd of demonstrators in the Mayis district of the city on Sunday.

More than 1,000 people have been injured in the crackdown on protests in Istanbul with 700 wounded in Ankara, according to rights groups and doctors. Over 2,000 protesters have also been arrested.

The Turkish police’s use of “excessive force” against protesters has been followed by irritating comments by Erdogan who called the protesters “extremists” and “vandals.”

White House spokesman Jay Carney said US officials think most of the protesters in the streets have been ordinary citizens engaged in peaceful demonstrations.

Kesk, a left-wing trade union confederation, has said it will start a two-day strike from Tuesday to support the protesters.

The Turkish prime minister, who started a four-day tour of Morocco on Monday despite the widespread protests, told a news conference in Rabat the "The situation (in Turkey) is now calming down... On my return from this visit, the problems will be solved."


Demo held in US in solidarity with Turkish protesters

Mon Jun 3, 2013 10:50PM GMT
presstv.ir

Around 100 protesters have staged a demonstration outside the Turkish consulate in New York to voice their support for anti-government protests in Turkey and demand the resignation of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Chanting, "We want freedom" and "Erdogan, Resign," the demonstrators expressed their discontent with the Turkish government and how it treats its citizens on Monday, AFP reported.

Some of the demonstrators brandished photos of Erdogan emblazoned with a Nazi swastika while others carried banners, reading, "Turkey you are not alone," and "Stop police brutality.”

Turkey is on edge as the country witnessed the fourth day of fierce anti-government protests in major cities.

On Sunday, thousands of protesters marched on Erdogan's office in Ankara and Istanbul, shouting "Dictator, resign!" and "We will resist until we win," and clashed with the riot police who responded with tear gas.

Meanwhile, Erdogan has remained defiant, denying accusations that he has been acting like a dictator.

He has also rejected any possibility of an uprising in Turkey, arguing that these protesters do not represent the entire Turkish society.

Protests erupted in Istanbul on Friday after security forces attacked a peaceful four-day sit-in by environmental activists against the demolition of Gezi Park at Taksim Square.

Activists say Gezi Park, which is a traditional gathering point for rallies and demonstrations as well as a popular tourist destination, is the city's last public green space.

The tough police response to park protesters sparked mass anti-government demonstrations in nearly 50 other cities.

The harsh police response has drawn international condemnation with EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton condemning Turkish police for using disproportionate force against demonstrators.

The White House has also called on Turkish security forces to exercise restraint in dealing with the protests, saying public demonstrations are part of the democratic expression.

Turkey Interior Minister Muammer Guler said on Sunday that more than 1,700 people had been arrested, adding that 58 civilians and 115 security officers had also been injured in the protests. Rights groups, however, have put the number of injured in the hundreds.


Turkish army clashes with PKK militants near Iraq border

Mon Jun 3, 2013 5:55PM GMT
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Turkish Army helicopters have returned fire at Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK) militants who targeted a Turkish military base near border with Iraq.

According to the Turkish army, PKK militants fired at the military base in the southeastern city of Sirnak, prompting an army helicopter to return fire. One soldier was reportedly injured in the clash.

This is the first clash reported by the Turkish army since it entered into a truce with PKK leader, Abdullah Ocalan, back in March, halting a 28-year armed struggle between the two sides.

Following the peace deal, the militants started withdrawing from Turkey to settle in bases in northern Iraq on May 8.

However, the group warned Ankara against “provocations and clashes” which it stated could hamper the retreat.

It also asked independent rights groups to take part in the process by observing the withdrawal, saying this could contribute to a safe operation.

The PKK has been fighting for an autonomous Kurdish region in southeastern Turkey since the 1980s. The conflict has left tens of thousands of people dead.

Ocalan, who was captured by Turkish security forces in the Kenyan capital Nairobi in 1999, is serving a life sentence at Imrali Island prison on charges of leading the PKK in its armed campaign against Ankara.