I'm In Turkey: "Turkish Spring" Starting?

Erdogan says he opposes violence and hits back at EU critics, saying the bloc has a record of human rights problems too.

Anyone see how he deflected the issue of human rights problems back to the EU and is incriminating himself that it is possible these acts were committed during these protest?

aljazeera

"What we are against is terrorism, violence, vandalism and actions that threaten others for the sake of freedoms," Erdogan said in a televised conference in Istanbul on Friday. "I'm open-hearted to anyone with democratic demands."

What? this was a peaceful protest that escaladed because of the police force when a man tried to stop a tree from being cut down.

Who are the terrorist against freedoms now?

open-minded? nope...

There should be a title of Arab spring Turkey summer, for things are getting hot there today on DW www.dw.de... police are in full force, the protesters in retreat from the link

Police in Istanbul have broken up a massive protest on Taksim Square, the epicenter of recent demonstrations against the prime minister. The raid came hours after the premier said protests would no longer be tolerated.

A day-long protest against Prime Minister Erdogan's government culminated on Tuesday night in a showdown with riot police on Taksim Square. Thousands of demonstrators attempted to hold their ground, setting off fireworks and throwing stones, as authorities moved in to quash the unrest.

Riot police shot canisters of tear gas into the crowds and deployed water cannon, dispersing thousands, many of whom had protested peacefully. Isolated fires blazed on the emptied square as night fell.

It was not immediately clear how many protesters had been injured.

That afternoon, police had used bulldozers to demolish makeshift barricades that had been set up by protesters on the square.

Demonstrations erupted nearly two weeks ago when police used excessive force on a peaceful demonstration in Istanbul's Gezi Park. The reactionary demonstrations have evolved from what began as protests against the city's plans to develop one of its few remaining green spaces to public outcry against the prime minister.

During Erdogan's tenure, many have come to view him as an authoritarian figure eager to erode Turkey's secular tradition with legislation based in Islamic conservatism.

'No tolerance'

The raid on Taksim Square came several hours after Erdogan appeared to signal a shift in how his government would deal with the unrest.
Police Crack Down on Taksim Square

"Were we supposed to kneel before them and say please remove your pieces of rags? They can call me harsh, but this Tayyip Erdogan won't change," he said, in defense of previous violence against Turkish citizens.

"To those who...are at Taksim [Square] and elsewhere taking part in the demonstrations with sincere feelings: I call on you to leave those places and to end these incidents and I send you my love. But for those who want to continue with the incidents I say: 'It's over.' As of now we have no tolerance for them," Erdogan said during a speech before lawmakers in Ankara on Tuesday.

"Not only will we end the actions, we will be at the necks of the provocateurs and terrorists and no one will get away with it," he added.

Erdogan's words sharply contrasted to what his government had said just a day earlier. On Monday, his deputy, Bulent Arinc, had said the prime minister was open to dialogue with the protesters and was planning to meet with some of their representatives on Wednesday.

Turkish allies concerned

The recent renewal of harsh crack downs has drawn criticism from Turkey's allies.

"It causes me great concern when I see the use of water cannon," the German government's human rights commissioner, Markus Löning, told the private news broadcaster n-TV on Tuesday.
DW.DE
Erdogan picks symbolic Sincan suburb for huge rally

In the face of Gezi Park protests, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan plans to defy the opposition with huge rallies this weekend in Istanbul and Ankara. The location of the Ankara protest is both symbolic and strategic. (11.06.2013)

"We call on the Turkish government to respect the rights of its citizens," Löning added.

United States officials have also urged Ankara and Turkish protesters to "refrain from provoking violence."

"We continue to have serious concerns about the reports of excessive use of force by police and large numbers of injuries and damage to property, and welcome calls for these events to be investigated," White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters earlier this week.

kms/jr (AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa)

Now that there is a full blown anti Gov protest, it seems the Arab spring has sprung in Turkey. Jordan next? or Iran?.... nah to simple.

Just in from NHK Turkey riots continue www3.nhk.or.jp... from the link

Protests continue overnight in Turkey

Anti-government protesters and the police intermittently clashed throughout Tuesday night in Turkey ahead of a planned meeting between their representatives and the prime minister.

The fresh clash was triggered by riot police that morning storming into Taksim Square in central Istanbul, where demonstrators were gathering. The police fired tear gas and used water cannons.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators swarmed back into the square and held a massive anti-government rally.

As it got dark, some youths hurled stones at the riot police. The police responded by firing tear gas and water cannons.

Also in the capital Ankara, hundreds of demonstrators clashed with police through Wednesday morning.

The Turkish government earlier said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be meeting with representatives of the protesters on Wednesday afternoon.

But there is no prospect so far of the planned meeting bringing calm to the unrest.

Jun. 12, 2013 - Updated 03:44 UTC

Now if this was... say Egypt ....this would be on page 90 by now, no one seems to care about Turkey for if it falls there is no country to give nor protect Syria, Israel, Jordan. think about that, or is this what you all want???? , Turkey to fall so the others will too?

reply to post by bekod


I think there is a touch of melodrama in your post (and others)...

This is a relatively small protest, given the population of Istanbul and Turkey at large. Yes, it has now moved from a protest about the redevelopment and is more about the Government's perceived Islamic bias which goes against the secular Turkish state, but this is no "Turkish Spring". Turkey is a fully fledged, modern democracy and Erdogan was elected with over 50% of the vote, which is a damned site better than pretty much any other PM in any other European parliamentary democracy can boast.

At best, there have been a few tens of thousands protesting and only in a couple of cities. When this gets into the millions in multiple cities, then it might be a "Turkish Spring", not they have any need for one...

reply to post by stumason
are you forgetting???; this is how Egypt's "Spring " sprung a few 100 to a thousand, then to a Nation wide up rising. I see the same thing happening here.

reply to post by bekod


Not at all, quite the opposite..

Turkey is nothing like Egypt, nothing at all. You're comparing apples and oranges.

These protests have been going on for over a week, but are actually waning. Give it another week or two and they will have died off, Erdogan will likely make some small compromise and all will be well again. There is an election in 2015 as well, whereas in Egypt there never were elections.

reply to post by stumason
that was the same thing said about Egypt, Libya, Syria, and now Turkey. "give it a week and it will be the Status quo" . I for one will say the Turkey summer has sprung. here is the article that states it is now Nation wide protest www3.nhk.or.jp... the one line from the link

There are also no specific leaders of the protest movement, which spread spontaneously across the nation.

Jun. 12, 2013 - Updated 10:21 UTC

and her is the full story

Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan to meet protesters

The Turkish government says Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is prepared to meet representatives of anti-government protesters in the capital, Ankara, on Wednesday.

Demonstrations against the Erdogan administration have spread across Turkey since late last month. The unrest was triggered by a redevelopment project in a park in central Istanbul.

Protesters and riot police clashed in and around a square adjacent to the park on Tuesday and into early Wednesday.

By dawn, police had used bulldozers to remove barricades set up by the demonstrators, and vehicular traffic resumed in the area for the first time in 2 weeks.

But some demonstrators are conducting a sit-in in tents in the park, demanding Erdogan's resignation.

The prime minister is maintaining his hard-line stance, saying he won't tolerate violent demonstrations.

The meeting, scheduled for 4:00 PM local time, will be the first direct meeting between the prime minister and the demonstrators.

But observers say it's difficult to tell whether the talks will lead to a breakthrough in light of the fierce antagonism that's been intensified by the clashes with police. There are also no specific leaders of the protest movement, which spread spontaneously across the nation.

Jun. 12, 2013 - Updated 10:21 UTC

over reacting or reading what is not there? not so just seeing what the real out come will be

reply to post by bekod


Ok, fine, you do that - fact remains is that the two situations are entirely different. On the one hand, Egypt, Tunisia etc were dictatorships while Turkey is a mature democracy. From that fundamental point the two situations diverge and are not even remotely comparable.

As it happens, the protests have started to die down already now the square has been cleared and were never that large anyway. We've had bigger protests in the UK over budget cuts and no-one ever claimed it was a British spring.

Me thinks it is just fanciful thinking on your part, coupled with ignorance over what Turkey is actually like, how it is run and what the protests were about.

"I am making my last warning: mothers and fathers, please withdraw your kids from there," Erdogan said. "Gezi Park does not belong to occupying forces […] Taksim Square belongs to all citizens of Istanbul, to all citizens of Turkey, to all international citizens of the world who are visiting my country."

Last three words describe a dictator,

aljazeera

reply to post by stumason


your right its like comparing apples to oranges........ different fruit......oh there is a connection

reply to post by whatzshaken
yes and the connection is they are both tired of the same old same old now matter what the leader ship says the protest will go on till the leader ship is removed www3.nhk.or.jp... from the link

Turkey protests go on despite referendum offer

Protestors in Turkey have not ceased efforts despite an offer by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to hold a referendum over the contested development plan of an Istanbul park.

Demonstrators remain as of Thursday in the central Istanbul park. Many have helmets and gas masks, preparing for a possible entry by security forces.

Erdogan met Wednesday in the capital Ankara with representatives of the demonstrators. He offered a referendum on the development plan that has sparked 2 weeks of unrest.

Some participants expressed satisfaction with the offer. But others said they would continue to demand the prime minister's resignation.

Erdogan showed his irritation in a speech on Thursday. He said those who could not win elections are trying to achieve their goal through other means.

Jun. 13, 2013 - Updated 11:02 UTC

if one missed the big pic here it is from the above story

Some participants expressed satisfaction with the offer. But others said they would continue to demand the prime minister's resignation.

now tell me this is not a Turkey Summer, er a Arab spring type revolt. and here is another link www.cbc.ca... from the link

Turkish PM offers 'final warning' to protesters
'We have arrived at the end of our patience,' PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan says
The Associated Press
Posted: Jun 13, 2013 5:04 AM ET
Last Updated: Jun 13, 2013 1:33 PM ET
Read 76 comments76
The comments suggest that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is determined to end two weeks of widespread protests that have trained an unflattering spotlight on his Islamic-rooted government and have morphed into the biggest street unrest of his 10-year tenure. The comments suggest that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is determined to end two weeks of widespread protests that have trained an unflattering spotlight on his Islamic-rooted government and have morphed into the biggest street unrest of his 10-year tenure. (Associated Press)


Facebook


135


Twitter


66


Share


201


Email

Related Stories

CBC News brings you the latest from Istanbul
CBC correspondents recount their arrests in Turkey
Unrest in Turkey: key players, major developments
Turkish protest turns violent
What's behind the unrest in Turkey?

Turkey's prime minister issued a "final warning" to protesters on Thursday, demanding that they end their occupation of a park next to Istanbul's landmark Taksim Square.

Sticking to his trademark defiant tone, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also rejected condemnation by the European Parliament over the excessive use of force by Turkish riot police against demonstrators.

The comments suggest that Erdogan is determined to end two weeks of widespread protests that have trained an unflattering spotlight on his Islamic-rooted government and have morphed into the biggest street unrest of his 10-year tenure.

"We have arrived at the end of our patience," Erdogan told local party leaders in Ankara, the capital.

"I am giving you my final warning," he said, issuing the ultimatum to the thousands of holdouts in a sit-in in Istanbul's Gezi Park, which is next to the square. He urged parents with children at the park to convince them to pack up and go home.

is this not the same oping remarks that lead to the full blown Arab spring??? i think it is

Turkeys summer continues www3.nhk.or.jp... from the link

Turkish PM issues ultimatum; Protestors defiant

Turkey's prime minister has issued what he calls a final warning to anti-government protestors, demanding they leave a square in Istanbul. He also urged them to leave an adjoining park.

The demonstrators remain defiant, raising fears of a fresh clash with police.

The unrest started spreading across Turkey late last month with protestors battling police.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered a speech in the capital Ankara on Thursday. He said the government is at the end of its patience.

Despite his ultimatum, thousands of demonstrators remained in the square and the adjoining park through the night.

Representatives of the protestors say they will meet the prime minister in Ankara on Thursday night to avert another violent clash. But it remains to be seen whether the talks offer any breakthrough.

Jun. 13, 2013 - Updated 22:47 UTC

there is a video in the link, worth seeing if your fallowing this

reply to post by bekod


Has America even made a statement addressing this issue?

Even though the PM of Turkey Edrogen just got back late last month from a trip to the WH.

I wonder what their stance would be on this protest with the Political storm arising in Washington?

Think we lost stu?

reply to post by whatzshaken
nothing of importance, been looking for news of this , WH statements or something yet nothing. could be avoiding the issue.

the only new update is this:
www.google.com... from the link

Turkey PM urges end to Istanbul park protest 'tonight'

By Michelle Fitzpatrick (AFP) – 2 hours ago

ISTANBUL — Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday appealed to protesters to evacuate an Istanbul park "by tonight", after promising to suspend the site's redevelopment in a bid to end two weeks of deadly anti-government unrest.

A day after giving a "last warning" to thousands of defiant demonstrators camping out in Gezi Park, Erdogan adopted a softer tone, telling protesters their message had been received.

His concession to halt the park project marked the first easing of tensions in the standoff, which has presented the Islamic-rooted government with the biggest challenge of its decade-long rule and earned it criticism from the West.

"I hope it will be over by tonight," Erdogan said in a speech broadcast on live television.

"Young people, you have remained there long enough and delivered your message.... Why are you staying?"

A peaceful sit-in to save Gezi Park's 600 trees from being razed prompted a brutal police response on May 31, spiralling into nationwide outpourings of anger against Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), seen as increasingly authoritarian.

After talks with an umbrella group of protesters called Taksim Solidarity, Erdogan agreed to suspend the project while waiting for a court ruling on its legality.

If the redevelopment is deemed legal, he wants to offer a referendum on the redevelopment plans.

Taksim Solidarity, seen as the group most representative of the protesters, said it welcomed the premier's gesture and would meet with demonstrators occupying the park on Friday evening to discuss the next move.

"The positive outcome from tonight is the prime minister's explanation that the project will not continue before the final court decision," said Tayfun Kahraman, a spokesman for Taksim Solidary.

The group has responded more coolly to Erdogan's other proposal to hold a referendum on the proposed reconstruction of Ottoman-era military barracks in Gezi Park.

"We did not suffer through the attacks... so that a referendum could take place," they said in a statement on Thursday.

According to the Turkish Medical Association (TBB), nearly 7,500 people have been injured and four killed in the nationwide unrest, which has seen police use tear gas and rubber bullets on demonstrators who have hurled back fireworks and Molotov cocktails.

The same group said Friday that Turkey's health ministry had opened an inquiry into the volunteers who have provided first aid in makeshift clinics to protesters injured in the clashes.

The body was told to "immediately" give up the names of the medical workers and their patients, said TBB spokesman Osman Ozturk, who vowed not to give up "a single name".

There was no immediate reaction from the government.

Inside Gezi Park, many campers, most of whom are young and middle-class, said they were determined to stay despite the government's olive branch to suspend the redevelopment project, stressing that the protest had morphed into something bigger.

"We're not satisfied and this is not about this park only," said Kivanch K., a pianist who has in recent days been entertaining demonstrators in nearby Taksim Square, a much quieter protest site after a heavy police intervention earlier this week.

"Of course it started as an environmentalist protest, but this is about much more than a park. It's about a nation's identity," the 39-year-old told AFP.

Opponents accuse Erdogan of forcing conservative Islamic values on Turkey, a mainly Muslim but staunchly secular nation, and of pushing big urban development projects at the expense of local residents.

While opposition to the premier is intense, the 59-year-old has been in power since 2002 and remains the country's most popular politician.

His AKP has won three elections in a row and took nearly half the vote in 2011, having presided over strong economic growth in the country of 76 million people.

The United States and other Western allies have widely condemned Erdogan's handling of the crisis, which has undermined Turkey's image as model of Islamic democracy.

Despite the criticism, Germany said Friday that Turkey's crackdown on protesters had no direct bearing on Ankara's aspiration to join the European Union.

"There is no direct link between the events in Turkey and the technical process of accession negotiations of the country to the EU," foreign ministry spokesman Andreas Peschke said.

NATO member Turkey has long sought to join the 27-member EU, but efforts have stalled in recent years, in particular over the country's human rights record.

Watchdogs say Turkey is the world's leading jailer of journalists, with 49 reporters behind bars as of December 2012. Erdogan also stands accused of using the courts to silence political critics, with dozens of lawyers and lawmakers also in detention accused of plotting against the government.

well this needs to have an eye kept on it for it might become more violent as the day goes on, we need to see what happens by tonight.

if you just glanced at it then you might have missed what i have been saying form the article

"We're not satisfied and this is not about this park only," said Kivanch K., a pianist who has in recent days been entertaining demonstrators in nearby Taksim Square, a much quieter protest site after a heavy police intervention earlier this week.

"Of course it started as an environmentalist protest, but this is about much more than a park. It's about a nation's identity," the 39-year-old told AFP.

An inside look as to what is really going on in Turkey english.alarabiya.net... form the link , a long read but worth it

Turkey’s response to the EU: ‘sorry, wrong number’
Saturday, 15 June 2013
Ceylan Ozbudak

Ironic isn’t it that on Thursday the people of Turkey woke up to a report from the European Parliament criticizing the Turkish government on how they handled the protests in Istanbul? And the response of Prime Minister Erdogan and Egemen Bağış, the country’s chief negotiator basically said “sorry you have the wrong number. There is no member nation here. Would you like us to patch you through to Greece?”

We know Turkey has been witnessing protests for the past two weeks centered in Istanbul’s Taksim Square. Police used tear gas and water cannons to break up the protests. In a resolution adopted in Strasbourg, the European Parliament expressed its deep concern at what it called “the disproportionate and excessive use of force by Turkish police to break up peaceful and legitimate protests.”
Hypocritical judgment

Firstly, Turkey is not a European Union country, and therefore is immune to any disciplinary condemnation from the Union’s Parliament. And secondly, the European Union, which urged the Turkish authorities to respect the rights of all citizens to freedom of expression, is known to use more harsh methods on their own protestors. Just last Wednesday, while I was discussing Turkish protests on BBC radio, I was amazed my host began his own analysis of our own situation in Turkey with a presupposition that “our police don’t use tear gas.”Technically he was right, because when a small group of peaceful G8 protestors in London disregarded police orders to disperse that very same day, they were beaten with batons, and were taken into custody, face down on the ground. Therefore, no, there was no need for tear gas.

Environmental or city planning issues have been pushed aside as the protests have been guided to a darker place and rebranded as a stage for Socialist advocacy to reemerge

Ceylan Ozbudak

What about March 2011, when the famous “March for the Alternative” broke out in Trafalgar Square? The protest included between a quarter to a half million British subjects who were protesting a political issue well within the realm of traditionally protected freedom of expression. When the affair crossed the line from peaceable speech to vandalism and violence, the British government deployed mounted police, who beat back the protestors and arrested 3,100. Between 2010-2012 the well-known Greek riots took place all across Greece, which led to an investigation about Greek police using expired and carcinogenic chemical substances, an investigation which is still under way. The same happened in other European countries such as Spain. I can’t recall any call from the European Parliament on the measures taken by the police in these countries against their peaceful protestors.


But are we really talking about peaceful protestors? Nationwide, 89 police vehicles, 42 private vehicles, 22 buses, 94 shops and 1 apartment were vandalized by these “peaceful” protestors. Rather than calling for the protestors to stop violently attacking public property, the European Parliament decided to call on the Turkish government to stop intervening in the protests. Admittedly, Western media coverage created a different public opinion. It appears that the same DHKP-C which the EU and the U.S. reckoned as a Marxist-Leninist terrorist organization after bombing the American Embassy on Feb. 2 this year, has suddenly been recast as “right-seeking protestors” when they started throwing petrol bombs and Molotov cocktails at Turkish police. I missed whatever happened in the interim. Of course, there has always been peaceful protestors in Taksim square right from the very beginning but it’s no secret that the protests were hijacked by communist factions, terror organizations, and opposition groups.
The romantic notion of ‘freedom’

I understand that especially in Europe and the U.S., groups of people protesting against the government saying they want “freedom” has been a very romantic subject for the last few years. Stories of tyrants being vanquished and their oppressed subjects having the opportunity to establish a democratic government have been a progressive step forward for the Arab world. This narrative doesn’t apply to Turkey. For the better part of the late 20th century, Turkey was a country of chaos and at times, significant oppression. However, since the dawn of the 21st century, under AK Party leadership, Turkey has been reborn as a nation of progress and prosperity, with aspirations toward the best ideals of democracy and freedom. Within the last decade, our “tyrant” has given Turkey a functioning, independent judiciary, 206 new dams, heavy investment in education with 35.000 new teachers, and a fiscal position which is the envy of the Eurasian continent. At the same time, his administration has transformed Turkey into a regional energy and air transport hub. Add to that 900,000 hectares of newly forested land. Since 2003, the Turkish economy has seen a three-fold increase, to three quarters of a trillion dollars in total GDP. I understand the eager hearts of our posh protestors and I like a party as much as they do, but I’m just not feeling this whole “man the barricades” thing this year. Not on this record.

Surely, economic progress is not the same as the protection of human rights. So let’s look at the stance the government has taken in reference to these protests.

What was the provocation of these protests? The protestors wanted reconstruction of the park to be stopped; they wanted to meet with the deputy prime minister, the prime minister, and with the governor. They got all they asked for. The AKP has recommended a referendum to decide whether the park stays or goes. It won’t be legally binding, but the prime minister has promised to respect the outcome. We all hold up Switzerland as a paragon of democracy because the Swiss hold referenda about every little decision they make. Somehow it’s not enough for the European Parliament this week when Turkey does exactly the same.
Understanding the situation

While it is certainly not wrong for a portion of the population to ask for their voices to be heard, it is important for both the world outside Turkey, as well as those within, to understand the ramifications of the current demonstrations if they are allowed to continue in this manner. What began as a peaceful protest has turned into a violent one, fuelled by communist parties and their like-minded entourage. Environmental or city planning issues have been pushed aside as the protests have been guided to a darker place and rebranded as a stage for Socialist advocacy to reemerge. Peaceful, legitimate, political activity has been co-opted by far left opportunists and transormed into a violent episode which threatens the stability of Turkey’s constituent social institutions. That is not anymore acceptable for Istanbul than for London, Athens, or Madrid.

Certainly the protesters did not understand the full ramifications of their actions when they took to the streets to petition for their demands. Perhaps if they had known their actions would trigger violent actions and reactions from the communist groups, would damage the economy in such a deep way at such an important juncture, and throw into doubt any role Turkey has in bringing about a resolution to the Syrian conflict, the Palestinian issue, and as a democracy model in the Middle East, perhaps they would have explored other avenues to air their demands. If they knew this would be instrumental in the Dublin Socialist Party MEP Paul Murphy’s new crusade on Turkey, whose fathers were saved from starvation in Ireland by Turks when the Sultan Abdulmecid sent Drogheda Harbor three ships of food and 1000 Pounds. A letter in the Ottoman archives of Turkey, written by Irish notables explicitly thanks the Sultan for his help despite British administration trying to block the ships. Hindsight is a view no one has until it is of little use.

Few could have expected these events to have such a profound impact on so many political issues inside and outside Turkey and this can lead the European Parliament to look at the events with a biased perspective. The call to democracy is always welcomed in Turkey but double standards and threats never paid back in our politics. While the European media is eagerly waiting for the European Parliament report to arrive in Turkey to see the reaction in Turkish Parliament, I can give you a quick foresight to the response from Turkey: “Please return to sender.”



______________________

Ceylan Ozbudak is a Turkish political analyst, television presenter, and executive director of Building Bridges, an Istanbul-based NGO. She can be followed on Twitter via @ceylanozbudak

so yes it is more than just a protest about some trees and a park.

Protesters refuse to leave www3.nhk.or.jp... from the link

Turkey protesters refuse to leave Istanbul park

Turkish protesters say they will continue their campaign against a government plan to redevelop a park in Istanbul despite a warning by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for them to leave the park.

Representatives of Taksim Solidarity said in a statement on Saturday that the protesters refuse to leave Taksim Square and an adjacent park in central Istanbul.

Taksim Solidarity is an umbrella group for protesters who have been holding rallies against the redevelopment for more than 2 weeks.

The statement said the government is trying to divide and provoke the protesters and damage their legitimacy.

Representatives of the group met the prime minister in the capital Ankara on Friday.

Erdogan agreed to suspend work on part of the development project and called on the demonstrators to withdraw from the park.

Erdogan met the representatives after he issued what he called a final warning to the protesters on Thursday.

He has not ruled out the use of force to end the protest.

Jun. 15, 2013 - Updated 13:11 UTC

and yet it seems as if this is a rerun of Egypt

Protesters evicted from park www3.nhk.or.jp... from the link

Police evict protestors from Istanbul park

In Turkey, riot police forcibly removed anti-government protestors from a park in central Istanbul on Saturday night.

Riot police used tear gas and water cannons as the protestors fled from the park. The police also removed tents and the protestors' other belongings. Local authorities say 44 people were wounded.

The operation came only 2 hours after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking at a rally of his supporters in the capital Ankara, warned the protestors to clear the area.

The rally, organized by the ruling Justice and Development Party, was attended by tens of thousands of people who gathered to show their support for Erdogan.

The prime minister told the crowd that his party promoted economic growth. He stressed his party won the election and has legitimacy, and said no one can oust the party members from power.

Erdogan said he cannot put up with the protestors' game any longer. He said if they don't clear out of Taksim Square and the adjacent park, security forces know how to clear the areas.

But some young people in Ankara protested the actions of the riot police after the news of the eviction broke.

Jun. 15, 2013 - Updated 21:22 UTC

does this not remind you of the first days of the Egypt revolt? It does me.

bbc

Fresh unrest has erupted in Ankara and Istanbul, with police firing tear gas and water cannon amid continuing anti-government protests.

The unrest flared as PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan's supporters gathered for a huge show of strength in Istanbul.

Referring to the police action to clear Istanbul's Taksim Square of protesters, he said it was his "duty as PM".

Two major trade union groups have called a one-day nationwide strike for Monday in protest at police violence.

Baki Cinar, a spokesman for one of the groups, Kesk, told Agence France-Presse news agency: "Our demand is for police violence to end immediately."

Selin Girit

BBC News, Istanbul

Istanbul looks like a divided city more than ever. In Kazlicesme, PM Erdogan addressed thousands of AKP supporters under the banner "Let's ruin this big plot"; while on the roads leading to Taksim Square, thousands are marching, protesting or clashing with the police.

Taksim and Gezi Park are completely cordoned off by the police. Only journalists are allowed in. On a road just off the square, police warned protesters carrying a banner saying: "Happy Father's Day Tayyip" to disperse and soon intervened with tear gas. Reports of clashes, sirens of ambulances from time-to-time - it's been the same cat-and-mouse game for days. Protesters gather, police intervene, protesters disperse, police withdraw, protesters gather again in bigger numbers.

Mr Erdogan has been criticised for not being able to handle this crisis, that his defiant speeches and heavy-handed approach have increased the tension. As the PM addresses tens of thousands and activists call for a million to gather in Taksim, it looks like Istanbul is awaiting another rough night.

It has now spread to Ankara where there is a military air base which would be use along with the American bases
Incirlik and Izmir in brining in weapons for the rebels.

These protest and the manner in which they are dealt with will play an integral part in the Syrian conflict.

The more attention this matter receives along with America vested interest in Syria while being in the area with troops, will only call for Obama to make his opinion of this matter more relevant and public.

Of course he would like to say mum on this matter because if he supports the protesters, what will he do with the American Millions who wish him out of office?

If he condemns the protesters he looks like a duck and walks like a duck. Substitute duck for tyrant.

The Longer and more attention this protest receives will detrimentally contribute in the destruction of the west, enlightenment of the people, and freedom for those who seek and justice for those who oppose it.

rt

16:36 GMT: Five Turkish trade unions, including the 240,000 member strong public sector union confederation KESK, have announced they would call a nationwide strike for Monday in protest of police violence at Taksim.

“KESK members will go to their workplaces tomorrow, they will read a statement, and they will take to the streets,” KESK General Secretary Ismail Hakkı Tombul said.

Trade unions are expecting hundreds of thousands to take to the streets, using their “power of production,” Hakkı Tombul said.

WOOWZERS.

Gezi Park has been “cleared and handed back to its people,” the Prime Minister said. “Real environmentalists” are now at work in Gezi, planting flowers, he added.

plant flowers to cut down tress to build a shopping center. great leader, even better logic and reason give him the moron war prize