Beco
I'm Not Your Guru
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Turkish PM calls for end to protests as clashes flare
ISTANBUL/ANKARA - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan called for an immediate end on Saturday to the fiercest anti-government demonstrations for years, as protesters clashed with riot police in Istanbul for a second day.
Erdogan vowed to push ahead with the redevelopment of the city's central Taksim Square, a plan which triggered the demonstrations, and said the issue was being used as an excuse to stoke tensions.
The protest at Taksim's Gezi Park started late on Monday after trees were torn up under the redevelopment plan, but has widened into a broader demonstration against Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Erdogan has overseen a transformation in Turkey during his decade in power, turning its economy from crisis-prone into Europe's fastest-growing, and remains by far the country's most popular politician.
'Excessive force'
But critics point to his authoritarianism and what they say is his government's meddling in private life. Tighter restrictions on alcohol sales and warnings against public displays of affection in recent weeks have led to protest. And many Turks are also concerned government policy means Turkey will be dragged into the conflict in Syria by the West.
Medics said close to 1,000 people were injured in the clashes in Istanbul on Friday, the fiercest anti-government demonstrations for years. Half a dozen lost eyes after being hit by gas canisters, the Turkish Doctors' Association said
ISTANBUL/ANKARA - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan called for an immediate end on Saturday to the fiercest anti-government demonstrations for years, as protesters clashed with riot police in Istanbul for a second day.
Erdogan vowed to push ahead with the redevelopment of the city's central Taksim Square, a plan which triggered the demonstrations, and said the issue was being used as an excuse to stoke tensions.
The protest at Taksim's Gezi Park started late on Monday after trees were torn up under the redevelopment plan, but has widened into a broader demonstration against Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Erdogan has overseen a transformation in Turkey during his decade in power, turning its economy from crisis-prone into Europe's fastest-growing, and remains by far the country's most popular politician.
'Excessive force'
But critics point to his authoritarianism and what they say is his government's meddling in private life. Tighter restrictions on alcohol sales and warnings against public displays of affection in recent weeks have led to protest. And many Turks are also concerned government policy means Turkey will be dragged into the conflict in Syria by the West.
Medics said close to 1,000 people were injured in the clashes in Istanbul on Friday, the fiercest anti-government demonstrations for years. Half a dozen lost eyes after being hit by gas canisters, the Turkish Doctors' Association said
