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| Istanbul park protests: Police use tear gas to disperse demonstrators | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Istanbul's busiest hub resembled a battlefield on Friday when Turkish riot police deployed tear gas and water cannon against thousands of protesters seeking to preserve a city centre park. | Istanbul's busiest hub resembled a battlefield on Friday when Turkish riot police deployed tear gas and water cannon against thousands of protesters seeking to preserve a city centre park. |
| Following several days of dawn police raids on the protesters seeking to occupy a park on Taksim Square in the city centre, the clashes escalated violently on Friday, leaving more than 100 people injured, several of them seriously. | Following several days of dawn police raids on the protesters seeking to occupy a park on Taksim Square in the city centre, the clashes escalated violently on Friday, leaving more than 100 people injured, several of them seriously. |
| There was widespread criticism of the heavy-handed intervention and of the government of prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is committed to demolishing the park to erect a new shopping centre. | There was widespread criticism of the heavy-handed intervention and of the government of prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is committed to demolishing the park to erect a new shopping centre. |
| With the city centre metro closed and one of the busiest shopping and tourist areas of Istanbul groggy with tear gas, there were also warnings that the government's overreaction to what began as an environmental protest could turn more political. | With the city centre metro closed and one of the busiest shopping and tourist areas of Istanbul groggy with tear gas, there were also warnings that the government's overreaction to what began as an environmental protest could turn more political. |
| "They have declared war on us," said a shopkeeper in a back street of the district, as he handed out lemon juice to protesters. "This is out of all proportion." | "They have declared war on us," said a shopkeeper in a back street of the district, as he handed out lemon juice to protesters. "This is out of all proportion." |
| Ugur Tanyeli, an architecture historian, said: "The real problem is not Taksim, and not the park, but the lack of any form of democratic decision-making process and the utter lack of consensus. We now have a prime minister who does whatever he wants." | Ugur Tanyeli, an architecture historian, said: "The real problem is not Taksim, and not the park, but the lack of any form of democratic decision-making process and the utter lack of consensus. We now have a prime minister who does whatever he wants." |
| The protests started late on Monday after developers tore up trees to make way for the controversial construction project featuring a shopping centre in nostalgic Ottoman style and the duplication of an old military barracks previously sited there. | The protests started late on Monday after developers tore up trees to make way for the controversial construction project featuring a shopping centre in nostalgic Ottoman style and the duplication of an old military barracks previously sited there. |
| Police staged consecutive raids on protesters, using tear gas and water cannon, but the protests grew in scale, with the city's artists, intellectuals and opposition MPs joining the ranks. | Police staged consecutive raids on protesters, using tear gas and water cannon, but the protests grew in scale, with the city's artists, intellectuals and opposition MPs joining the ranks. |
| According to the Istanbul Medical Chamber, at least 100 people were injured during the police raids on Friday. Some sustained injuries when a wall they were trying to climb collapsed as they fled from the tear gas. At least seven people have been treated for head trauma. | According to the Istanbul Medical Chamber, at least 100 people were injured during the police raids on Friday. Some sustained injuries when a wall they were trying to climb collapsed as they fled from the tear gas. At least seven people have been treated for head trauma. |
| Sirri Süreyya Önder, an MP from the Kurdish BDP party, was taken to hospital after he was reportedly hit in the shoulder by a tear gas cartridge. | Sirri Süreyya Önder, an MP from the Kurdish BDP party, was taken to hospital after he was reportedly hit in the shoulder by a tear gas cartridge. |
| Despite the dramatic images from the centre of one of the world's great cities, the clashes attracted only scant attention from mainstream Turkish media and television, fuelling suspicion that the Erdoğan government was leaning on the media to ignore what some said had the potential to evolve into a serious challenge to the prime minister. | Despite the dramatic images from the centre of one of the world's great cities, the clashes attracted only scant attention from mainstream Turkish media and television, fuelling suspicion that the Erdoğan government was leaning on the media to ignore what some said had the potential to evolve into a serious challenge to the prime minister. |
| Amnesty International condemned the "use of excessive force" by police. | Amnesty International condemned the "use of excessive force" by police. |
| An MP from Erdoğan's governing AK party angered the protesters, tweeting: "It looks like some people needed gas." Sirin Ünal added: "If you go away, you will have a nice day. One has to obey the system." | An MP from Erdoğan's governing AK party angered the protesters, tweeting: "It looks like some people needed gas." Sirin Ünal added: "If you go away, you will have a nice day. One has to obey the system." |
| For many of the protesters, the park issue is the tip of the iceberg. Another mega building project, the construction of a new bridge spanning the Bosphorus, was launched this week, with Erdoğan dismissing public opinion. | For many of the protesters, the park issue is the tip of the iceberg. Another mega building project, the construction of a new bridge spanning the Bosphorus, was launched this week, with Erdoğan dismissing public opinion. |
| "They can do whatever they want," he said. "We've made our decision, and we will do as we have decided," he said. He defended the reconstruction of the Ottoman barracks as a matter of "respecting history". Opponents argue the project will destroy one of the last green spaces in central Istanbul for the sake of private profit. | "They can do whatever they want," he said. "We've made our decision, and we will do as we have decided," he said. He defended the reconstruction of the Ottoman barracks as a matter of "respecting history". Opponents argue the project will destroy one of the last green spaces in central Istanbul for the sake of private profit. |
| "How can you show respect for something that does not exist?" asked Tanyeli. "We don't even know what the barracks looked like exactly. To say that this project has anything to do with the reconstruction of a historical building is ridiculous. | "How can you show respect for something that does not exist?" asked Tanyeli. "We don't even know what the barracks looked like exactly. To say that this project has anything to do with the reconstruction of a historical building is ridiculous. |
| "We all know how starved Istanbul is for green space. It needs this park so much more than yet another shopping mall." | "We all know how starved Istanbul is for green space. It needs this park so much more than yet another shopping mall." |
| Several large retailers announced they would not open stores in the planned shopping centre. "I would not open a store in a place where blood has been shed," businessman Selami Sari told the Turkish press. | Several large retailers announced they would not open stores in the planned shopping centre. "I would not open a store in a place where blood has been shed," businessman Selami Sari told the Turkish press. |
| The park protests show signs of escalating into demonstrations against a prime minister who remains popular and dominates national politics, but is seen as increasingly authoritarian. | The park protests show signs of escalating into demonstrations against a prime minister who remains popular and dominates national politics, but is seen as increasingly authoritarian. |
| "Turkey is not doing well, not doing well at all," said Coskun Ince after several days protesting. "We have to fight for our rights, and now they deny us the few rights we still have." | "Turkey is not doing well, not doing well at all," said Coskun Ince after several days protesting. "We have to fight for our rights, and now they deny us the few rights we still have." |
| The protest was unusual in that it brought together young and old, the rightwing and leftists, and nationalist Turks and Kurds. They complained of issues beyond the planned shopping centre from government policy on the war in neighbouring Syria to new curbs on alcohol and a recent row about kissing in public. | The protest was unusual in that it brought together young and old, the rightwing and leftists, and nationalist Turks and Kurds. They complained of issues beyond the planned shopping centre from government policy on the war in neighbouring Syria to new curbs on alcohol and a recent row about kissing in public. |
| "We are fed up," said Cansu Kahvecioglu, a student. "They don't give us any breathing space anymore. The Gezi park was just the last straw that broke the camel's back." | "We are fed up," said Cansu Kahvecioglu, a student. "They don't give us any breathing space anymore. The Gezi park was just the last straw that broke the camel's back." |
| "Today is a turning point for the AKP," said Koray Caliskan, a political scientist at Istanbul's Bosphorus University. "Erdogan is a very confident and very authoritarian politician, and he doesn't listen to anyone anymore. But he needs to understand that Turkey is no kingdom, and that he cannot rule Istanbul from Ankara all by himself." | "Today is a turning point for the AKP," said Koray Caliskan, a political scientist at Istanbul's Bosphorus University. "Erdogan is a very confident and very authoritarian politician, and he doesn't listen to anyone anymore. But he needs to understand that Turkey is no kingdom, and that he cannot rule Istanbul from Ankara all by himself." |
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