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Turkish protesters pack Taksim Square as police withdraw | Turkish protesters pack Taksim Square as police withdraw |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Police in the Turkish city of Istanbul have pulled out of a square which has become the focus of the largest anti-government protest in years. | Police in the Turkish city of Istanbul have pulled out of a square which has become the focus of the largest anti-government protest in years. |
Thousands of people are in Taksim Square after days of unrest sparked by plans to redevelop nearby Gezi Park. | Thousands of people are in Taksim Square after days of unrest sparked by plans to redevelop nearby Gezi Park. |
In recent days police have fired tear gas and water cannon several times to break up the demonstrations. | In recent days police have fired tear gas and water cannon several times to break up the demonstrations. |
PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan said police may have used excessive force but that the park development will go ahead. | |
An administrative court had ordered a temporary halt to the demolition work on Friday, but in a defiant speech to the exporters' union on Saturday, Mr Erdogan said an Ottoman era military barracks on the Gezi Park site would be rebuilt on the site as planned. | |
Referring to protesters fears that the site was destined to be a shopping mall, he said one "might be built on the ground floor or a city museum" but that this had not yet been decided. | |
He called for an end to the protests, saying Taksim Square "cannot be an area where extremists are running wild". | |
Police 'mistakes' | Police 'mistakes' |
The protesters say the park is one of the few green spaces left in Istanbul, and that the government is ignoring their appeals for it be saved. | The protesters say the park is one of the few green spaces left in Istanbul, and that the government is ignoring their appeals for it be saved. |
Their protests initially began as a sit-in in the park, but erupted in clashes on Friday as police fired tear gas to try to clear them out. | Their protests initially began as a sit-in in the park, but erupted in clashes on Friday as police fired tear gas to try to clear them out. |
Correspondents say that what was initially a local issue has spiralled into widespread anti-government unrest and anger over the perceived "Islamisation" of Turkey. | Correspondents say that what was initially a local issue has spiralled into widespread anti-government unrest and anger over the perceived "Islamisation" of Turkey. |
One woman told Agence France-Presse: "They want to turn this country into an Islamist state, they want to impose their vision all the while pretending to respect democracy." | One woman told Agence France-Presse: "They want to turn this country into an Islamist state, they want to impose their vision all the while pretending to respect democracy." |
Another, Oral Goktas, said the protest had brought together people from many different backgrounds objecting to the prime minister's leadership. | |
"This has become a protest against the government, against Erdogan taking decisions like a king," she told Reuters news agency. | "This has become a protest against the government, against Erdogan taking decisions like a king," she told Reuters news agency. |
The perception that police have been heavy-handed by firing tear gas and water cannon - a view adopted by many of the country's mainstream media - also fuelled the unrest. Dozens of people have been injured in the clashes. | |
Turkey's Hurriyet newspaper quoted police as saying 138 people were in custody. | Turkey's Hurriyet newspaper quoted police as saying 138 people were in custody. |
Mr Erdogan said there had been "some mistakes, extremism in police response", while the authorities have insisted that any allegations of abuse of power by the police will be investigated. | Mr Erdogan said there had been "some mistakes, extremism in police response", while the authorities have insisted that any allegations of abuse of power by the police will be investigated. |
In an apparent bid to reduce tensions, police and riot vehicles were withdrawn from the square on Saturday afternoon, and barricades removed, allowing thousands of people to enter the square. | In an apparent bid to reduce tensions, police and riot vehicles were withdrawn from the square on Saturday afternoon, and barricades removed, allowing thousands of people to enter the square. |
The scene in the central square appeared to be peaceful, with protesters chanting slogans, dancing and waving banners, some calling for the government to resign. | The scene in the central square appeared to be peaceful, with protesters chanting slogans, dancing and waving banners, some calling for the government to resign. |
However clashes continued in the Besiktas district of the city. | |
The BBC's Ben Thompson in the city said police were using tear gas and water cannon near the Shangri-la hotel to hold back protesters, who had in turn built a barricade across the main street. | |
Some people were digging up cobble stones to throw at police lines, our correspondent said. | |
There were reports of further clashes in front of the prime minister's office. | |
Foreign concern | Foreign concern |
Mr Erdogan has been in power since 2002 and some in Turkey have complained that his government is becoming increasingly authoritarian. | Mr Erdogan has been in power since 2002 and some in Turkey have complained that his government is becoming increasingly authoritarian. |
His ruling AK Party has its roots in political Islam, but he says he is committed to Turkey's state secularism. | His ruling AK Party has its roots in political Islam, but he says he is committed to Turkey's state secularism. |
The US has expressed concern over Turkey's handling of the protests and Amnesty International condemned the police's tactics, saying: "The use of violence by police on this scale appears designed to deny the right to peaceful protest altogether and to discourage others from taking part>" | The US has expressed concern over Turkey's handling of the protests and Amnesty International condemned the police's tactics, saying: "The use of violence by police on this scale appears designed to deny the right to peaceful protest altogether and to discourage others from taking part>" |
In his speech, Mr Erdogan criticised the "preaching" of foreign governments, saying they "should first look at their own countries". | In his speech, Mr Erdogan criticised the "preaching" of foreign governments, saying they "should first look at their own countries". |
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