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| Turkey government freezes Gezi Park project until ruling | Turkey government freezes Gezi Park project until ruling |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Turkish government says it has agreed to suspend redevelopment plans for an Istanbul park until a court ruling, after talks with protesters. | The Turkish government says it has agreed to suspend redevelopment plans for an Istanbul park until a court ruling, after talks with protesters. |
| The plan to rebuild an old barracks on Gezi Park has sparked Turkey's biggest anti-government protests in decades. | The plan to rebuild an old barracks on Gezi Park has sparked Turkey's biggest anti-government protests in decades. |
| A government spokesman said there would be no attempt to start the project until a court decided whether or not it was legal. | A government spokesman said there would be no attempt to start the project until a court decided whether or not it was legal. |
| If the court backed the government, the project would be put to a popular vote. | If the court backed the government, the project would be put to a popular vote. |
| 'Positive outcome' | |
| Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, held late-night talks in the capital Ankara with delegates from the Taksim Solidarity group. | Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, held late-night talks in the capital Ankara with delegates from the Taksim Solidarity group. |
| The negotiations came hours after he had delivered a "final warning" to the protesters to leave the park. | The negotiations came hours after he had delivered a "final warning" to the protesters to leave the park. |
| Tayfun Kahraman of the protest group Taksim Solidarity described the prime minister's pledge that the development would not continue before a final court decision as "a positive outcome" from Thursday night's talks. | Tayfun Kahraman of the protest group Taksim Solidarity described the prime minister's pledge that the development would not continue before a final court decision as "a positive outcome" from Thursday night's talks. |
| He said the protesters would evaluate the outcome of the meeting and would present their decision on Friday evening. | He said the protesters would evaluate the outcome of the meeting and would present their decision on Friday evening. |
| Five people have died and thousands have been injured since the protests began in Gezi Park on 31 May, spreading to the adjacent Taksim Square a day later and other cities across Turkey. | Five people have died and thousands have been injured since the protests began in Gezi Park on 31 May, spreading to the adjacent Taksim Square a day later and other cities across Turkey. |
| 'Authoritarian' | 'Authoritarian' |
| The contested park is a rare patch of green in Turkey's biggest city. | The contested park is a rare patch of green in Turkey's biggest city. |
| Last month, an Istanbul court issued an initial injunction against the plan to cut down trees in the park to make way for an 18th Century replica Ottoman-era military barracks and a shopping centre. The government has appealed against the ruling. | Last month, an Istanbul court issued an initial injunction against the plan to cut down trees in the park to make way for an 18th Century replica Ottoman-era military barracks and a shopping centre. The government has appealed against the ruling. |
| The project was the initial spark for the protests, which then broadened into anti-government demonstrations in several cities. | The project was the initial spark for the protests, which then broadened into anti-government demonstrations in several cities. |
| Protesters have accused Mr Erdogan's government of becoming increasingly authoritarian and of trying to impose conservative Islamic values on a secular state. | Protesters have accused Mr Erdogan's government of becoming increasingly authoritarian and of trying to impose conservative Islamic values on a secular state. |
| Government spokesman Huseyin Celik, from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), said that if the court ruled that the park could be developed, a vote would be held "to hear the people's opinions about the situation". | Government spokesman Huseyin Celik, from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), said that if the court ruled that the park could be developed, a vote would be held "to hear the people's opinions about the situation". |
| He said the park "should not be a place where people live for 24 hours," and that "the environmentalists should leave". | He said the park "should not be a place where people live for 24 hours," and that "the environmentalists should leave". |
| "We will ask everyone in Istanbul what they think. | "We will ask everyone in Istanbul what they think. |
| "Anyone who doesn't want a vote can't speak of democracy." | "Anyone who doesn't want a vote can't speak of democracy." |
| The BBC's correspondent in Istanbul, James Reynolds, says the Turkish government hopes that the understandings reached early on Friday will be enough to make the protesters leave the park. | The BBC's correspondent in Istanbul, James Reynolds, says the Turkish government hopes that the understandings reached early on Friday will be enough to make the protesters leave the park. |
| But on Friday morning, tents remained pitched and the occupation continues, he reports. | But on Friday morning, tents remained pitched and the occupation continues, he reports. |
| Protests in Taksim Square since 1 June | Protests in Taksim Square since 1 June |
| Patience 'at an end' | Patience 'at an end' |
| Mr Erdogan has taken a tough line on the protests, branding the demonstrators as "extremists" and "looters". He has said the unrest was being encouraged by foreign forces to undermine Turkey and its economy. | Mr Erdogan has taken a tough line on the protests, branding the demonstrators as "extremists" and "looters". He has said the unrest was being encouraged by foreign forces to undermine Turkey and its economy. |
| Speaking at a meeting of the AKP in Ankara earlier on Thursday, Mr Erdogan said: "Our patience is at an end. I am making my warning for the last time." | Speaking at a meeting of the AKP in Ankara earlier on Thursday, Mr Erdogan said: "Our patience is at an end. I am making my warning for the last time." |
| "I say to the mothers and fathers, please take your children in hand and bring them out," he added, going on to say that the park belonged not "to occupying forces but to the people." | "I say to the mothers and fathers, please take your children in hand and bring them out," he added, going on to say that the park belonged not "to occupying forces but to the people." |
| The police crackdown on protesters has drawn international concern, especially from Europe. | The police crackdown on protesters has drawn international concern, especially from Europe. |
| On Thursday, the European Parliament passed a non-binding resolution that "deplores the reactions of the Turkish Government and of Prime Minister Erdogan, whose unwillingness to take steps towards reconciliation, to apologise or to understand the reactions of a segment of the Turkish population have only contributed to further polarisation". | On Thursday, the European Parliament passed a non-binding resolution that "deplores the reactions of the Turkish Government and of Prime Minister Erdogan, whose unwillingness to take steps towards reconciliation, to apologise or to understand the reactions of a segment of the Turkish population have only contributed to further polarisation". |
| Mr Erdogan angrily dismissed the resolution shortly before it was passed. | Mr Erdogan angrily dismissed the resolution shortly before it was passed. |
| Also on Thursday, White House spokesman Jay Carney said the US expected Turkish authorities to uphold the "fundamental freedoms" of expression and assembly. | Also on Thursday, White House spokesman Jay Carney said the US expected Turkish authorities to uphold the "fundamental freedoms" of expression and assembly. |