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Turkey unrest: Fresh violence as PM Erdogan holds rally | |
(35 minutes later) | |
Police have fired tear gas and water cannon in Turkey's capital, Ankara, amid continuing anti-government unrest. | |
The unrest flared as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's supporters gathered for a show of strength on the edge of Istanbul. | |
Some 1,000 riot police from Turkish provinces have been flown in to Istanbul to try to curb the protests. | |
Police broke up a protest camp in the city's Taksim Square, the focal point of the unrest, on Saturday evening. | |
The protests began on 28 May against a plan to redevelop nearby Gezi Park, but snowballed into nationwide anti-government protests after the perceived high-handed response of the authorities under their three-term prime minister. | |
Medical officials estimate that 5,000 people have been injured and at least four killed since protests began. | Medical officials estimate that 5,000 people have been injured and at least four killed since protests began. |
Running battles | |
Police fired tear gas and water cannon to clear demonstrators in the capital's Kizilay Square on Sunday afternoon. | |
At least four people were injured. | |
Police earlier dispersed a memorial service in Ankara for a protester who died of injuries during a demonstration. | |
Activists have also been calling on protesters to return to Istanbul's city centre. | |
However, there is a tight police cordon at Taksim Square and there are bag searches and identity checks. | |
Witnesses say Saturday was one of the worst nights of unrest since Gezi Park was occupied 18 days ago. | |
Riot police fought running battles with protesters, driving them back with tear gas and water cannon. | |
The appearance of troopers from the country's gendarmerie, a military force under the control of the interior ministry in peacetime, jolted some demonstrators at the city's strategic Bosphorous Bridge. | The appearance of troopers from the country's gendarmerie, a military force under the control of the interior ministry in peacetime, jolted some demonstrators at the city's strategic Bosphorous Bridge. |
Clashes continued into Sunday morning in the streets around the square, eyewitnesses said. | |
Some 1,000 riot police have now arrived from regions as far away as Diyarbakir and Sirnak, media report, to try to curb the Istanbul unrest. | |
Riot police could be seen leaving the city's airport and getting on to coaches bound for the city. | |
At least 350 police on duty at the airport were also deployed to the city centre in case of possible clashes, Turkey's Dogan news agency reports. | At least 350 police on duty at the airport were also deployed to the city centre in case of possible clashes, Turkey's Dogan news agency reports. |
Erdogan rally | |
The rally in support of Mr Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted ruling party, the Justice and Development Party (AKP), is taking place in the Kazlicesme district on the edge of the city. | |
Mr Erdogan has agreed to postpone the redevelopment of Gezi Park while the courts consider the project's legality. | |
But he insisted the park had to be "evacuated" by the security forces. | But he insisted the park had to be "evacuated" by the security forces. |
He has also strongly denied opposition accusations that he is becoming increasingly authoritarian, pointing to the 50% of the vote he won in 2011 for his third term of office. | |
Istanbul's governor, Huseyin Avni Mutlu, said on Sunday the public would not be allowed in Taksim Square, adding that it would be "unhealthy" for protesters to try to gather. | |
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