Anti-terrorism police units have arrested at least 30 people in early morning raids in Istanbul, accusing them of organising anti-government protests in Turkey’s largest city.

Those arrested were also accused of taking part in violence at the demonstrations, local media reported. The security forces searched more than 100 locations, including student dormitories, on Tuesday.

In June, the Turkish minister for EU affairs, Egemen Bagis, warned that police would consider protesters to be supporters or members of a terrorist organisation.

There were renewed demonstrations in Istanbul and other Turkish cities at the weekend, with police using water cannon, tear gas and plastic bullets against demonstrators, causing numerous injuries, according to activists.

Environmentalists opposed to plans to build a shopping mall and hotel in Istanbul’s Gezi Park staged protests in late May, which then widened into mass demonstrations against what many said were attempts by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to institute authoritarian Islamic rule.

The violent police response against unarmed protesters has drawn international condemnation.

16 July 2013
Source: dailytelegraph.com.au

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