Tag Archives: government

What is happening in Istanbul?: International intellectuals call on the Turkish government to desist from its repression of popular protest

We deplore the recent crackdown of the Turkish government on its own citizens, the clearly unjustified use of tear gas, acts of force, gas canisters and smoke bombs that have resulted in a vast number of injuries, imperiling the lives of those who seek to exercise their basic freedoms of assembly and protest.  This assault of the Turkish government on [...] → Read the full article…

Bloomberg: Erdogan defies Turkish protesters in show of mass backing – Selcan Hacaoglu and Ali Berat Meric

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan returned to Turkey early today with a message of defiance for demonstrators gathered in the country’s two biggest cities, saying the government won’t turn a blind eye to “vandalism and illegality.” Thousands of supporters welcomed Erdogan at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport after 2 a.m. as he returned from a four-day trip to North Africa, the first [...] → Read the full article…

The Telegraph: Turkey protesters celebrate after police leave Istanbul square

Thousands of protesters celebrated early on Sunday after police withdrew from Istanbul’s Taksim Square, the focal point of nationwide protests against Turkey’s Islamist-rooted government. The government, while acknowledging some excesses by police in two days of clashes, called on the demonstrators to leave the streets after protests in 48 cities. Rights groups denounced police violence, with Amnesty International saying that [...] → Read the full article…