Erdogan accuses Turkish main opposition of provoking protests
Source: Agencies |
June 3, 2013, Monday
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PRIME Minister Tayyip Erdogan accused Turkey's main secular opposition party yesterday of stirring a wave of anti-government protests, as tens of thousands regrouped in Istanbul and Ankara after a lull and trouble flared again in the capital.
Police used tear gas on protesters in Ankara but the clashes were relatively minor compared with major violence in Turkey's biggest cities on the previous two days.
Calling the protesters "a few looters," Erdogan said he would press ahead with redeveloping Istanbul's Taksim Square, a project which provoked the demonstrations that have widened into a broader show of defiance against his Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party.
Erdogan singled out the Republican People's Party (CHP - the Turkish initials of the party) - set up in 1924 by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk who founded Turkey's modern secular state - for attack over a dispute he saw as ideological.
"We think that the main opposition party which is making resistance calls on every street is provoking these protests," Erdogan said on television.`
Turkey's fiercest anti-government unrest for years erupted when trees were torn down at a park in Taksim Square under government plans to construct a new mosque and rebuild a replica Ottoman-era barracks.
"This reaction is no longer about the ripping out 12 trees. This is based on ideology," said Erdogan, whose conservative vision for the nation has angered more liberal Turks. Referring to the planned mosque, he added: "Obviously I will not ask for permission for this from the head of CHP or a few looters."
Tens of thousands gathered yesterday after a calmer night in the square, which saw two days of clashes between protesters and riot police backed by armored vehicles and helicopters.
The atmosphere was more festive with some chanting for Erdogan to resign and others singing and dancing. There was little obvious police presence.
In Ankara's downtown Kizilay district, however, police used tear gas after a few thousand people chanted anti-government slogans and blocked traffic.
Rain yesterday kept the crowds away from Taksim Square initially, but this did not dampen the spirit of the protesters whose numbers later swelled.
Yesterday, Erdogan addressed critics who called him a "dictator".
"We have carried Turkey into a new era ... If they call someone who is a servant of his country, then I have nothing to say to them," he said.
Police used tear gas on protesters in Ankara but the clashes were relatively minor compared with major violence in Turkey's biggest cities on the previous two days.
Calling the protesters "a few looters," Erdogan said he would press ahead with redeveloping Istanbul's Taksim Square, a project which provoked the demonstrations that have widened into a broader show of defiance against his Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party.
Erdogan singled out the Republican People's Party (CHP - the Turkish initials of the party) - set up in 1924 by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk who founded Turkey's modern secular state - for attack over a dispute he saw as ideological.
"We think that the main opposition party which is making resistance calls on every street is provoking these protests," Erdogan said on television.`
Turkey's fiercest anti-government unrest for years erupted when trees were torn down at a park in Taksim Square under government plans to construct a new mosque and rebuild a replica Ottoman-era barracks.
"This reaction is no longer about the ripping out 12 trees. This is based on ideology," said Erdogan, whose conservative vision for the nation has angered more liberal Turks. Referring to the planned mosque, he added: "Obviously I will not ask for permission for this from the head of CHP or a few looters."
Tens of thousands gathered yesterday after a calmer night in the square, which saw two days of clashes between protesters and riot police backed by armored vehicles and helicopters.
The atmosphere was more festive with some chanting for Erdogan to resign and others singing and dancing. There was little obvious police presence.
In Ankara's downtown Kizilay district, however, police used tear gas after a few thousand people chanted anti-government slogans and blocked traffic.
Rain yesterday kept the crowds away from Taksim Square initially, but this did not dampen the spirit of the protesters whose numbers later swelled.
Yesterday, Erdogan addressed critics who called him a "dictator".
"We have carried Turkey into a new era ... If they call someone who is a servant of his country, then I have nothing to say to them," he said.
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