Thousands defy Turkish prime minister Erdogan's call to end unrest
Thousands of angry Turks took to the streets to join anti-government protests, defying Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's call to end the worst civil unrest of his decade-long rule.
Thousands of angry Turks took to the streets yesterday to join anti-government protests, defying Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's call to end the worst civil unrest of his decade-long rule.
Protesters blew whistles and waved flags in Istanbul's Taksim Square, the epicentre of the protests which erupted on May 31, while others brought blankets and food to settle in for the weekend at the adjoining Gezi Park.
The ruling Justice and Development party meanwhile held a lengthy meeting and Huseyin Celik, deputy chairman, said there was no plan for early elections as opposition demanded.
He said while the government would listen to "legitimate demands" from the people, elections would only take place as planned in 2015.
On Friday, Erdogan called for an immediate end to the protests, saying his Islamist-rooted government was open to "democratic demands" but insisting that the protests were "bordering on vandalism".
Turkey's trouble began when police cracked down heavily on a small campaign to save Gezi Park from demolition, spiralling into nationwide demos against Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP), seen as increasingly authoritarian.