Turkey's prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan rides out anger over mine disaster
Prime minister likely to weather storm over his reaction to pit tragedy, and aide's kicking of a protester, as he prepares to run for president
For a man with ambitions to become Turkey's first popularly elected president, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan appears to have done little to unite the country at a time of national tragedy.
He was heckled and one of his aides, Yusuf Erkel, was photographed kicking a protester this week as Erdogan visited the mining community of Soma, where almost 300 people died and scores remain trapped in the nation's worst mining disaster.
Erdogan expressed regret for the tragedy, but told a news conference in the town that it was the sort of incident that happened all over the world, putting on his glasses to read a list of mining accidents dating back 150 years in response to suggestions that Turkish regulation may have been at fault.
A video clip appeared to show him saying, "Come here and jeer at me!" as he walked through a hostile crowd in Soma, flanked by security guards. His car was kicked as it was driven away.
The left-wing newspaper Evrensel reported that Erdogan had punched or slapped a girl near a supermarket after she accused him of killing her father.
That moment was also caught on film. Another video apparently from the scene clearly shows his guards attacking a man.