Istanbul protests on razing trees

Istanbul protests on razing trees,Two people killed in the demonstration

Police use a water cannon to disperse protestors near the Taksim Gezi park in Istanbul after clashes with riot police, on June 1, 2013, during a demonstration against the demolition of the park (AFP Photo / Gurcan Ozturk)

Confronted with the growing street opposition, Erdogan remained defiant, demanding that protesters “stop their demonstrations immediately.”

“Police were there yesterday, they’ll be on duty today and also tomorrow because Taksim Square cannot be an area where extremists are running wild,” the PM warned.
In two days about 939 people have been detained across the Turkey as part of “necessary security measures,” Turkish Interior Minister Muammer Güler said.
On Monday, several dozen activists tried to stage a sit-in in Gezi Park, the last area of green space left on Taksim Square, after several trees were torn up to make way for a commercial redevelopment. The heavy-handed tactics deployed by Turkish police have been viewed by demonstrators as a sign of the government’s increasingly authoritarian bent, with the park demonstration turning into a broader, nationwide protest against Erdogan’s government.Similar demonstrations have flared up around the country despite a court decision to temporarily halt demolition of the park.
Erdogan said that the Turkish Interior Ministry had launched an investigation into the use of excessive force by security forces. In a televised speech, the Turkish PM said police may have used tear gas excessively during their confrontation with protesters, although he insisted they did not represent the majority and were responsible for raising tensions.
However, protesters have countered the claim, saying the violent police crackdown is to blame for the recent unrest.
“This started simply as a peaceful sit-in to save a park, but it’s become one of the worst state attacks on protesters in recent memory — and a frightening example of the Turkish government’s growing eagerness to crack down on its own citizens,” an online petition demanding that Erdogan “End the crackdown now!” reads.
“The security forces have been individually targeting protesters to terrify, wound and kill us. 12 people have already suffered trauma injuries from gas canisters — one man died of heart attack, and hundreds are suffering from excessive gas inhalation,” it continues.
Protesters claim the clashes erupted after the police deployed armored cars and started firing gas at a peaceful demonstration, arresting both ralliers and passersby. Turkish police  fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse a massive demonstration against the demolition of a park in central Istanbul. The rally grew into a wider anti-government protest and is spreading across the country.At least two people were killed in the demonstrations in Turkey, At least two people were killed in the demonstrations in Turkey, Amnesty International said on Sunday. Over 1,000 protestors were injured. Most of them were hurt near Taksim Square in Istanbul, the focal point of the recent protest.
Turkey Prime Minister, Erdogan says protestors should go home, “If you bring 100,000, I’ll bring out a million.”He has also vowed to rebuild the Ottoman barracks. More than 90 demonstrations took place in 48 provinces of Turkey over two days, and 939 people have been detained across the country as part of “necessary security measures,” Turkish Interior Minister Muammer Güler said.

Violent anti-government protests that have engulfed Istanbul were triggered by plans to redevelop iconic Taksim Square in the heart of the city, a project that will involve razing some 600 trees in an adjoining park.
The plan includes building a replica of military barracks from the Ottoman Empire to house a cultural centre, but residents fear the area will in fact become a shopping district.
The Istanbul municipality, controlled by the Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) that has ruled Turkey since 2002, embarked on the ambitious project in November.
The plan aims to create a pedestrian zone around Taksim square, a traditional venue for rallies and protests as well as a popular tourist spot.
Work is under way to divert traffic leading to the busy central square from several directions into a tunnel, which officials say will beautify the tourist zone and keep the exhaust and noise of the city’s traffic congestion underground.
With 15 million inhabitants, Istanbul is plagued with chronic traffic gridlock on the European side of the city.
But critics say the giant scheme, touted as also giving historic Taksim a facelift, will turn the square into yet another soulless, concrete commercial zone.
The project has drawn criticism from architects, urban planners and ecologists, who see it as another example of anarchic urbanisation conceived for real estate developers with no consideration for the environment.
The Turkish government and the city recently launched a series of giant projects in Istanbul, including a third bridge across the Bosphorus and a third airport, which will be built in the midst of one of the last “green” zones.
Violence erupted Friday when protesters attempted to prevent workers from razing several trees in Gezi Park, which lies across from the square’s centrepiece, the monument to Ataturk, founder of modern, secular Turkey.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he will not abandon the plans despite the popular unrest, one of the biggest challenges his government has faced in its decade in power.
“We will rebuild the (Ottoman era military) barracks,” Erdogan said, though he added that it was unclear whether the new site will serve as a commercial centre.