Turkey to go ahead with park project despite protests: Erdogan
Iran Press TV
Sat Jun 1, 2013 12:38PM GMT
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the government will not back away from a controversial park project despite massive anti-government protests in Istanbul and several other Turkish cities.
Erdogan made the remarks on Saturday as police fired tear gas to disperse anti-government protesters in Istanbul, who were trying to reach the city's iconic Taksim Square for a second day.
The Turkish Premier also called on protesters to "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," he added.
Erdogan then pledged to go ahead with the project to raze Gezi Park near Taksim Square and replace it with an Ottoman-era military barracks to be used as a shopping mall.
Thousands of people also took to the streets in other cities, including the capital Ankara, Izmir, Mugla and Antalya in support of the protesters in Istanbul.
In Ankara, police blocked a group of protesters from marching to the office of prime minister and the parliament.
According to Turkey's Dogan news agency, some 81 demonstrators were detained in Istanbul.
Reports also say that electricity and internet services were shut down in parts of the city as anti-government demonstrations continued.
The unrest turned into anti-government protests after police moved into Taksim on Friday in order to break up a sit-in protest against the razing of the park, wounding at least two dozen people.
The protesters say Gezi Park, which is a traditional gathering point for rallies and protests as well as a popular tourist destination, is the city's last green public space.
SAB/SS/SL
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