Turkey moves to 'avoid further tensions'
Iran Press TV
Thu Jun 6, 2013 8:16AM GMT
Turkey's deputy prime minister has called on government supporters not to gather in large numbers at the airport receiving the country's Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan from a trip abroad to avoid further tensions.
"The prime minister does not need a show of power," Huseyin Celik said on Wednesday, explaining that the reason for his call was to avoid further tensions amid the recent anti-government protests.
Erdogan is expected back home on Thursday from a four-day visit to North Africa.
Turkish protesters have been demanding the resignation of the embattled Turkish premier, who said, before leaving his country, that the protests will have died down before he came back .
Demonstrations, however, continued, despite relative calm in some cities.
On Wednesday, thousands of protesters including union workers gathered near Kizilay Square in the capital city, Ankara, and clashed with riot police, who responded with tear gas, pepper spray and water cannon.
Since Friday, May 31, tens of thousands of anti-government protesters have held demonstrations in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Mugla, Antalya, and many other cities and towns.
At least three people have been killed in the course of the protests in the country.
The anti-government protests began after police broke up a sit-in staged in Istanbul's Taksim Square on Friday. The sit-in had been staged to protest government plans to "redevelop" Gezi Park.
The protesters say the park, which is a traditional gathering point for rallies and demonstrations as well as a popular tourist destination, is Istanbul's last green public space.
IA/HSN/HJL
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