Turkey govt. warns it may use army to quell unrest
Iran Press TV
Mon Jun 17, 2013 2:16PM GMT
The government of Turkey says it may bring in the army to end the nationwide anti-government protests as tension between the riot police and demonstrators escalates.
Police "will use all their powers" to end the unrest, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said in a televised interview on Monday, adding, "If this is not enough, we can even utilize the Turkish armed forces in cities."
Turkish police arrested 500 people during anti-government protests in the capital city of Ankara, and Istanbul on Monday and continued to spray tear gas and water at clusters of demonstrators.
Clashes between the riot police and protesters have intensified after the weekend eviction of protesters occupying Istanbul's Gezi Park.
Turkey's army, has which staged four coups in 50 years, has stayed silent throughout the turmoil, making it the first time in the country's modern history that it has not intervened in a major political crisis.
Meanwhile, two of Turkey's main trade unions are holding a nationwide strike in protest at a police raid on the protester.
The strike by Turkish union confederations, DISK and KESK, comes a day after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan defended his crackdown on protesters.
"Our demand is for police violence to end immediately," Baki Cina, a spokesman for KESK said on Sunday.
On Saturday night, police stormed the protest camp in the park, firing tear gas and using water cannons to disperse thousands of protesters defying Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s order to leave.
The unrest in Turkey erupted after police broke up a sit-in staged at Taksim Square on May 31 to protest against a government plan for the redevelopment of Gezi Park.
Five people, including a police officer, have reportedly died in the clashes and nearly 7,500 have been injured.
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