Gezi Park to reopen: Istanbul governor
Iran Press TV
Fri Jun 28, 2013 8:52AM GMT
The governor of Turkey’s Istanbul says Gezi Park, which is the heart of anti-government protests, will reopen in a few days.
“The work will be completed within a few days, and the park will be open to public use,” the Turkish daily Hurriyet quoted Governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu as saying on Thursday.
The park is currently closed due to municipality work at its site.
Unrest in Turkey erupted on May 31 after police broke up a sit-in held at Istanbul’s iconic Taksim Square to protest against a government redevelopment plan for Gezi.
The Turkish protesters say Gezi Park, which is a traditional gathering point for rallies and demonstrations as well as a popular tourist destination, is one of Istanbul’s last green public spaces.
Four people, including a police officer, have died in clashes between protesters and police, and more than 5,000 demonstrators and 600 police officers have also been injured.
On Friday, Turkish police fired tear gas and used water cannon to disperse hundreds of anti-government demonstrators in the capital, Ankara.
The demonstrators, who were chanting slogans against the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, gathered at a square in central Ankara during the early hours of the day.
On June 25, Erdogan praised the “legendary heroism” of police forces in quelling the anti-government protests.
MR/HSN
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