Israel Matzav

Update from Istanbul's Taksim Park

For those of you who have not been watching my live feed from Istanbul's Taksim Park, the clashes between police and protesters are still going on. Here's an update.

"The police intervened to dismantle barricades," Mr. Mutlu said. "Some individuals have clashed with the police…. We are trying to normalize the scene in Taksim. We are not going to intervene in Gezi Park."

The governor said authorities "will not allow a siege" around the statue in the square of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of Turkey's republic, and a nearby cultural center, vowing not to allow protest material back around the statue.

"The Ataturk statue and cultural center have become like an advertisement board," he said. "It's very bad for the image of Turkey and Istanbul." The governor said authorities are committed "to be very careful and sensitive in handling the situation."

Forgive me for saying this Governor, but seeing riot police beat people and spray them with water canons and tear gas on my computer screen is much worse for the image of Istanbul and Turkey than a bunch of posters covering a statue. But then, what do I know? I've never been out of the airport in Istanbul anyway.

"We have been waiting for this to happen," said protester Ugur Hacan, a 24-year-old artistic director for TV series and movies, who was sleeping at the park with friends when police entered the square.

"As long as the police don't interfere with Gezi Park, the protests will continue. I believe more people might come after this action," Mr. Hacan said. He and three other friends at the park said police didn't confront the protesters directly.

Taksim Square subway was still functioning on Tuesday, and some commuters emerging from the metro were caught in the melee. "We need to talk rather than fight each other. I hope this can be resolved quickly," said Can Ozdemir, a hotel waiter, as his eyes streamed from the tear gas.

Speaking after a weekly cabinet meeting in Ankara Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said Mr. Erdogan would meet some demonstration representatives Wednesday and others at another time, without providing additional details.

 Remember what the Iranian election looked like in 2009? That's what the next Turkish election will look like...

Labels: Istanbul, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish Islamization, Turkish spring

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:32 PM