İstanbul Bar Assosication states that "Police violence and terror against lawyers and people should be stopped immediatly." (İstanbul Bar Assosication)
Today violent protests took place in Ankara, İzmir and İstanbul, of which mostly by lawyers against the custody of 49 lawyers in Istanbul Çağlayan Courthouse due to the their support of Gezi Park protests. Erdoğan made statements about the protests at AKP group meeting.
Protests in Çağlayan Courthouse, İstanbul.
Çağlayan Courthouse, İstanbul.
Çağlayan Courthouse, İstanbul.
Çağlayan Courthouse, İstanbul
Çağlayan Courthouse, İstanbul. (NTV MSNBC)
Çağlayan Courthouse, İstanbul.
Lawyers protesting on İstiklal Street, İstanbul.
Lawyers in Taksim, İstanbul.
M. Fatih Sarıyıldız, riot police forces branch manager, texted his officers. His message states that the officers are writing a legend similar to the one accomplished in Çanakkale during the War of Liberation.
Galatasaray football club fans presenting a list of required items for the protesters.
Taksim Gezi Park in the morning.
Erdoğan stated following points in his party meeting.
- We have never been a political party which acts stubbornly to different parts of the society. We have 50% of the votes, but defined ourselves as the government party of 100%.
- We are listening to the sound of the street and have a deep research to understand the situation. We will consider the demands for the democratic rights and do empathy as we have done so far.
- Items in the public domain are damaged, public buses and bus stations are destroyed. People are bothered by horns, pots and pans and slogans until late hours of night. That was a pollution.
- They are telling that "the Prime Minister is increasing the tension, the Prime Minister is acting harsh." Are we supposed to beg on our knees for moving down the posters of Abdullah Öcalan [leader of PKK]? If you call this as harshness, excuse me, this is Tayyip Erdoğan and it will never ever change.
- I am calling out to the group of people whose ages are around 20-25 and have not experienced the Turkey's conditions before AKP. I love you, in the name of God. Dear young people, the opportunities that you have today, were not even imagened 10.5 years ago.
- How could the ones give an account for holding our girls from their scarfes and carrying them on the floor? They even carried the wife of a close friend of mine on the floor, even though she is 6 months pregnant. They harassed to her and her child.
- Do you know the news that I have from Gezi Park? Park reeks, I guess you assume what I mean. Those are done in the context of environmentalism. You would enter the Bezm-i Alem Valide Sultan Mosque with your shoes, you would drink alcohol there, show disrespectful behaviours against religious shrines, for what? For environment... You would threat the imam of the mosque, force him to speak differently. We have all the videos and we will give all of those to the press at Friday.
- Those events are the test for the press, non-governmental organizations, equity groups. It clarified who stays where for Turkey's economy and democracy.
AKP parliamenter İbrahim Yiğit critisized Erdoğan for his provocative attitude on the protests. (Milliyet)
CHP party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu stated that "What kind of an anger brings Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to this point? What would be your benefit by dividing this country? We founded this country with tears and pain and you try to divide it. You are the #1 provacator." (Radikal)
MHP party leader Devlet Bahçeli supported the protests by stating that "Gezi Park [project] is madness. It is a place symbolizing the people." (Radikal)
Taksim at night.
Taksim, İstanbul.
Yusuf Yerkel, an advisor of Erdoğan, questioning the Reuters, BBC, CNN for not reporting that much news about the incidents in London which resulted in 180 injuries and 560 custodies.
"I kiss youngsters from their eyes."
