Tuesday, 4 June 2013

Turkey Apologises To Protesters As Strike Starts

Sky News – 44 minutes ago
The Turkish government has apologised to people wounded in days of clashes and blamed police for sparking the initial clashes.
Clashes have continued in Istanbul, Ankara and other cities, as angry protesters voice their discontent with the 10-year rule of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Riot police fired tear gas and water cannon at demonstrators who set cars ablaze and hurled stones in a fifth day of anti-government rallies that have now claimed the lives of two people.
Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc this morning blamed police for sparking clashes after they fired tear gas at a demonstration to save a public park in Istanbul.
"I apologise to those who were subject to violence because of their sensitivity for the environment," he told a televised news conference.
He says Turkey's government "respects and is sensitive towards different lifestyles" and urged protesters to end the demonstrations.
"We expect all unions, political parties and everyone who loves and cares about Turkey to do this today," he said.
"That is what we expect from them."
Mr Erdogan had already admitted that "there have been some mistakes, extremism in police response". He promised that legal action would be taken against officers who acted disproportionately.
But so far Mr Erdogan - who is pushing ahead with a tour of North Africa - has largely dismissed the protests, insisting they did not represent a "Turkish Spring".
The attempts by the government to quell to violence comes as Turkey's public sector workers union - which has 240,000 members - started a two-day strike to protest against what they have condemned as "state terror" against the demonstrations.
The strike by the Confederation of Public Workers' Unions (KESK) is likely to affect schools, universities and public offices throughout the country.
A statement on its website said: "The state terror implemented against entirely peaceful protests is continuing in a way that threatens civilians' life safety."
The strike comes as a 22-year-old member of a youth political party became the latest victim of the violence after he was shot in protests in the southern city of Antakya.
It was not immediately clear who opened fire at the rally in the city near the Syrian border, the Hatay province governor's office says.
His death follows that of a 20-year-old man who died after a taxi slammed into a crowd in Istanbul on Monday. The government's office insisted the death was accidental.
The violence first erupted after the police crackdown on the peaceful rally in Istanbul against plans to build over Gezi Park, a rare green spot adjoining the city's main Taksim Square.
But they quickly mushroomed into broader protests in dozens of other cities by Turks who accuse the government of pushing conservative Islamic reforms.
Mr Erdogan's critics denounce what they say is his authoritarian approach to government.
The unrest delivered a blow to Turkish financial markets that have thrived under Mr Erdogan, with Turkey's stock exchange dropping 10.5% on Monday.
The Obama administration has voiced concern over the crackdown on protesters, urging authorities to exercise restraint.
Secretary of State John Kerry, who has traveled to Turkey three times since becoming America's top diplomat, said the US was following the situation closely and was troubled by reports of excessive force by the police.
The Foreign Office has advised British tourists to avoid the demonstrations. It also advises against all but essential travel to areas close to the Syrian border and warns of a "high threat" from terrorism.                      YAHOO NEWS
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