Protests heat up again in Turkey

  • 11 years ago
Some minor disturbances overnight in Turkey's capital Ankara after a court ordered the arrest of 22 people for organizing three weeks of demonstrations.

The protests started earlier this month over plans to develop a park in Istanbul into a shopping mall.

But they gained momentum over what critics called Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's growing authoritarianism.

In Istanbul overnight, protesters played cat and mouse with riot police as some stood defiantly in front of water cannons.

Prime Minister Erdogan told supporters Saturday night the weeks of protests have played into the hands of Turkey's enemies.

There have been four deaths and nearly 5000 people injured since the start of the demonstrations.

Recommended