Arab Spring in Turkey?

On the fourth day of the rally of the people opposing opponents felling of trees due because of the construction of a shopping center in the Gezi Park in Istanbul, the local police took decisive actions, and used water cannons and tear gas against demonstrators. As a result, a sitting strike turned into riots and clashes with law enforcement officers, according to local Hurriyet Daily News.

The governor Huseyn Avni Mutlu said that 63 people were detained during the riots, and 12 people were hospitalized. One man underwent surgery; he was in intensive care ward. Others received minor injuries and will soon be discharged from hospital. One journalist has suffered from the tear gas, but now his health is normal.

One of the victims had surgery on his heart; the problems were due to gas poisoning, in addition, the doctors could not save his eye which was shot.  It is also reported, that a few politicians, journalists and even tourists also were injured. Police used water cannons indiscriminately, and even those who were peacefully having lunch in the park, were also disturbed. One eyewitness said: "This time they attacked so that to hurt us."

According to the Reuters agency, the number of wounded exceeded one hundred. The harm was caused not only the health of the protesters, even some residents of the nearby houses also were poisoned from gas.

It was planned to build in the Gazi Park not only a shopping center, but also a pedestrian zone and the traffic intersections in the underground tunnels.  The Turkish leaders are strongly concerned about riots, and the Interior Minister, Muammer Guler, told  about the beginning  a criminal investigation.

According  to "Euronews",  the demonstrations did not stop until late night, and the epicenter of the protests  was Taksim Square. Demonstrators began with  "environmental" slogans , and  then  passed to political slogans, and demanded the resignation of the government. Youth calls the government  of the  Prime Minister, Tayyip Erdogan, an authoritarian, and  discontent is growing   among the population.

In Ankara, where few people are aware of the restructuring  the Taksim District, thousands of people went to the streets in solidarity with the people of Istanbul.  As a result of clashes with police, more than 300  people in major cities of Turkey were  injured, and  dozens were detained.

The protests were held on Friday  in Izmir too. According to a number of politicians and public figures, the authorities' response to the demonstration is  excessive. Human rights groups say about the need to bring the police  officers to  justice for the use of gas against demonstrators.

These are not the first protests lately in the major cities of Turkey. In Istanbul on May 1 demonstration changed into riots, when tens of thousands of participants called  to restrict the power of the ruling party; and the law approved by the parliament  on banning advertising and restricting the sale of alcohol has added some fuel to the fire. -02В-