Turkey protests result in over 400 more arrests, government warns against more ‘illegal demonstrations’
Turkish police detained 441 people in connection with clashes in Istanbul on Sunday between police and demonstrators protesting against the government, an official at the city’s bar association said on Monday.
Throughout Sunday, police in Turkey’s largest city fired water cannon and tear gas at thousands of anti-government demonstrators seeking to enter Istanbul’s central Taksim Square. An official from the Ankara bar association said 56 people were detained in the capital.
Turkey’s government warned Monday it may deploy the military against protesters who continue to defy officials by taking to the street in what the interior minister called “illegal” demonstrations.
The warning is the first time the Islamist-rooted government has mentioned use of the military to restore public order.
“First, if necessary we will deploy the police,” Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said on Monday. “If that’s not enough we will call on the (national guard). But if events still require further action, and the governor so wishes, we will resort to calling on the military to contain these protests.”
Arinc said further street action is unlawful and that security forces would have a free hand to quash demonstrations.
“This government has prided itself on getting the Turkish military out of the political equation and has actually emphasized civilization of the Turkish political scene which it argued from the outset was overly dominated by the military,” said Bulent Aliriza, a Turkey expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
“It would be ironic if the Turkish military were to be reintroduced to the equation on the request of the Erdogan government.”
Two weeks of violence across Turkey started as a rally to save trees in a downtown park but turned into a broader protest against Erdogan’s perceived authoritarian policies. Protests have referred to Erdogan’s Islamic-rooted party’s passage of curbs on alcohol.
Photo: Viral photo across twitter of Turkey protesters
AS A NEGRO-MALE AMERICAN, I CONSIDER THESE RECENT STORIES OF CHAOS IN TURKEY BEING ABOUT TURKISH MALES OF ISLAM BEING “CALLED-OUT” BY THEIR ISLAMIC BRETHREN IN OTHER MIDDLE-EASTERN NATIONS WHO HAVE CHARGED THEM WITH “HOB-NOBBING” WITH CAUCASIANS.
MY POINT IS, LOOK AT HOW TURKEY “PLAYS” IN UNITED STATES:
I). ISTANBUL BRAGS BECAUSE ITS WESTERN QUARTER IS PART OF EUROPE. MANY CAUCASIANS VACATION IN ISTANBUL. AMERICAN FILMS ON THE MIDDLE-EAST – REGARDLESS, OF THE MIDDLE-EASTERN NATION ON TOPIC – HAVE “ON LOCATION-” FILM-SHOOTS WHICH WERE ACTUALLY DONE IN ISTANBUL; AND,
II). SIMILARLY, ANKARA. A FEW YEARS AGO Travel Channel DID A DOCUMENTARY ON TURKEY’S “MODERN AND WESTERN” CAPITAL, ANKARA [but, remember, Ankara is located in the Asian part of Turkey and more devoted to Islam]. EMPHASIS WAS PLACED ON ANKARA’S FINE RESTAURANTS, MODERN TRANSIT-SYSTEM AND OTHER CONTEMPORARY ADHERENCES TO TRENDS IN TECHNOLOGY, ETC.
EVERYONE KNOWS – ALTHOUGH THEY MAY NOT ADMIT IT – 11 SEPTEMBER 2001 WAS MIDDLE-EASTERN PAYBACK FOR CAUCASIAN ARROGANCE. [Yesterday, I viewed a video of Belgian MP Laurent Louis basically, saying the same thing; I was so happy when Mr. Louis stated he thinks Osama bin Laden was innocent and wrongfully murdered]. THEREFORE, I AM QUITE SURE ARAB MALES IN OTHER PARTS OF THE MIDDLE-EAST DO NOT APPRECIATE TURKEY’S “OPEN ARMS” APPROACH IN DEALING WITH CAUCASIANS – HENCE, THE VIOLENCE/PROTESTS ON TURKEY’S “MODERN” SOIL.
CHRISTOPHER ALLEN HORTON
IN SUPPORT OF MY COMMENTARY ABOVE, LOOK AT THE ACCOMPANYING PHOTOGRAPH – THAT FEMALE (WEARING T-H-A-T DRESS) AND THE OTHER PEOPLE DEPICTED STRONGLY IMPLIES THIS PHOTOGRAPH COULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN IN LOS ANGELES OR NEW YORK.
CHRISTOPHER ALLEN HORTON