Turkist Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a rally on Sunday that it was his “duty” to evict demonstrators from Gezi Park in Taksim Square, Istanbul.
Erdogan claimed that the protests, which thrived for 18 days, were manipulated by “terrorists,” reports Voice of America. He also rejected any allegations of dictatorial behavior by him and his administration, criticizing foreign news sources for their portrayals of the protests.
Tens of thousands of supporters rallied in Istanbul to show their support for Erdogan, according to the BBC.
The unrest across Turkey has almost unanimously been expressed by liberal and secular citizens who oppose Erdogan’s conservative Islamist Justice and Development Party.
Erdogan has objectionably encouraged every family to have at least three children and equalizes abortion with murder, according to AFP.
The police forced protesters out of the park on Saturday with water cannons and large amounts of tear gas, though the activists continued their efforts on Sunday.
However, riot police aimed water cannons and tear gas at antigovernment protesters on Sunday in their attempt to retake Taksim Square, reports the LA Times.
In an article for the Hurriyet Daily News, David Hendrix says that Erdogan’s recent responses to the protests are evidence of the authoritarian tendencies he has been accused of.
Though Gezi Park has been evacuated of activists, some groups of young people scattered throughout Istanbul have created barricades and clashed with police. The eviction will likely only spur more unrest across Turkey as the original clash with police did more than two weeks ago.
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