Türkiye: Violent protests enter fourth day

Turkish trade unions announced a two-day strike to protest the government.

The wave of violent protests in Türkiye on June 3rd has entered its fourth day, with no signs of abating. In major cities of Türkiye, including the capital Ankara and Istanbul, police have been reinforced and continue to use tear gas and water cannons to disperse angry crowds.

Crowds protest in the capital Ankara (Photo: AFP)

Violence reached a peak in the capital Ankara last night as hundreds of students clashed with riot police. Tear gas and water cannons failed to disperse the protesters. Meanwhile, people in Ankara struggled to get away from the protesters and the thick cloud of tear gas as they went about their daily business.

Hundreds of police and protesters were injured in clashes that broke out in Istanbul yesterday. Protesters blocked the streets around Taksim Square in central Istanbul, the source of the wave of protests in recent days in Türkiye. This is the worst wave of violence in the past few decades in Turkey. About 50,000 protesters poured into Taksim Square to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's government. The protests quickly spread across the country after police on May 31 violently suppressed protesters with tear gas and water cannons.

While the violence has not abated, Turkish trade unions have also announced a two-day strike to protest the government.

In a statement on June 3, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan continued to call for calm. Despite the protests in the country, Mr. Erdogan continued his visit to Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia until June 6.

Speaking before the trip, Mr. Erdogan accused extremists of inciting the wave of protests: “In the context of the wave of protests spreading across the country, as Prime Minister and a citizen of Istanbul, I want to say that if we let the Turkish people participate in protests with a negative attitude, it means that we have helped extremist forces incite the protests. And the victims of the protests are the Turkish people.”

The United States and the European Union have expressed concern about the wave of violence in Türkiye and called on the Ankara government to end the use of force against protesters. White House spokesman Jay Carney said on June 3 that the United States is closely monitoring developments in Türkiye and calling on both police and protesters to exercise restraint.

“We trust that the Turkish people will demonstrate peacefully and abide by the law, as well as the rights and obligations of citizens,” said Jay Carney. “The United States is deeply concerned about the violent protests in Turkey, which have caused casualties and significant property damage. We hope that the Turkish government will properly address the situation.”

European Union Foreign Affairs and Security Policy High Representative Catherine Ashton on June 3 also criticized the Turkish police's heavy-handed crackdown. Ms. Ashton emphasized that dialogue should be opened to find a peaceful solution for this country./.

According to VOV - DT