Turks vow to carry on with protests

Turks vow to continue anti-government protests which entered sixth straight night rejecting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s claim that their “show” will fizzle out.

The protest erupted following the detention of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu – main Tayyip Erdogan rival – over corruption charges, which opposition parties, European leaders and rights groups called a politicised and anti-democratic move.

Over 1500 protestors have been detained during clashes with Police. hundreds of thousands of people have gathered in squares, streets and university campuses nationwide chanting anti-Erdogan slogans and demanding the release of Imamoglu.

The protestors, neglecting ban on gathering, gathered on streets and remained entirely peacefully until the late hours when police have used clubs and pepper spray in response to projectiles thrown at them.

At the main protest in Istanbul’s Sarachane park, between the city hall and a towering Roman aqueduct, most people have cheered speeches by opposition leaders.

The protestors expect to continue daily protests, even as the main opposition Republic People’s Party (CHP) has said that March 25 will mark the last day of planned events at Sarachane.

The continued protests pose a potential bind for Mr Erdogan, who has called them “street terrorism”.

He has tolerated little criticism from the streets since the authorities violently shut down the sprawling anti-government Gezi Park protests in 2013.

After a Cabinet meeting in Ankara on March 24, the President accused the CHP of provoking citizens and predicted they would feel ashamed for the “evil” done to the country once their “show” fades away.