Accessibility links

Breaking News

Erdogan Agrees to Meet with Turkish Protesters


FILE - Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan (r) and his deputy Bulent Arinc, Oct. 1, 2012.
FILE - Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan (r) and his deputy Bulent Arinc, Oct. 1, 2012.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to meet with anti-government protesters, even after saying his patience with the marchers is running thin.

His deputy prime minister, Bulent Arinc, says the meeting will take place Wednesday. Arinc also warned Monday that what he calls "illegal demonstrations" will no longer be allowed in Turkey.

The protesters refused to back down Monday, even as police again used tear gas and water cannons to break up an anti government march in Istanbul. Demonstrators responded with rocks and gasoline bombs.

Three people have died since the marches began 11 days ago. Thousands have been hurt and thousands of others arrested.

The opposition party accuses Erdogan of fueling tensions and dragging the country into fire.

The protests started against plans to tear down a public park in Istanbul. They have since turned into protests against what marchers call the prime minister's imposition of his Islamist views on a secular nation.
  • 16x9 Image

    VOA News

    The Voice of America provides news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of over 326 million people. Stories with the VOA News byline are the work of multiple VOA journalists and may contain information from wire service reports.

XS
SM
MD
LG