Erdogan Defies Turkey Protesters Saying Minority Can’t Rule
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused protesters across the country of violating laws and damaging state property, and said he won’t permit a minority to dominate.
“No right can be sought in violation of the law,” Erdogan said at a press conference in Tunis today, where he’s on the fourth day of a North Africa visit. He said people with “environmental sensitivities” who have protested against the redevelopment of a park in central Istanbul are being exploited by illegal groups, including terrorists.
Demonstrations spread nationwide after police attacked a rally in the park, near Istanbul’s Taksim Square, with tear gas and water cannons on May 31. Many protesters have called for the resignation of the Islamist-rooted Erdogan, saying he’s become too autocratic, and cite grievances including alleged police brutality and curbs on alcohol sales.
Before he left Turkey on June 3, Erdogan, who has won three successive elections with a growing share of the vote, dismissed the protests as the work of people unable to defeat him at the ballot box.
He echoed that language today. “We are against the dominance of the majority over a minority, and we would not accept the dominance of a minority over the majority either,” Erdogan said.
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-06/turkish-protesters-attacked-in-erdogan-s-black-sea-hometown.html
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