Huffington Post – by SUZAN FRASER and AMER COHADZIC
ISTANBUL — Turkish police used water cannon to disperse thousands gathered in Istanbul’s Taksim Square on Saturday to observe a memorial for four people killed during recent anti-government protests. The officers later fired tear gas and rubber bullets, and in some cases beat people with batons, to scatter demonstrators who regrouped in side streets.
The police move came as Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that foreign-led conspirators he alleges are behind the anti-government movement in his country also are fomenting the recent unrest in Brazil.
The protests in Turkey erupted three weeks ago after riot police brutally cracked down on peaceful environmental activists who opposed plans to develop Gezi Park, which lies next to Taksim. The demonstrations soon turned into expressions of discontent with what critics say is Erdogan’s increasingly authoritarian and meddlesome ways.
Erdogan, who took power a decade ago, denies he is authoritarian and, as evidence of his popularity, points to elections in 2011 that returned his party to power with 50 percent of the vote and gave him a third term in office.
On Saturday, demonstrators converged in Taksim, where they laid down carnations in remembrance of at least three protesters and a police officer killed in the rallies. For about two hours, protesters shouted anti-government slogans and demanded that Erdogan resign before police warned them to leave the square.
Some demonstrators tried to give carnations to the security forces watching over the square, shouting: “Police, don’t betray your people.” But after their warnings to disperse were ignored, police pushed back protesters with water cannon, even chasing stragglers down side streets and apparently blocking entrances to the square.
An Associated Press journalist said police drove back protesters into side streets off Taksim – including the main pedestrian shopping street Istiklal – and later fired several rounds of tear gas and rubber bullets to scatter the crowds who refused to disperse. There were no immediate reports of any injuries.
Dogan news agency footage showed two police officers hitting protesters with batons and kicking them as they forced their way through Istiklal street. A few demonstrators threw rocks at a police water cannon, while other protesters tried to calm them down and prevent them from attacking police.
Police in the capital, Ankara, also sprayed tear gas and pressurized water to break up hundreds of protesters who gathered in two neighborhoods, wanting to march to the city’s main square, Dogan reported.
Last week, police had used water cannon as well as tear gas and rubber bullets to clear Taksim and end an occupation of Gezi Park by activists. But the demonstrations had largely subsided in Istanbul in recent days, with many protesters using a new, more passive approach of airing their grievances: standing motionless.
Erdogan has faced fierce international criticism for his government’s crackdown on the protests, but he has defended his administration’s actions as well as the tough police tactics. He also has blamed the protests on unspecified foreign forces, bankers and foreign and Turkish media outlets he says want to harm Turkish interests.
Brazil, meanwhile, has been hit by mass rallies set off this month by a 10-cent hike in bus and subway fares in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and elsewhere. The protests soon moved beyond that issue to tap into widespread frustration in the South American nation over a range of issues, including high taxes and woeful public services.
During an address to tens of thousands of his backers in the Black Sea coastal city of Samsun, the latest stop in a series of rallies he has called to shore up his political support, Erdogan declared that Brazil was the target of the same conspirators he claims are trying to destabilize Turkey.
“The same game is now being played over Brazil,” Erdogan said. “The symbols are the same, the posters are the same, Twitter, Facebook are the same, the international media is the same. They (the protests) are being led from the same center.
“They are doing their best to achieve in Brazil what they could not achieve in Turkey. It’s the same game, the same trap, the same aim.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/22/erdogan-turkey-brazil_n_3483639.html?utm_hp_ref=world
Hmm lets think about who would gain from a somewhat distracted nation or two, could it be mild mannered janitor Henry? Nope, could it be Russia or China?
Nope
Could it be a certain country using controlled terrorist and protest chains disguised as “Islamic Shariaists” in Turkey to keep Erdogan on board with the west…? Could it also be a certain country needing Brazil out of action in the global political arena and to keep them off the security council of the UN as a permanent member and a hope that the protests would spread to other anti-American nations in south America in the hope that certain country could use the dissent and chaos to bring in its own little people and secret squirrels?
Turkey smacks too much of either American or Israeli troublemaking, the Israeli’s are pissed at Turkey over the Mavi but also prior to this as Erdogan allowed the Palestinians access to the hitherto blocked Ottoman land registries which can prove long family ownership of many areas of land in the area of illegal Israeli settlement. Both America and Israel want to see Turkish Muslim control severed and placed in the hands of the Christians and this is evidence of a rather desperate America trying to keep a firm grip on the coalition of the coerced and using its nasty box of tricks in doing so.
Turkey has wavered before on NATO membership, it wouldn’t take much for Turkey to walk away from the US sphere and into the welcome hands of Russia, this scenario keeps hawks awake at night in Washington as it would probably end their continuing dominance of the Middle East there and then.
WRONG! Its governments and their hidden supporters that destabilize societies, and societies are sick and tired of being “force-fed” like Guantanamo prisoners, by its unwanted, forced downed your throat actions.
In an ‘open’ society, nothing should be hidden or secretive. That is the ONLY way you don’t create enemies, just as President Kennedy warned us in one of his speeches.
Right on Angry Grandparent! Most Americans are unaware of the meetings between Putin and Erdogan. Many Americans don’t even know who Putin is!
Putin got Turkey to back down on the Syria issue. That did not sit well with the US or its master, Israel. Destabilization is a nasty program that the US has long used against countries that don’t follow orders. Many countries in Central and South America were destabilized and their leaders were replaced with US puppets. The cover-up propaganda is that these were “popular revolts” which occurred naturally because that’s what the people wanted.
Remember Augusto Pinochet who ruled Chile by terror? Or how about the military death squads in Argentina around 1976 that resulted in the “disappeared ones”?
Or Mohammad Rezā Pahlavī, who was removed from prison and installed as Shah of Iran. Under the guidance of the CIA, he established the extremely brutal secret police called the Savak, which became the symbol of censorship and torture in Iran. Iran’s Ebrat Museum displays exhibits documenting the atrocities of Savak. General Norman Schwarzkopf was one of the team that trained the first generation Savak personnel.
We are to believe that this is what the people wanted and so they revolted against their duly elected governments so they could install brutal dictators instead!
These were all US-backed coup d’états. There have been many others. This is what is going on in Turkey, Brazil and other countries.
A few years ago Turkey and Brazil were the two BRICS nations who came up with a unique compromise plan on the Iranian nuclear question. Iran would swap uranium in Turkey for the enriched uranium it needed for research and medical use. Iran was on board for the deal and initially it appeared to be what the “Empire” was demanding. It caught the “Empire” by surprise and caused great embarrassment to the White House and State Dept. (Hillary Clinton especially)….It really put the Administration into a difficult situation. Is it possible that this is some of the payback for not playing along with the Empires/Israeli game plan on Iran??
Also, having these two members of the BRICS coalition caught up in turmoil serves the Empire’s/Israeli goal of staving off future threats to the DO$$AR. Is is possible much of this turmoil is really being directed from the Empire???
“Brazil, meanwhile, has been hit by mass rallies set off this month by a 10-cent hike in bus and subway fares in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and elsewhere. The protests soon moved beyond that issue to tap into widespread frustration in the South American nation over a range of issues, including high taxes and woeful public services.”
Sounds a lot like a bunch of Occupy movements. In this case, Occupy Brazil and Occupy Turkey.