Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


                    Turkish PM Blames Protests on Extremists

   Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is calling for calm and
   blaming "extremist elements" for days of anti-government protests.
   Mr. Erdogan spoke Monday before a planned visit to Morocco.
   Taksim Square in Istanbul was calm Monday morning, but still had
   banners, remnants of barriers and other debris left from days of
   protests that have been the biggest in Turkey in years.
   The demonstrations started as a demand to stop an urban redevelopment
   plan on park land, but have more broadly included criticism of Mr.
   Erdogan`s government.
   Police in Istanbul and Ankara used tear gas early Monday to disperse
   protesters, some of whom had marched on Mr. Erdogan`s offices.
   Turkey`s Interior Ministry said Sunday more than 1,700 people had been
   detained since last week, but that most have since been released.
   The police crackdown on protesters in Istanbul appeared to anger many
   secular Turks who accuse Mr. Erdogan`s decade-old, Islamist-rooted
   government of becoming increasingly authoritarian.
   International rights groups strongly criticized the crackdown as
   excessive, while Turkey`s Western allies, including the United States,
   urged the government to uphold freedom of expression and exercise
   restraint.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/turkish-pm-blames-protests-on-extremi
   sts/1673869.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/turkish-pm-blames-protests-on-extremists/1673869.html