Supporters welcome back Erdogan
- 11 years ago
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan arrived back in Istanbul to a hero's welcome.
Thousands of supporters chanted slogans and waved flags as they listened to Erdogan's strong words about anti-government demonstrations that have ripped the city apart over the past week or so.
We can't allow anyone to behave in an unlawful way in this country, vandalizing and destroying cities and private property, he said.
But the lawfulness of his handling of the situation has come under scrutiny. Three people have died in clashes with riot police and at least 4,000 people have been injured. Accusations of police using excessive force are being investigated.
The protests, going on since last week, started over Erdogan's plans to develop a city park but quickly turned into a show of defiance against what opponents call Erdogan's authoritarian style of rule. Here a group of protesters watch Charlie Chaplin's "The Dictator" while camped out in Taksim Square.
More than 100,0
Thousands of supporters chanted slogans and waved flags as they listened to Erdogan's strong words about anti-government demonstrations that have ripped the city apart over the past week or so.
We can't allow anyone to behave in an unlawful way in this country, vandalizing and destroying cities and private property, he said.
But the lawfulness of his handling of the situation has come under scrutiny. Three people have died in clashes with riot police and at least 4,000 people have been injured. Accusations of police using excessive force are being investigated.
The protests, going on since last week, started over Erdogan's plans to develop a city park but quickly turned into a show of defiance against what opponents call Erdogan's authoritarian style of rule. Here a group of protesters watch Charlie Chaplin's "The Dictator" while camped out in Taksim Square.
More than 100,0