May 31, 2013 -- Updated 1800 GMT (0200 HKT)
Police fired tear gas and water cannons at activists who have camped out
in Istanbul's main commercial district for four days in protest at the
demolition of a park. FULL STORY
May 31, 2013 -- Updated 2113 GMT (0513 HKT)
Caught up in the Istanbul riots
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: An investigation will look at claims of excessive force on protesters, minister says
- Court orders halt to construction until case is heard, news agency says
- Demonstrators oppose the building of a shopping center in Istanbul
- The Turkish government had vowed to go forward with the project
The court has ordered a
temporary stop on any construction at Taksim Gezi Park, where the
government plans to rebuild Ottoman Empire barracks and create a
shopping arcade, Anadolu said.
The announcement came on
the fourth day of protests in and around the park, which is in
Istanbul's main commercial district. Demonstrators oppose the plans to
rebuild the barracks because they say the government cares less about
historical conservation and more about money.
Police fired tear gas and
water cannons at protesters on Friday. Twelve people were injured --
including one critically -- in clashes, Istanbul's mayor and governor
said at a joint news conference. Sixty-three people were detained,
Istanbul Gov. Huseyin Avni Mutlu said.
Mayor Kadir Topbas
emphasized the demolition in Taksim Gezi Park was not related to a
project to construct a shopping mall there, but was a part a wider
renovation project of Taksim Square.
Interior Minister Muammer
Guler said that an investigation would be launched into claims of
"disproportionate use of force" on protesters.
Protests continued Friday
evening on a number of side streets, with police again dispersing a
crowd that had gathered in nearby Taksim Square.
Turkey halts May Day protesters
Early Friday, protesters trying to block the bulldozers chanted slogans before police uprooted them from the park.
Demonstrators and police
clashed as they moved to the main commercial street, with protesters
throwing bottles, setting up barricades and burning trash in the middle
of the street. Small groups of protesters also clashed with police in
side streets.
Police also deployed
tear gas in an attempt to disperse protesters on Thursday. Officers
cleared out their tents and sleeping bags but failed to end to the
sit-in.
Social media
Protesters rallied using
Facebook and Twitter, and by Thursday night, the number of people in
the park was in the thousands. Their protest has turned into an informal
referendum on recent Turkish government policies.
"I saw it on TV ... saw
that there were people, young people taking ownership of the
environment. I wanted to support them, because I think not supporting
them is inhumane," said Adalet Makar, a retired banker who spent
Wednesday night at the park in her sleeping bag.
The demonstration has
grown in size since late Monday. Public outcry over the proposed
project, as well as the police tear gas interventions, have drawn more
people to the park.
"Gas, gas, gas, it is the only way they deal with problems," said Esen Tuna, a 21-year-old architecture student.
Turkish police routinely use tear gas and water cannons to break up demonstrations.
Another protester, Elbruz Yilmaz, said the move to break up demonstrations was undemocratic.
"We are just trying to say something, and they are not hearing us. They are trying to stop us," Yilmaz said.
Government insistent
The government, led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has made clear it will go ahead with the planned project.
"They can do whatever
they want. We've made our decision, and we will do as we have decided,"
Erdogan said Wednesday, according to the semi-official Anadolu news
agency.
Erdogan said that the rebuilding of the Ottoman barracks was a matter of having "respect for history."
Critics disagree,
arguing that the project is a way for making profit from the sale of
valuable real estate in Istanbul's main commercial district.
"This cannot be
explained by saying this is historical conservation. It is not that, it
is about money," said Ece Demirel, an activist with the Urban Movement
Forum, an organization that tracks development projects across Turkey.
Erdogan taking heat
The government's other controversial policies have also come under fire.
Erdogan's policy on
Syria, which many in Turkey blame for a twin car blast that killed at
least 52, as well as a new law that would prohibit vendors from selling
liquor from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., are part of the sit-in at Taksim Gezi
Park.
"This is only the beginning, our struggle will continue," demonstrators chanted.
Many at the park said they believe this may be the beginning of a turning point in Turkey.
"This is an uprising, a
protest against the increasing bans," said Michelle Demishevich, an
activist and member of Turkey's Green Party. "Perhaps just like we saw
the Arab Spring, this will be the Turkish Spring."
CNN's Ivan Watson contributed to this report.
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