Activists in Turkey Present Their List of Demands

NOVANEWS

Activists in Turkey present their Demands after a week of Protests and Brutal Crackdown

 
By Avalon 
 
After a week long series of violent protests in Turkey and brutal crackdown with riot police using teargas and water cannons, activists have presented a list of demands of Turkish authorities. The origin of the protests were reportedly over the fate of Taksim Gezi Park, one of the last significant green spaces in the center of the city.Due to the violent response of the police, thousands took to the streets to join in protest of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan increasingly authoritarian government.
The June 06, 2013 Boston Globe article Turkish activists present demands by Suzan Fraser from AP describe a ‘Police Gone Wild’ scenario:

ANKARA, Turkey — Activists presented a list of demands on Wednesday they said could end days of antigovernment demonstrations that have engulfed Turkey, as trade unions joined in the outpouring of anger, shouting slogans and wielding banners calling for the prime minister to resign.
The activist group denounced Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “vexing” style and urged the government to halt Taksim Square redevelopment plans, ban the use of tear gas by police, release detained protesters, and lift restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly.
It also demanded that officials responsible for the violent crackdown be removed from office.
Thousands of union members on a two-day strike marched into Istanbul’s landmark Taksim Square and central Ankara in a show of support for protesters angry at what they see as Erdogan’s increasingly authoritarian rule. Police used tear gas and water cannons to break up the gathering in Ankara after about eight hours.
To defuse the tension, the deputy prime minister met with a group whose attempt to prevent authorities from ripping up trees in Taksim has snowballed into the nationwide protests.
Over five days, police in Turkey have deployed water cannons and tear gas has clouded the city centers.

One can speculate whether the demands will be met, but it does look as thought the protests are nationwide with labor unions joining in. A legitimate question one can also ask is these riots that sprung from activist protests don’t really represent a deep anger of the population in Turkey over Foreign Policy and the U.S. government moving Turkey into a pivitol role in the war raging in Syria. Some of the demand of the activists include:

• Halt Taksim Square redevelopment plans
• Ban the use of tear gas by police
• Immediately release detained protesters
• Lift restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly.
• The officials responsible for the violent crackdown be removed from office