{{The Turkish government is open to holding a referendum over an Istanbul development plan that has had a central role in nearly two weeks of mass protests, a spokesman for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party said Wednesday.}}
The announcement following talks between Erdogan and a group of activists amounts to the first big gesture by his government to end a standoff with protesters in Istanbul’s Taksim Square and around the country.
But on a more defiant note, Justice and Development Party spokesman Huseyin Celik also said the government would not allow the ongoing sit-in in Gezi Park, next to the square, to continue “until doomsday” — a sign that authorities’ patience is running out.
The prospect of a referendum amounts to a political gamble by Erdogan, who has drawn the ire of protesters over his alleged authoritarian streak. He appeared to be betting that his strong base of support would vote for the plans.
The protests erupted May 31 after a violent police crackdown on a peaceful sit-in by activists objecting to the project to replace Gezi Park with a replica Ottoman-era barracks.
They then spread to 78 cities across the country and have attracted tens of thousands of people nearly every night.
AP
Leave a Reply