Turkey

German chancellor calls for calm, dialogue in Turkey

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“In the current heightened situation, it’s important that all parties demonstrate calm,” Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert quoted the chancellor as saying on Monday.

Protesters took to the streets on Monday in major Turkish cities, including the capital Ankara and Istanbul, for the fourth day, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Protests erupted in Istanbul on Friday after security forces attacked a peaceful sit-in protest against the demolition of Gezi Park at Taksim Square.

On Sunday, thousands of protesters marched on Erdogan’s office in Ankara, shouting “Dictator, resign!” and “We will resist until we win,” and clashing with the riot police that responded with tear gas.

“The time for de-escalation and dialogue is now,” Seibert said, adding that the German government was following the event in Turkey with “concern.”

“It is important in the current tense situation that all parties exhibit prudence. The right of citizens to freedom of expression and assembly is a clear fundamental right in a democracy,” Merkel’s spokesman added.

On Saturday, Amnesty International criticized Turkey’s police use of excessive force against the demonstrators, describing it “disgraceful.”

According to the group, at least two people have been killed and more than a thousand others injured in Istanbul alone. It also said that some protesters have been left blinded by the massive quantities of tear gas used by the police.

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