Thousands protests in Turkey over judiciary law

Thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets in Turkey in protest against President Abdullah Gul’s endorsement of a controversial bill, giving Ankara control over the country’s judiciary.

Turkish police forces clashed with protesters on Wednesday in the capital, Ankara, using tear gas to disperse crowds.

Demonstrators also gathered in the city of Istanbul’s Taksim Square against the law that grants the government control over the country’s appointment of judges and prosecutors.

The protests come a day after similar gathering were held in six Turkish cities of Istanbul, Ankara, Trabzon, Sakarya, Izmir, and Eskisehir.

Erdogan has been under pressure after some audio recordings have surfaced on the internet in which the premier was allegedly telling his son to hide large sums of money back in last December.

Activists and protesters say the move is an authoritarian reaction by Ankara to the recent corruption investigations.

The endorsement of another law allowing the government to monitor Internet activities and close down websites without court orders, has also sparked protests.