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In the wake of two weeks of anti-government protests, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan rallied thousands of his supporters for a show of force in the business capital of Ankara on June 16.
Speaking to the crowd, Erdoğan justified his decision to forcibly evacuate Taksim Square, the epicentre of the protests. He also criticised the western media for its coverage of the demonstrations, reports the pro-government daily.
On the same day, some 600 protesters were arrested in Istanbul and Ankara, while two of the country’s major trade unions called for a general strike to show support for the demonstrators in Taksim Square and protest against police violence.
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