On Sunday Turkish Prime Minister Edan defended aggressive police tactics against protesters who recently occupied Istanbul's Gezi Park and adjoining Taksim square over plans to demolish the park.
Demonstrators were met with water cannons and various forms of tear gas — not to mention savage beatings and the storming of a hotel lobby — and the aggression seems to have had the opposite effect as the protests and criticism grew.
Even as the protests have died down, the harsh response may have even stalled Turkey's bid to join the European Union as Germanyrecently blocked the reopening of discussions with Ankara.
From a Financial Times editorial:
… by cracking heads and threatening liberties, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has not advanced his country’s cause. His response to predominantly peaceful protest betrays a whiff of authoritarianism and threatens to upset the delicate balance between Turkey’s secular and religious communities.
Here's three examples of police brutality, starting with a shocking attack on three young protesters who are sitting in a parking garage:
Next, the gleeful use of tear gas:
And the devastating power of water cannons:
If these examples don't prove it, there are also highlight reels of sorts showing police aggression.
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