Erdogan issues another threat

Sounding remarkably like his adversary Bashar al-Assad in neighbouring Syria, Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued another threat to the Taksim Square/Gezi Park protesters at the end of a long, ranting speech to some 50,000-60,000 of his supporters at a rally in Ankara today. The protesters must clear the square by tomorrow, Sunday, when he is to address another AKP rally there, he said, or the police will clear it for them.

The question asked by some observers now is why Erdogan is apparently provoking an open confrontation in this direct and polarizing way.

A Twitter hashtag has started - #1MilyonYarinTaksime - One Million to Taksim. It's already trending, together with #turkey.

Police are now attacking people on the Square with water cannons and teargas. They also appear to be sweeping the Park. http://rt.com/on-air/istanbul-protest-tear-gas/
Woman are banging pots and pans in side streets: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/yomgashum1

Peace Pianists

From Independence Square to Taksim Square

At Global Voices, Veronika Khokhlova looks at the Istanbul protests through the eyes of a Ukrainian journalist:

Turkey has long been a popular vacation and business travel destination for hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians, but few of these visitors can boast much knowledge of the Turkish politics. Now, however, as the anti-government protests and police brutality in Turkey are making top headlines globally, many Ukrainians have started to follow the situation there with much interest, expressing support and admiration for the peaceful protesters, noting similarities with the 2004 Orange Revolution as well as with more recent events in Ukraine, and wishing for the political awakening of the Ukrainian people.