Turkey's opposition party leader accused the prime minister today of escalating tensions and dragging the country "into the fire" as anti-government protests that have led to three deaths hit their 11th straight day.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan headed a Cabinet meeting to discuss the protests, the first serious challenge to his 10-year rule.
Yesterday he made a series of fiery speeches in three cities, saying the government's patience was running thin, demanding an end to the protests and threatening to hold those who don't respect his government to account.
Erdogan has also called for major pro-government rallies in Ankara and Istanbul next weekend, apparently aiming to intimidate the protesters by showing that he, too, can get large numbers out on the street.
The Hurriyet newspaper today quoted Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the head of the opposition Republican People's Party, urging Erdogan to reduce tensions.
"Why is the prime minister being so stubborn toward his people? He should not do it," Kilicdaroglu said. "We are witnessing a prime minister who is trying to hold on to power by creating tensions."
"A policy that feeds on tension will drag society into the fire," he added.
Crowds of protesters swelled into the tens of thousands in Istanbul's Taksim Square and city centers in Ankara and Izmir as Erdogan delivered his speeches. Police broke up the protest near government buildings in Ankara with tear gas and water cannons.
The Turkish Human Rights Foundation said at least 12 people were detained in Ankara. It added that 13 were detained in the city of Adana for allegedly "inciting people into rioting" through social media. They were questioned by a court, which then released them, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
The protests were sparked by a violent police crackdown May 31 on a sit-in at a park in Taksim Square to prevent a redevelopment project that would replace the green space with a replica Ottoman Barracks. They have since spread to 78 cities across the country.
Protesters are venting their anger at what they say are Erdogan's growing autocratic ways and his attempts to impose a religious and conservative lifestyle. Erdogan, a devout Muslim, says he is committed to Turkey's secular laws and denies charges of autocracy.
