Turkish activists decry indictment seeking life sentences for Gezi protesters
Opposition figures are accused of trying to force out President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by leading demonstrations to save a park, yet they say the charges are an attempt to sway public opinion ahead of elections this month
ISTANBUL — Turkish activists blasted an indictment that calls for life sentences for 16 people who allegedly organized protests to save a park nearly six years ago, accusing the government of politicizing the judiciary ahead of elections this month.
A court last week formally accepted the 657-page indictment, which alleges the 2013 protests were an attempt to force President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, then prime minister, to either resign or “prepare the grounds for a civil war or coup.”
The protests began in opposition to government plans to demolish Gezi Park in central Istanbul to make way for a shopping mall. They quickly mushroomed into the largest anti-government demonstrations in a generation, with hundreds of thousands marching in cities across the country. At least nine people died in clashes with police.
Erdogan has linked the park protests to an abortive 2016 military coup and other attacks on his government. This week, he said environmental concerns were used by Gezi demonstrators as a pretext “to topple the government.” He said that those who planned and financed the protests would be brought to justice.
