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Gezi protests return to Turkish headlines after latest arrests

Erdogan lashes out at opposition for questioning his take on who was behind the 2013 Gezi protests; various political parties discuss deals for March 2019 local elections.
People gather to mark the fourth anniversary of the Gezi Park protests in central Istanbul, Turkey, May 31, 2017. REUTERS/Huseyin Aldemir - RC1BB0D99540

ANKARA, Turkey — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at the opposition Wednesday for condemning his arrest of 14 academics in what was seen as a crackdown on liberal civil society, in particular the group run by the respected businessman-philanthropist Osman Kavala.

Without naming Kavala, Erdogan accused him of financing the Gezi Park protests of 2013, and added: “Who is behind him? The famous Hungarian Jew George Soros.”

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