Turkey protests resume

Police in the Turkish city of Istanbul have used tear gas and water cannon against protesters in a fifth night of anti-government demonstrations.

Protests over the demolition of a park in Istanbul have grown into days of unrest across the country,according to BBC.

Ahead of a proposed meeting in Istanbul, activists issued a list of demands, including the end of plans to demolish the park, a ban on tear gas, the release of arrested protesters and the resignation of top officials blamed for the protest crackdown, the BBC’s Mark Lowen in Athens reports.

The atmosphere on Istanbul’s Taksim Square on Tuesday evening was almost celebratory as a huge crowd of people ranging from football fans to well-heeled professionals gathered, the BBC’s Paul Mason reported.

People have been chanting “Have you heard us?” in the hope the government is listening to their demands.

But later, police fired tear gas, water cannon and smoke grenades as they tried to disperse protesters.

In the city of Izmir, there was a festive atmosphere and police kept their distance, though some young protesters earlier smashed security cameras and threw bricks, the BBC’s Quentin Sommerville reports.

Also in Izmir, state-run Anatolia news agency reported that police had arrested 25 people for tweeting “misinformation”.

An official from the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), Ali Engin, told Anatolia they were being held for “calling on people to protest”.

Meanwhile Turkish television station NTV has apologised for failing to cover the initial protests.

The chief executive of the conglomerate that owns NTV, Cem Aydin of Dogus, said criticism of the channel was “fair to a large extent”.

“Our audience feels like they were betrayed,” he said after a meeting with staff, some of whom resigned in protest at the lack of coverage.

Many believe the government blocked internet access in order to prevent news of the protests spreading”

Protesters have turned to social media to spread their message and coordinate demonstrations, the BBC’s Sophie Hutchinson reports from Istanbul.

Earlier on Tuesday the left-wing Kesk trade union confederation, representing some 240,000 public sector workers, began a two-day strike in support of the protests and accused the government of committing “state terror”.

Another trade union confederation, Disk, has said it will join the strike on Wednesday.

The protests began on 28 May over plans to redevelop Gezi Park near Taksim Square in Istanbul.

M.D