Turkey's prime minster issued a "final warning" to protesters on Thursday, demanding that they end their occupation of a park next to Istanbul's landmark Taksim Square, the Associated Press reported. Prime Minister Erdogan also rejected a condemnation by the European Parliament over the his government's reportedly excessive us of force by riot police against demonstrators.
"We have arrived at the end of our patience," Erdogan told local party leaders in Ankara, the capital. "I am giving you my final warning," he said, issuing the ultimatum to the thousands of holdout in a sit -in at Gezi Park, in Istanbul. He urged parents with children at the park to convince them to pack up and go home.
The protests erupted May 31 after a violent police crackdown on a sit-in by activists objecting to a development project that would cut down the trees in Gezi Park and replace them with a replica of Ottoman-era barracks. The demonstrations then spread to dozens of cities, rallying tens of thousands of people each night, and shifted into a broader protest over Erdogan's rule.
Since the protests began, police fired water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters. Five people have died, and over 5,000 people and 600 police have been reportedly injured
The EU assembly said it "deplores the reactions of the Turkish Government and of Prime Minister Erdogan."
Protesters object to what they say is the prime minister's increasingly authoritarian style and his perceived attempts to impose his religious and conservative views on a country with secular laws - charges he rejects.
Two days ago, Erdogan insisted that his government may move toward a referendum may be held.
