Turkish protesters refused to back down Monday after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned they would "pay a price" for their unrelenting demonstrations against his government’s decade-long rule
Turkish protesters refused to back down Monday after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned they would "pay a price" for their unrelenting demonstrations against his government's decade-long rule.
As riot police doused of thousands of protesters in the capital Ankara with tear gas and jets of water for a second straight night, Erdogan went on the offensive, firing up supporters of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) with combative rhetoric in rallies across the country.
"Those who do not respect this nation's party in power will pay a price," he told his cheering loyalists in Ankara, just a few kilometres (miles) away from the clashes in downtown Kizilay Square, the latest violence in a second week of mass civil unrest.
"We remained patient, we are still patient but there's a limit to our patience," Erdogan said.
Tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators stepped up their protests over the weekend, pouring into cities across Turkey, including Istanbul, Ankara and the western city of Izmir. Istanbul's Taksim Square, the symbolic heart of the protest movement, attracted some of the largest crowds yet, with people dancing and chanting "Erdogan, resign!" into the early hours in a festive atmosphere.
Erdogan was to meet with government ministers in Ankara later Monday, with the crisis expected to top the agenda.