Two weeks after the break out of protests in Turkey, often times violent, the local discontent is nowhere closer to resolution. In fact, it is getting worse, and is on its way to converge with the "resolutions" adopted in its neighbor Greece following news that two Turkish union federations said on Sunday they would stage a one-day nationwide strike on Monday in protest at the forced eviction by riot police of hundreds of anti-government demonstrators from an Istanbul park. From Reuters [5]: "The Confederation of Public Workers' Unions (KESK), which has some 240,000 members in 11 unions, and the Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions (DISK) announced the strike in a joint statement. Three other groups representing doctors, engineers and dentists will also join the action, it said."
And so "the economy gets it" until the politicians respond to the protestors in a satisfactory fashion, which may be a problem, because just like in the "Occupy XXX" movement in the US, nobody is exactly sure just what the demands are.
Regardless, the local protests, now accompanied daily by high pressure water cannon and constant tear gas make for some spectacular stills, such as the following series of photos over the weekend from Istanbul and Ankara.
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A protester is attacked by water cannon during crowds in Kizilay square in central Ankara, June 16, 2013.
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People take cover from water cannons during a protest at Kizilay square in central Ankara, June 16, 2013.
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A protester is sprayed by a police water cannon during a demonstration at Taksim Square in Istanbul June 16, 2013.
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A protester is being sprayed by the police's water cannon during a demonstration at Kizilay square in central Ankara June 16, 2013.
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Riot police use a water cannon to disperse anti-government protesters at Taksim square in central Istanbul June 15, 2013.
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Protesters are attacked by police water cannon at the entrance Gezi Park near Istanbul's Taksim square June 15, 2013.
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A woman is attacked by water cannon during protests in Kizilay square in central Ankara, June 16, 2013.
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A riot policeman orders protesters to evacuate Gezi Park near Istanbul's Taksim square June 15, 2013.
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Protesters are attacked by police water cannon next to Gezi Park near Istanbul's Taksim square June 15, 2013
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A riot policeman fires teargas during an anti-government protest in Istanbul late June 15, 2013.
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A riot policeman fires tear gas during an anti-government protest in Istanbul early June 16, 2013.
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Riot police fire tear gas and a water cannon at Taksim Square in Istanbul June 15, 2013
Photos: Reuters [18]