Turkish protesters on Saturday officially rejected a government offer aimed at ending two weeks of nationwide demonstrations, setting up a weekend of tension in Turkey as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan prepared to showcase his political strength with two days of mass counter-rallies.
In a statement published on its website shortly before midday, Taksim Solidarity—a group chosen to represent the broad spectrum of protesters occupying a central Istanbul park for three weeks—said the government had sought to divide, provoke and undermine support for demonstrators, stressing that their protests would continue.
"The government couldn't reach its aims and lost its legitimacy in the eyes of the domestic and international public. Under the pressure of our rightful resistance, it came to the point of responding to our demands and debate them," the statement said, adding; "But this is only the beginning, and the resistance will continue."
The group also called for punishment for those responsible for the deaths of four protesters and for an immediate release of all citizens arrested or detained across Turkey for taking part in the protests.
Read more: Turkish Protests to Continue - WSJ.com
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