Turkish PM urges protesters to withdraw from the streets

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called on protesters across the country to withdraw from the streets, saying the wave of anti-government demonstrations was part of a deliberate attempt to damage Turkey’s image and economy.

“Violent actions that took place in many cities of Turkey have camouflaged themselves behind the Gezi Park protests,” Erdoğan said today at his ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) parliamentary group meeting. “I request all activists to see the big picture, understand the plot, and withdraw from the streets.”

The ongoing Gezi protests have reached a different dimension over the course of two weeks and the AKP is trying to fully analyze the movement, the prime minister said.