Demonstrations that began on 28 May 2013 to protect Gezi Park and turned into protests demanding basic rights and freedoms because of the violence directed to the people by the police forces and spread to 77 provinces across Turkey [2], continue on 17 June 2013, the 21th day.
During the Justice and Development Party (AKP) demonstration on 15th June 2013,
Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan claimed that “if they (protestors) do not empty the park, our police forces will empty it”. After his speech, the police forces, with the help of gendarmerie riot control vehicle, attacked the Gezi Part on 15th June until the next morning. The Police forces attacked the park where the forums were organized and children and older people attended, through firing tear gas chemicals, pressurized water, rubber bullet, nightstick in the manner of excessive use of force.
The police forces removed the tents and barricades and attacked protestors who
sheltered in Divan and Ramada Hotel in Istanbul. The police forces also attacked the medical infirmaries by firing chemical tear gas.
The police has also viciously attacked protests in in Ankara, and has randomly fired tear gas chemicals both at protestors and to the surrounding area, and allegedly used plastic bullets. Many people were injured and/or taken into custody following the violence applied by the security forces.
According to an assessment made by the Turkish Medical Association on 15 June 2013, 7495 people were injured in protest across Turkey, and regretfully, 4 protestors, one police officer and one cleaner lost their lives.
The autopsy report revealed that Ethem Sarısülük lost his life because of direct shooting by a police force.
The number of the detained across Turkey as of 17 June 2013 has reached 3091
according to HRFT data. The number of people that have been arrested is 6. 48 people were detained because of the Twitter messages they sent.
During police raid to Socialist Democracy Party (SDP) Provincial Building which had
happened after attacks by police forces in Taksim Square on 11th June 2013, 72 people were taken under custody. Of these people, 4 were sent to prison.
According to Istanbul Medical Chamber, three nurses and one doctor were taken under custody during the protests. According to Turkish Medical Association there was an attempt by Ministry of Health to issue an investigation against to doctors because of medical service they provided to protestors. The Ministry of Health sent an official letter to Association and requested information of doctors who provided health services to wounded protestors.