Erdogan's mishandling of protests has exposed the myth of a stable Turkey
World View: The PM's inability to counter unrest within and enemies without make any talk of a 'new Ottoman empire' absurd
There is something almost comic in the way the missteps of the Turkish government turned a small demonstration aimed at preserving sycamore trees in Taksim Square from the developers' bulldozers into the biggest and most widespread popular protest ever seen in Turkey. The Turkish security forces made the classic mistake of being pictured on television and social media publicly assaulting peaceable protesters with water cannon and pepper spray. Just enough violence was used to enrage and provoke while wholly failing to intimidate.
More:Erdogan's mishandling of protests has exposed the myth of a stable Turkey - Comment - Voices - The Independent
