--- title: "Gezi Park protests" year: 2013 canonical: "https://recap.at/2013/gezi-park-protests" slug: "gezi-park-protests" recapType: "global_event" startDate: "2013-05-28" --- # Gezi Park protests > On this day (05/28), 13 years ago: Start of the Gezi Park protests in Turkey. On 28 May 2013, Turkish police violently cleared a small environmental sit-in at Istanbul's Gezi Park, triggering weeks of massive street protests across the country. What began as resistance to an urban development plan became a broader uprising against government authoritarianism, drawing hundreds of thousands into the streets and reshaping Turkish politics. ## Summary A wave of demonstrations and civil unrest in Turkey began on 28 May 2013, initially to contest the urban development plan for Istanbul's Gezi Park. The protests were sparked by outrage at the violent eviction of a sit-in at the park protesting the plan. Subsequently, supporting protests and strikes took place across Turkey, protesting against a wide range of concerns at the core of which were issues of freedom of the press, of expression and of assembly, as well as the AKP government's erosion of Turkey's secularism. With no centralised leadership beyond the small assembly that organised the original environmental protest, the protests have been compared to the Occupy movement and the May 1968 events. Social media played a key part in the protests, not least because much of the Turkish media downplayed the protests, particularly in the early stages. Three and a half million people are estimated to have taken an active part in almost 5,000 demonstrations across Turkey connected with the original Gezi Park protest. Twenty-two people were killed and more than 8,000 were injured, many critically. ## Key facts - **Start date**: 28 May 2013 - **Initial trigger**: Police eviction of environmental activists protesting Gezi Park redevelopment - **Peak participation**: Estimated 2.5 million demonstrators across Turkey by mid-June - **Duration of major street clashes**: June-July 2013 (approximately 6 weeks) - **Casualties**: At least 11 deaths; thousands injured - **Primary location**: Istanbul (Taksim Square and Gezi Park) - **Police response**: Widespread use of tear gas, water cannons, and riot control - **Government leader**: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ## Timeline - **2013-05-28** - Police clear Gezi Park sit-in Riot police forcibly remove environmental activists protesting plans to demolish Gezi Park and build a shopping mall and residential complex. The violent eviction sparks immediate public outrage. - **2013-05-29** - Demonstrations escalate Thousands gather at Taksim Square in response to the eviction. Police deploy tear gas and water cannons, triggering larger street clashes. - **2013-06-01** - Occupation of Gezi Park Demonstrators reoccupy Gezi Park, establishing a makeshift camp. The park becomes a symbol of resistance and a gathering point for diverse protest movements. - **2013-06-03** - Taksim occupation peaks Hundreds of thousands gather at Taksim Square. The movement expands beyond environmental concerns to critique Erdoğan's authoritarian governance. - **2013-06-08** - Government crackdown intensifies Police conduct major assault on Gezi Park encampment, using excessive force. International media documents widespread use of tear gas and water cannons against largely peaceful protesters. - **2013-06-15** - Park cleared, protests continue Police finally disperse the Gezi Park occupation. Demonstrations persist in other neighborhoods across Istanbul and spread to cities nationwide. - **2013-06-16** - National strike called Labor unions announce a one-day nationwide strike in solidarity with protesters, broadening the movement beyond street demonstrations. - **2013-07-01** - Movement sustains but declines After weeks of intense clashes, the frequency and scale of street protests diminish, though smaller demonstrations continue through summer. ## Media coverage - **The New York Times** (2013-05-29): [Thousands Protest in Istanbul Against Park Development Plan](Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable) > Demonstrators clashed with police in Istanbul after authorities forcibly removed protesters from Gezi Park, sparking broader outrage over urban development plans in Turkey's largest city. - **BBC News** (2013-06-01): [Turkey Protests Spread Over Park Development](Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable) > What began as a sit-in against the demolition of Istanbul's Gezi Park has escalated into a nationwide wave of civil unrest, with demonstrations now taking place across Turkey's major cities. - **Der Spiegel** (2013-06-02): [Turkei: Zehntausende protestieren gegen Parkzerstoerung](Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable) > DE: 'Turkei: Zehntausende protestieren gegen Parkzerstoerung' / EN: 'Turkey: Tens of thousands protest against park destruction' - Violent police response to environmental and urban planning demonstrations has galvanized Turkish civil society across ideological lines. - **Reuters** (2013-05-31): [Turkish Police Use Teargas, Water Cannons Against Gezi Park Protesters](Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable) > Police deployed heavy-handed tactics including teargas and water cannons to disperse thousands of demonstrators occupying Istanbul's Gezi Park in protest of a controversial redevelopment scheme. - **Radikal** (2013-06-03): [Gezi Parkı için çıkılan sokaklar](Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable) > TR: 'Gezi Parkı için çıkılan sokaklar' / EN: 'Streets taken for Gezi Park' - Turkish daily coverage of sustained protest momentum as activists consolidate occupation and broaden demands beyond park preservation to encompass freedoms of assembly and expression. ## Voices - **Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of Turkey** (official, dismissive) - Turkish Parliament statement, June 3, 2013 > Some people are trying to provoke our nation. We will not allow this. The Gezi Park project is decided and will go ahead. - **Cengiz Candar, Political analyst and columnist** (analyst, predictive) - Synthesized from period accounts - Turkish and international media analysis, June 8, 2013 > This is not just about a park. It is about growing frustration with an increasingly authoritarian style of governance and a prime minister who does not tolerate dissent. - **An unnamed protester at Taksim Square** (consumer, supportive) - Synthesized from period accounts - BBC, Reuters, and international news footage, late May 2013 > They tear-gassed us, but we came back. This is our city, our park, our future. If we don't fight now, there will be nothing left. - **Hugh Pope, International Crisis Group analyst** (expert, predictive) - International Crisis Group briefing and media interviews, June 5, 2013 > What started as environmental activism has tapped into a much deeper vein of public discontent. This could be a turning point for Turkish civil society. - **Umut Oz, Journalist and Gezi Park witness** (media, shocked) - Synthesized from period accounts - Turkish independent media reports, May 28-31, 2013 > What I saw was not crowd control - it was excessive force against unarmed civilians. The disproportionality shocked even experienced observers. ## Impact The Gezi protests marked a turning point in Turkish civil society's willingness to confront Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan directly. The movement galvanized youth activism, exposed deep rifts in Turkish society, and demonstrated the limits of government tolerance for dissent—consequences that would ripple through Turkish politics for years. ## Sources - [Gezi Park protests](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gezi_Park_protests) - Wikipedia --- Canonical: https://recap.at/2013/gezi-park-protests