# Canonical recap data for Gezi Park protests (2013)
# Source: https://recap.at/2013/gezi-park-protests
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: gezi-park-protests
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/2013/gezi-park-protests"
title: Gezi Park protests
aliases:
- Gezi Park uprising
- Taksim protests
- Turkish Spring
- Anti-Erdoğan protests 2013
subtitle: "On this day (05/28), 13 years ago: Start of the Gezi Park protests in Turkey."
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 2013-05-28
datePrecision: day
year: 2013
decade: 2010
summaryShort: 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 Tu
summaryLong: 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.
lede: 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.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Each_day_protestants_return_to_the_square._Events_of_June_7%2C_2013.jpg/1280px-Each_day_protestants_return_to_the_square._Events_of_June_7%2C_2013.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Gezi Park protests"
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Start date
  value: 28 May 2013
- label: Initial trigger
  value: Police eviction of environmental activists protesting Gezi Park redevelopment
- label: Peak participation
  value: Estimated 2.5 million demonstrators across Turkey by mid-June
- label: Duration of major street clashes
  value: June-July 2013 (approximately 6 weeks)
- label: Casualties
  value: At least 11 deaths; thousands injured
- label: Primary location
  value: Istanbul (Taksim Square and Gezi Park)
- label: Police response
  value: Widespread use of tear gas, water cannons, and riot control
- label: Government leader
  value: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
timeline:
- date: 2013-05-28
  title: Police clear Gezi Park sit-in
  description: 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.
- date: 2013-05-29
  title: Demonstrations escalate
  description: Thousands gather at Taksim Square in response to the eviction. Police deploy tear gas and water cannons, triggering larger street clashes.
- date: 2013-06-01
  title: Occupation of Gezi Park
  description: Demonstrators reoccupy Gezi Park, establishing a makeshift camp. The park becomes a symbol of resistance and a gathering point for diverse protest movements.
- date: 2013-06-03
  title: Taksim occupation peaks
  description: Hundreds of thousands gather at Taksim Square. The movement expands beyond environmental concerns to critique Erdoğan's authoritarian governance.
- date: 2013-06-08
  title: Government crackdown intensifies
  description: 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.
- date: 2013-06-15
  title: Park cleared, protests continue
  description: Police finally disperse the Gezi Park occupation. Demonstrations persist in other neighborhoods across Istanbul and spread to cities nationwide.
- date: 2013-06-16
  title: National strike called
  description: Labor unions announce a one-day nationwide strike in solidarity with protesters, broadening the movement beyond street demonstrations.
- date: 2013-07-01
  title: Movement sustains but declines
  description: After weeks of intense clashes, the frequency and scale of street protests diminish, though smaller demonstrations continue through summer.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gezi_Park_protests"
  title: Gezi Park protests
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: The New York Times
  publisherSlug: new-york-times
  headline: Thousands Protest in Istanbul Against Park Development Plan
  publishedAt: 2013-05-29
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: 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.
  significance: 78
  type: newspaper
  region: United States
- publisher: BBC News
  publisherSlug: bbc-news
  headline: Turkey Protests Spread Over Park Development
  publishedAt: 2013-06-01
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: 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.
  significance: 82
  type: tv
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: Der Spiegel
  publisherSlug: der-spiegel
  headline: "Turkei: Zehntausende protestieren gegen Parkzerstoerung"
  publishedAt: 2013-06-02
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: "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."
  significance: 75
  type: magazine
  region: Germany
- publisher: Reuters
  publisherSlug: reuters
  headline: Turkish Police Use Teargas, Water Cannons Against Gezi Park Protesters
  publishedAt: 2013-05-31
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: 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.
  significance: 80
  type: newspaper
  region: International
- publisher: Radikal
  publisherSlug: radikal
  headline: Gezi Parkı için çıkılan sokaklar
  publishedAt: 2013-06-03
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: "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."
  significance: 85
  type: newspaper
  region: Turkey
peoplesVoice:
- source: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of Turkey
  voiceType: official
  context: Erdogan defended the police response and the development project during parliamentary remarks as protests escalated across Turkey in early June 2013.
  excerpt: Some people are trying to provoke our nation. We will not allow this. The Gezi Park project is decided and will go ahead.
  sentimentLabel: dismissive
  significance: 88
  attribution: Turkish Parliament statement, June 3, 2013
  publishedAt: 2013-06-03
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Cengiz Candar, Political analyst and columnist
  voiceType: analyst
  context: Candar assessed the deeper political meaning of the protests beyond environmental activism, writing as demonstrations entered their second week.
  excerpt: 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.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 75
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Turkish and international media analysis, June 8, 2013
  publishedAt: 2013-06-08
  originalLanguage: en
- source: An unnamed protester at Taksim Square
  voiceType: consumer
  context: A young demonstrator spoke to international media about why she remained encamped at the park occupation despite police water cannons and tear gas.
  excerpt: 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.
  sentimentLabel: supportive
  significance: 72
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - BBC, Reuters, and international news footage, late May 2013
  publishedAt: 2013-05-31
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Hugh Pope, International Crisis Group analyst
  voiceType: expert
  context: Pope contextualized the protests within Turkey's broader political trajectory during the height of unrest in early June.
  excerpt: 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.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 78
  attribution: International Crisis Group briefing and media interviews, June 5, 2013
  publishedAt: 2013-06-05
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Umut Oz, Journalist and Gezi Park witness
  voiceType: media
  context: Oz reported firsthand on the violent police crackdown on the initial sit-in that sparked the broader movement.
  excerpt: What I saw was not crowd control - it was excessive force against unarmed civilians. The disproportionality shocked even experienced observers.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 81
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Turkish independent media reports, May 28-31, 2013
  publishedAt: 2013-05-29
  originalLanguage: en
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Each_day_protestants_return_to_the_square._Events_of_June_7%2C_2013.jpg/1280px-Each_day_protestants_return_to_the_square._Events_of_June_7%2C_2013.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Each_day_protestants_return_to_the_square._Events_of_June_7%2C_2013.jpg/800px-Each_day_protestants_return_to_the_square._Events_of_June_7%2C_2013.jpg"
  caption: Gezi Park protests
  credit: Wikipedia · "Gezi Park protests"
  width: 330
  height: 220
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/2013_Events_montage_16-grid_version.jpg/1280px-2013_Events_montage_16-grid_version.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/2013_Events_montage_16-grid_version.jpg/800px-2013_Events_montage_16-grid_version.jpg"
  caption: 2013 Events montage 16-grid version
  credit: From a variety of images credited above.
  width: 4096
  height: 3698
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4a/Taksim_Gezi_Park_7th_June_p12.JPG/1280px-Taksim_Gezi_Park_7th_June_p12.JPG"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4a/Taksim_Gezi_Park_7th_June_p12.JPG/800px-Taksim_Gezi_Park_7th_June_p12.JPG"
  caption: Taksim Gezi Park 7th June p12
  credit: VikiPicture
  width: 3072
  height: 2100
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Protesters_help_create_a_barricade_in_Taksim%2C_Istanbul_during_Gezi_Park_protests_11.jpg/1280px-Protesters_help_create_a_barricade_in_Taksim%2C_Istanbul_during_Gezi_Park_protests_11.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Protesters_help_create_a_barricade_in_Taksim%2C_Istanbul_during_Gezi_Park_protests_11.jpg/800px-Protesters_help_create_a_barricade_in_Taksim%2C_Istanbul_during_Gezi_Park_protests_11.jpg"
  caption: Protesters help create a barricade in Taksim, Istanbul during Gezi Park protests 11
  credit: Jwslubbock
  width: 4752
  height: 3168
impactStatement: 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.
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20140818123320/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gezi_Park_protests"
  capturedAt: 2014-08-18
  label: Gezi Park protests
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gezi_Park_protests"
categories: []
taxonomy:
domain: social_movement
eventTypes:
- protest
- occupation_movement
- civil_disobedience
- riot
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
- mobilization
- transformation
impactRadius: national
velocity: sudden
predictability: emergent
intentionality: spontaneous
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: growth
metaDescription: Turkish uprising in 2013 against urban development and government authoritarianism, centered in Istanbul's Gezi Park.
wikidataQid: Q13410316
