Hours after saying the government has “arrived at the end of our patience,” Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan agreed Thursday afternoon to meet with a group opposed to redevelopment of the park that is at the center of protests that have rocked Turkey for two weeks.
From Reuters:
Erdogan has already discussed the plans to build over the park with various people who support the protesters, but until Thursday had refused to meet with the Taksim Solidarity group at the heart of the campaign to protect the park.
“Upon the prime minister’s invitation, members of the Taksim Solidarity will discuss with him our view that Gezi Park should remain a park,” Eyup Muhcu, head of the Chamber of Architects, told Reuters.
Musicians and actors were also in the delegation to meet Erdogan in Ankara around 11 pm, media reports said.
Erdogan, who has accused foreign forces, international media and market speculators of stoking the unrest and trying to undermine the Turkish economy, said he would “share with the nation” at another AKP meeting on Friday details of what he termed a “game being played with Turkey”.
Earlier this morning, Erdogan had issued a final warning to the protestors, urging parents with children to return home.
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And by ‘meet’, Erdogan means threaten, bribe, or blackmail.