In 2013, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in Istanbul to protest government plans to build over one of the capital’s last remaining parks. What began as a demonstration over the loss of green space, however, soon spiraled into something far larger.
The excessive police response to the protests galvanised anger at the increasing authoritarianism of then prime minister – and now president – Recep Tayyip Erdogan. A wave of unrest erupted across Turkey.
Just over a fortnight into the peaceful occupation of the park, protesters were violently evicted by police: 22 people were killed and more than 8,000 were injured.
