Over one million secularists demonstrated in Istanbul today against the threat of Islamic rule.
Pro-secular demonstrators wave Turkish flags during a rally in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 29, 2007. (AP)
Swiss Info reported on this massive protest against Islamic rule in Turkey:
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Up to a million people rallied in a sea of red Turkish flags on Sunday, accusing the government of planning an Islamist state and demanding it withdraw its presidential candidate.
But despite the Istanbul protests and a threat from the powerful army to intervene in the election, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, architect of Turkey’s EU membership drive, said he would remain the ruling AK Party’s candidate for head of state.
The protesters flooded the streets of Turkey’s largest city, praising the army and denouncing Gul and Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, whose AK Party enjoys a huge parliamentary majority, as a threat to a secular order separating state and religion.
“Turkey is secular and will remain secular,” they chanted.
“Turkey is under threat from the AK Party leadership… We will not be able to express our thoughts like this if they stay in power,” said protester Cigdem Yilmaz, 22, a student.
Pro-secular demonstrators chant slogans during a rally in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 29, 2007. Hundreds of thousands of pro-secular Turks flooded central Istanbul to demand the resignation of the government. (AP)
The demonstration was prompted by a row over the ruling party’s candidate for Turkey’s president, amid fears of a drift towards Islamist influence. (BBC)
Pro-secular demonstrators wave Turkish flags during a rally in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 29, 2007. Tens of thousands of secular Turks gathered in Istanbul, chanting slogans against the pro-Islamic government, which has faced severe criticism from the powerful military for allegedly tolerating the activities of radical Islamic circles. It was the second large demonstration against the government in just two weeks and shows a deepening division between secular and Islamist camps in Turkish society. More than 300,000 secular Turks staged a similar rally in Ankara two weeks ago. (AP Photo/Murad Sezer)
(Hurriyet)
One sign called for the candidate, Abdullah Gul, to stand down unless he distanced himself from his Islamic roots. The sign reads Goodbye Gul. (BBC)
KimArar who went down to the protest sends this link to more pictures HERE.
Previously:
300,000 Protest Mounting Islamic Threat in Turkey
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