REPORT: Turkish man killed by taxi driving into group of protesters -medics

         
A 20-year-old Turkish man died when a taxi drove into a group of demonstrators on an Istanbul highway during an anti-government protest, Turkish doctors' association TBB said on Monday, the first known death related to the demonstrations.        

The protester was named as Mehmet Ayvalitas, and TBB board member Huseyin Demirduzen said four other people were also injured, one of them seriously.     

This as Turkey's Public Workers Unions Confederation (KESK) said it would hold a "warning strike" on June 4-5 to protest at a crackdown on anti-government protests over the last four days.         

Earlier, protesters and police scuffled in Istanbul taking the anti-regime demonstrations that have engulfed Turkey into their fourth day.          

In the Besiktas neighborhood, a scene of some of the fiercest clashes since the violence erupted last week, demonstrators reportedly drove a digger into the middle of the street to block police from reaching them.        

Police eventually cleared the area after firing tear gas into the crowds, rubber bullets were also used.      

The demonstrations have also spread into the capital Ankara and the third largest city, Izmir.         

Hundreds of people have been arrested and many have been injured as police try to quell the crowds of people, many of whom are asking the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to resign from his position.          

Positions:          

Turkish President Abdullah Gul said that peaceful demonstrations were part of democracy, following days of fierce anti-government protests.         

In comments to reporters, Gul called on people to remain calm and said the "necessary messages" from the protests had been noted. He said illegal groups should not be allowed to get involved.          

In turn, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan called for calm after a weekend of fierce anti-government protests, and urged people not to be provoked by demonstrations he said had been organized by "extremist elements".

For its part, the United States is concerned by reports of excessive use of force by Turkish police, calls for restraint and strongly supports the right to peaceful protests, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday.          

"We are concerned by the reports of excessive use of force by police. We obviously hope that there will be a full investigation of those incidents and full restraint from the police force," Kerry said in a rebuke to NATO ally Turkey, which is grappling with some of its most violent riots in decades.    


REUTERS/AP


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