Fourth person dies from injuries after Turkish protests -brother

 

A 26-year-old Turkish man died on Friday from injuries sustained during days of fierce anti-government protests in Ankara, his brother said, making him the fourth person to be killed in Turkey's worst riots for decades.            

Ethem Sarisuluk had been in intensive care for more than 10 days being treated for a head trauma, the Turkish Medical Association said. His brother Mustafa told Reuters that his body was being taken to a forensic institute for an autopsy.           

This as Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan called on hundreds of protesters occupying central Istanbul's Gezi Park to leave, saying their message had been received by the government after talks aimed at ending two weeks of unrest.                      

"You have stayed here as long as you could and have relayed your message. If your message is about Taksim Gezi Park, it has been received and evaluated," Erdogan said at a meeting of his AK Party.                          

"Please now leave the Gezi Park and go to your homes."           

Earlier,  activists leading a sit-in in a coveted Istanbul park were considering a promise made by Erdogan in talks with activists overnight to let courts and a potential referendum  decide about a park redevelopment project that has sparked Turkey's biggest protests in decades.             

In last-ditch negotiations after Erdogan issued a "final warning" to protesters, his government said it would suspend a controversial development plan for Istanbul's Gezi Park until the courts could rule on its legality. If the courts rule in government's favor, than a referendum would be held in Istanbul on the development plan.              

If those protesting in Istanbul's Gezi park accept the offer, this could bring to a peaceful end to weeks long protests, which at times devolved into violent clashes with riot police  scenes that have dented the image of Erdogan's government on the world stage.            

An attempt to clear out the park on May 31 sparked demonstrations that morphed into broader protests against what many say is the prime minister's increasingly authoritarian style of government. Five people  four demonstrators and a police officer were killed in the protests that spread to dozens of other cities.             


AP/REUTERS