Political Tensions Arise in Turkey Ahead of Elections

(Wall Street Journal) Joe Parkinson and Ayla Albayrak - Days of protests in Turkey have deepened fears of a resurgence of political violence. Thousands gathered in the central Istanbul neighborhood of Kulaksiz Dortyol to mark the burial of 22-year-old Burak Karamanoglu who was fatally shot on Wednesday. The episodes, including the vandalizing and torching of offices of rival political parties, come after the death of teenager Berkin Elvan on Tuesday that kicked off the largest anti-government demonstrations since last year. Political tensions have risen sharply since the emergence in December of a sprawling corruption scandal that touches the prime minister and dozens of his allies. Three elections in the next 16 months are set to shape the political scene in Turkey for the next decade.


2014-03-14 00:00:00

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