Thousands Protest Government in Ankara
Protests spread throughout the Turkish capital during the day with thousands then gathering in front of the Council of State building where arriving military force commanders were cheered and applauded as spectators shouted slogans calling on the pro-Islamic Justice and Development Party (AKP) government to resign.
The protests came amid reports that the assailant lawyer, captured after gunning down the group of judges during their regular morning meeting in the 2nd chamber office, would stay in custody until Monday and that three other suspects believed to be connected to the case were detained Wednesday night.
Lawyer Alpaslan Arslan opened fire on the judges with a Glock handgun severely wounding two of them. Judge Yucel Ozbilgin who received a head injury in the attack died in Hacettepe hospital the same day. Newspapers showed photographs of Arslan being led out of the building by police officers after being made to wear a bullet proof vest. He was identified as a lawyer with extreme rightwing views.
"Turkey is secular and will remain secular" shouted the protestors at Anitkabir mausoleum Thursday morning as senior jurists, lawyers, lecturers, students, members of parliament and retired military officers from around the country joined the group to condemn the attack.
The protest was covered live by most private Turkish television stations although the state-run TRT appeared to favour its scheduled programmes instead.
Council of State president Sumru Cortoglu, Constitutional Court President Tukay Tugcu and Court of Appeals President Osman Arslan were in the lead of the morning protestors representing the highest judicial administrative organs of the state.
On behalf of the three presidents, Tugcu wrote in the Anitkabir book that Council of State had been subject to "a treacherous attack in its 138th year of coming to being and added that while they condemned the attack, nothing would force them to turn from Ataturk's path and principles.
Following the Antikabir visit, a ceremony was held for Ozbilgin in front of the Interior Ministry building in Ankara while groups of citizens leaving the mausoleum and others joining them on the streets gathered in front of the Council of State building.
Slogans protested the attack but the arrival of military force commanders for a ceremony there was greeted by cheers and applauses. Members of the AKP who came for the ceremony were whistled at and protested with the slogans "Government Resign". (II/YE)