Development Plans Sparked Turkey Protests

---

The violent street protests that have rocked Turkey are rooted in years of political and religious tension, but the recent conflict was ignited by anger over development in the country.

The initial conflict stemmed over plans to redevelop Gezi Park, which has been described as the last stretch of greenery in Istanbul. Plans called for the construction of a replica of Ottoman-era army barracks and a shopping mall, described by one historian as "a Las Vegas of Ottoman splendor."

"For many Turks, though, the development is not so much progress as a reflection of growing autocratic ambitions by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government," New York Times reporter Tim Arango wrote in a recent blog. "In full public view, a long struggle over urban spaces is erupting as a broader fight over Turkish identity, where difficult issues of religion, social class and politics intersect."

The park plan was just the latest of several projects that government opponents say have been pushed through without proper input from the public. The list includes a historic movie theater which was torn down to make room for a shopping mall, the redevelopment of poor neighborhoods in Istanbul, a new bridge over the Bosporus and a canal that split the Eastern edge of the city.

Critics charge the government with ignoring opposing viewpoints.