Description
People in Istanbul take to the streets to mark the 10th anniversary of the Gezi protests which united hundreds of thousands of people across Turkey against Erdogan's authoritarian policies. Initially sparked by plans to mow down an Istanbul park, the demonstrations morphed into a wider protest movement that rocked Erdogan's government. "The reasons behind our struggle are still valid today and we still have hope," says activist Sedat Durel. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's re-election has dashed hopes for high-profile opposition figures who have been jailed during his rule, where a crackdown on dissent intensified following a failed 2016 coup. Philanthropist Osman Kavala was sentenced to life and six co-defendants were given 18-year jail terms at the trial known as "Gezi" trials during which leading human rights activists were held responsible for organising the mass protests. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES