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22 arrested in Ankara for engaging in illegal acts during protests

22 June 2013 23:57 (UTC +04:00)

The suspects who were accused of organizing the protests in Ankara were questioned by Ankara prosecutors on Friday and Saturday and then referred to court for arrest. The court ruled to arrest 22 of them while the remaining three were released on probation.

Tens of thousands of people joined nationwide protests following a police crackdown on participants in a peaceful sit-in in Ä°stanbul's Gezi Park near Taksim Square on May 27. The protesters are dissatisfied with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan's 10-year rule and his government's plans to build a replica of the Topçu Barracks in the park as part of the Taksim rejuvenation project. Five people, including a policeman, have died and more than 5,000 have been injured in the clashes, according to a Turkish rights group.