Turkey’s New Opposition

Change is in the air in Turkey following anti-government protests centred on a park in Istanbul - but where will it end? Emre Azizlerli of the BBC Turkish Service explores the strange new alliances forged in Turkey's anti-government protests, and asks if this diverse movement can hold together.

He meets the anti-capitalist Islamists who have made common cause with environmentalists and secularists as well as gay and lesbian groups. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan refers to the protesters as "piteous rodents".

The government has reacted by clamping down and sending in the riot police. Can the very different groups which oppose Erdogan really make common cause?

Produced by Mark Savage.

(Image of a flag seller in Istanbul with a picture of Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey. BBC Copyright)