In the shadow of the exacerbating economic crisis in Turkey, the rule of the president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is tightening his grip on freedom of protest in the country, out of fear of a mass flare-up of anti-government demonstrations.
Dozens of people were arrested last night (light for Friday) and several were injured after police opened fire on tear gas at a march for women's rights in the country's largest city in Istanbul.
In another case, a demonstration against inflation and economic hardship was dispersed by police officers armed with batons and several people were injured.
The protesters called for "burying the Justice and Development Party" in reference to President Erdogan's party.
The protests are part of an organized effort by the opposition to put pressure on the government in order to bring about elections in the country, elections that according to some polls could end in defeat for the ruling party and incumbent President Erdogan.
The Turkish lira has lost 15 percent in the past week, as part of President Erdogan's economic plan to cut interest rates in the economy, contrary to warnings from economists and opposition from senior financial institutions in the country.
Rushing inflation has hit hard in the pockets of Turkish citizens who are discovering that the purchasing power of their salaries has dramatically wiped out in a short time.
The worst hit by the economic crisis is Erdogan's support base, the weakest in the country's urban centers, who earn a minimum wage of less than three hundred dollars a month.
Erdogan support among these sectors in recent months, according to research institutes in Turkey, has suffered significant erosion.
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