Turkey Snap Analysis: Will Syria & Reyhanli Protests Undermine the Government?
Monday, May 20, 2013 at 7:39
Since the double car bombing on 11 May that killed at least 46 people in Reyhanli, kilometres from the Syrian border, there have been a series of protests in the city calling on the government to resign due to its Syrian policy. In the latest show of opposition, 1500 people gathered in the town hall and marched toward police barriers, clashing with security forces.
This, however, was far from an "anti-Turkish" protest. In contrast to student-led demonstrations in Ankara and Istanbul, Reyhanli residents waved Turkish flags, showing their loyalty and love for the country if not for the government. For the protesters, it is the government's Syrian policy which is a threat to the nation.
Can this movement, building on concern over Syria, challenge Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's "one state, one nation, one flag" motto?
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