Editing Taksim Square (section)

===Gezi Park protests===
{{main|Gezi Park protests}}

[[File:June08-GeziParkiTaksimSquare.jpg|thumb|left|Taksim during the [[Gezi Park protests|2013 protests]]]]

In 2013, [[2013 Gezi Park protests in Turkey|protests took place]] in Taksim in opposition to the reconstruction of the Ottoman era [[Taksim Military Barracks]] (demolished in 1940 to create [[Taksim Gezi Park|Gezi Park]]) and a [[shopping center|shopping centre]] on the site of Gezi Park.<ref name="hurriyetdailynews">{{cite news |url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/taksim-park-protests-in-4th-day-amid-police-crackdown-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=47946&NewsCatID=341 |title=Taksim park protests in 4th day amid police crackdown |work=Hurriyet Daily News |date=31 May 2013 |access-date=31 May 2013}}</ref> In the early morning of May 31, [[General Directorate of Security (Turkey)|police]] forces moved in on the demonstrators and people sleeping in tents, and tried to disperse them with [[tear gas]], [[pepperspray]] and [[water cannon]]s.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/may/31/istanbul-park-protests-turkish-spring|title=Istanbul park protests sow the seeds of a Turkish spring|first=Richard|last=Seymour|date=31 May 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|newspaper=New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/01/world/europe/police-attack-protesters-in-istanbuls-taksim-square.html|title=Peaceful Protest Over Istanbul Park Turns Violent as Police Crack Down|first1=Tim|last1=Arango|first2=Ceylan|last2=Yeginsu|date=31 May 2013}}</ref>

[[File:Gay pride Istanbul 2013 - Taksim Square.jpg|thumb|The 2013 [[Istanbul Pride|Istanbul LGBT Pride]] at Taksim Square in Istanbul]]

The demonstrators criticized Prime Minister (now President) [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]] for his uncompromising stance on this controversial issue and for the Turkish police's excessive use of force against the demonstrators.<ref name="zeit1">{{cite news|newspaper=Die Zeit|url=http://www.zeit.de/gesellschaft/zeitgeschehen/2013-05/istanbul-protest-erdogan-taksim-gezi/komplettansicht|title=Eine Ahnung von Tahrir in Istanbul|lang=de|trans-title=An Inkling of Tahrir in Istanbul|first=Michael|last=Thumann|date=31 May 2013}}</ref>

The large number of trees in the forests of northern Istanbul that were cut down to provide access to the [[Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge]] (Third Bosphorus Bridge) and the new [[Istanbul Airport|Istanbul International Airport]]<ref name=newsweek>{{cite news|url=http://www.newsweek.com/istanbuls-new-erdogan-backed-airport-be-named-after-erdogan-264580|title=Istanbul's New Erdoğan-Backed Airport to Be Named After... Erdoğan|website=Newsweek|first=Damien|last=Sharkov|date=14 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/business_istanbuls-new-airport-to-be-named-after-erdogan_355576.html|newspaper=Today's Zaman|title=İstanbul's new airport to be named after Erdoğan|date=13 August 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140818020602/http://www.todayszaman.com/business_istanbuls-new-airport-to-be-named-after-erdogan_355576.html|archive-date=18 August 2014}}</ref><ref name=IBT>{{cite web|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/erdogan-airport-istanbuls-super-hub-be-named-after-turkeys-president-elect-1461166|title=Erdogan Airport: Istanbul's Super Hub 'to be Named After Turkey's President-Elect'|first=Gianluca|last=Mezzofiore|date=14 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkeys-largest-airport-is-worthy-of-recep-tayyip-erdogans-name-minister-says-70374|title=Turkey's largest airport is worthy of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's name, minister says|website=Hürriyet Daily News|date=14 August 2014 }}</ref> (the world's largest airport)<ref name=newsweek/><ref name=IBT/><ref name="star">{{cite news |newspaper=[[Star (Turkish newspaper)|Star]] |url=http://haber.stargazete.com/ekonomi/3-havalimaninda-tarih-belli-oldu/haber-721825 |title=Dünyanın en büyük havalimanı İstanbul'a yapılıyor |lang=tr |trans-title=The World's Largest Airport is being Built in Istanbul |date=23 January 2013 |access-date=24 January 2013 }}</ref> were other factors that triggered the [[Gezi Park protests]]. According to official Turkish government data, a total of 2,330,012<ref name="OdaTV">{{Cite news |date=16 September 2013 |title=İstanbul'da 2 milyon 700 bin ağaç kesilecek |trans-title=2 Million 700 Thousand Trees will be Cut Down in Istanbul |website=oda TV |url=https://odatv4.com/istanbulda-2-milyon-700-bin-agac-kesilecek--1609131200.html |lang=tr}}</ref><ref name="T24">{{Cite news |date=17 September 2013 |title=3. köprü ve 3. havalimanı için 2 milyon 330 bin ağaç kesilecek! |trans-title=2.33 Million Trees will be Cut Down for the Third Bridge and the Third Airport! |website=T24 |url=http://t24.com.tr/haber/3-kopru-ve-3-havalimani-icin-2-milyon-330-bin-agac-kesilecek/239712 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130920032657/http://t24.com.tr/haber/3-kopru-ve-3-havalimani-icin-2-milyon-330-bin-agac-kesilecek/239712 |archive-date=20 September 2013 |lang=tr}}</ref> trees have been cut down to make way for the airport and its road connections; while a further 381,096<ref name=OdaTV/><ref name=T24/> trees were cut down to make way for the highways leading to the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge.<ref name=T24/>