More Than 40,000 Protest Bush in Istanbul

[NNN0LHI]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGB92692ZVD.html

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) - Tens of thousands of Turks chanting anti-Bush slogans demonstrated against the president's visit to their country on Sunday and a NATO summit.

Bush is unpopular in Turkey, where the overwhelming majority of the public opposed the Iraq war. As the president arrived in Turkey Saturday, supporters of Jordanian-born militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi said they kidnapped three Turkish workers in Iraq, Arab TV station al-Jazeera reported. The group has threatened to behead the hostages, an al-Jazeera employee told The Associated Press.

The protest in the Kadikoy district, on the Asian side of Istanbul, attracted more than 40,000 people, mostly members of leftist groups, police said. There were some 100 foreign protesters from Greece, Britain, The Netherlands, Portugal and Syria.

"We want to throw NATO out of Istanbul," said Dogan Aytac, a Turkish protester with a flag in his hat that read: "Get out Bush!"

more

[dand]

1. He is the most hated man on the planet

and an embarassment to this country, thanks for a great article NNNOLHI.

[MaineDem]

2. Timing of the hostage taking in Iraq is not good

And I'm sure it wasn't a coincidence. If those men are killed it will not be pleasant in Turkey. As much as I detest Bush I don't want anything to happen to him there.

[struggle4progress]

13. He has a huge security detail. eom

[louis-t]

16. They have free speech zones there too!

Keeping them miles from shrub.

[struggle4progress]

18. Apparently, the ruling class has little originality. eom

[Paradise]

3. And now we have the Wild-eyed Turks! Hmmm! nt

[dbt]

4. It's the Worldwide Coalition of the Wild-Eyed!

This globalization's a bitch, ain't it, Your Heinous?

:evilgrin:
dbt

[Paradise]

6. LOL! Great observation, dbt! :) nt

[dArKeR]

5. MSWHORE says 20K

ISTANBUL, Turkey - About 20,000 demonstrators, some chanting "USA get out of the Middle East!" gathered Sunday in a square to protest the visit of U.S. President George W. Bush and an upcoming NATO summit.

Bush is unpopular in Turkey, where the overwhelming majority of the public opposed the Iraq war. As Bush arrived in Turkey Saturday, supporters of Jordanian-born militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi said they kidnapped three Turkish workers in Iraq, Arab TV station al-Jazeera reported. The group has threatened to behead the hostage, an al-Jazeera employee told The Associated Press.

The protest in the Kadikoy district, on the Asian side of Istanbul, attracted tens of thousands of people, mostly members of leftist groups. The summit is to be held on the European side of the city, across the Bosporus Strait, some 6 miles from Kadikoy.

Turkey has dramatically boosted security ahead of Bush's arrival and the NATO summit.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5297273/

[susu369]

9. Good catch, dArKer

guess MSWHORE got a call.

[Tellurian]

7. If Bush went to Borneo, there would be 20,000 pygmy protesters

carrying mini placards. Bush is the most hated man on the planet!

[54anickel]

8. Looks like Shrub is taking NATO down the sewer hole with him. Wonder

if that's by design?

[DoYouEverWonder]

10. I notice there have been very few photo ops

or news coming out of this trip. Usually an overseas trip is a great way for a pResident to look presidential. This trip is unique. W is such a pariah, that he is shunned wherever he goes.

[hel]

11. Turkish TVs reporting more than 50,000.

And they are not known for overestimating protesting crowds either.

Here's a picture:



Slogans read "Don't come Bush!" and "Get lost Bush!" (actually it's a little bit politer version of "Fuck Off Bush!" in Turkish)

[struggle4progress]

14. Will 50000 Democrats will turn out if Bush steals the next election? eom

[louis-t]

17. World to Bush:

Fuck yourself.

[Strelnikov_]

12. Anyone Who Can Bring Greeks And Turks Together . . .

is truly a uniter.

"A 20-year-old Greek protester, Odysseas Maaita, said, "We are here to express our solidarity with the Turkish people, with the people of the Middle East and all others that are under attack, to say that we are against NATO."

[hel]

15. It's the nationalists and right-wingers on both sides

that hate each other. When a really big earthquake hit Turkey in 1999, Greeks were one of the first to arrive for help with rescue operations and with support.

Warmongering politicians on both sides are keeping the people apart.

[truthisfreedom]

19. if bush went to the south pole, penguins would protest him.

and there would be "free skreech" zones as well.