ISTANBUL (AA) - Istanbul's Mayor Kadir Topbas commented Monday on Gezi Park protests, saying they might bring results that they could not clean up in 1-2 years.
Coming together with tourism representatives in Istanbul, Topbas said they met with a group of Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) parliamentarians to leave the Gezi Park incidents behind, which harms Turkey's image.
Topbas stated works at Gezi Park were finished with "a serious environmentalist sympathy", adding the public will be informed and a public opinion poll would take place in further levels, after the decision to stop the enforcement of barracks 'Topcu Kislasi' and judicial process would end.
"Let's not spoil it and not cause the city to be troubled anymore," Topbas said.
He added it was time to 2020 Olympic Games' decision level and stressed, "If these troubles continue here, 2020 Olympics would fizzle out. Who'll lose? As a nation, we'll lose. Istanbul will lose."
Police had intervened in a group of people at Taksim Gezi Park in Istanbul by using tear gas and pressurized water against those protesting the demolition of the park and uprooting of the trees on May 31, 2013.
Within the scope of the Taksim pedestrianization project, approved by the government in February 2012, the Gezi Park walls facing the Elmadag area were demolished by construction workers on Monday night. Shortly after, a group of protesters came to the park to prevent further uprooting of the trees and demolition of walls.
Earlier, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan commented on the protests by saying that the government had made its decision and there would be no U-turn in this regard.
Turkey was determined to host the 2020 Olympics and embrace the world on the international stage like it has done for thousands of years, had said Turkish Youth and Sports Minister Suat Kilic on May 30, 2013.
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