Quadriga
Among the accusations being levelled at Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan are claims he has surrounded himself with Yes-men, handed building contracts to his favorites and, above all, that he is no longer listening to the people. Yet many also acknowledge that Erdogan has done a lot for the country: he has made Turkey economically successful and powerful.
The fact that the demonstrators are from almost all sections of society seems to have caught Erdogan by surprise. He has put the blame on extremists, foreign powers and political opponents.
But Turkey's President Abdullah Gül has made it clear that diverging opinions and peaceful demonstrations are part of democracy.
Has the protest against the destruction of Istanbul's Gezi Park turned into a new political movement? Why has so much dissatisfaction with Erdogan built up? And do the demonstrators ultimately want?
Tell us what you think: Turkey in Turmoil - A Divided Society
Our guests:
Gökçen B. Dinç – was until recently the editor of the leading Turkish news magazine "Yeni Aktüel". Her work as a journalist has focused on Islam, human rights and minorities in Turkey. She is currently studying gender at the Humboldt University in Berlin.
Markus Kaim - After graduating in political science, Markus Kaim went to Washington on a fellowship. That was followed by time spent lecturing at the University of Jena, and later back in Washington. In 2007 he went to Toronto as a guest lecturer having worked since 2005 for the Research Division "International Security" at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin. Today he's the head of that division.
Kübra Gümüsay – is a columnist for German newspaper "die tageszeitung". She writes a popular blog and has been nominated as one of Germany's most promising young journalists. A Turkish-German Muslim, she was born in Hamburg in 1988.