Protests in Turkey that have sparked clashes with police and embroiled Istanbul in violence left investors reeling on Monday, as stock indexes fell by more than 6 percent.
At the same time the index fell, the cost of insuring Turkey’s debt rose — laying the groundwork for more government intervention and more anti-government protests, BBC reported.
Protesters initially rallied against a planned shopping mall build in an Istanbul park that necessitated the tear-down of dozens of trees, but protests rapidly expanded to an anti-government message in general. Over the past week, the protests have spread about the nation and turned violent.
Police have fired water canons and tear gas to control the crowds, and the Interior Ministry said 1,700 have been detained so far, BBC reported.
Meanwhile, mosques, colleges and stores have been turned into makeshift medical treatment facilities to help the hundreds who have been injured, BBC said.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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