Turkish leaders have lined up to condemn the
Economist magazine for an editorial that urged voters to back the opposition in Sunday's election, calling it part of an anti-democratic, pro-Israeli campaign to weaken Turkey.
Opinion polls indicate Prime Minister
Tayyip Erdoğan's AK Party will comfortably secure a third term.
Erdoğan himself said the article showed Israeli influence.
"The international media, because they are backed by Israel, wouldn't be happy with the continuation of the AK Party government," Erdoğan said.
Relations between Turkey and Israel, which had already gone from friendly to strained after Israel's war in the Gaza Strip, broke down completely a year ago after Israeli commandos killed nine Turks in a raid on a flotilla carrying aid for Gaza.
In an editorial entitled "One for the opposition", the avowedly pro-free-market, pro-democracy Economist, which regularly expresses a party preference in advance of elections, wrote: "The best way for Turks to promote democracy would be to vote against the ruling party." State Minister Egemen Bağış, Turkey's chief negotiator in membership talks with the EU, said the foreign press was now included in an alliance under the umbrella of "anti-democratic and mafia-like organisations".
"The Economist, in order to redeem itself, should ask for an apology from Turkish nation," Bağış wrote in a newsletter.
A leading member of Erdoğan's AK Party, which currently has a large majority in parliament, saw the article as reflecting a desire in Europe to weaken Turkey
"A growing Turkey does not suit the British or the Germans or the French. They want Turkey to be condemned to coalition governments again. That is the scenario," Anatolian reported senior AK Party official Suat Kilic as saying.
The Economist said it was not surprising voters were set to return the AK Party to power as the economy had done very well under its rule, while reforms had secured the start of EU talks and sent the politically intrusive army back to its barracks.
But it said Erdoğan's victories in struggles with the army and judiciary had eliminated many checks and balances, freeing him to "indulge his natural intolerance of criticism" and feeding his "autocratic instincts".
A vote for the opposition
CHP "would both reduce the risks of unilateral changes that would make the constitution worse and give the opposition a fair chance of winning a future election",
"That would be by far the best guarantee of Turkey's democracy," it said.
Responding to the European Parliament resolution condemning the police crackdown on protests sparked by redevelopment plans for Gezi Park, Prime Minister Erdoğan stated “They are confused. They have no fidelity,” and added that European politicians and institutions instantly laid down their masks in order to provoke events. 
One man’s passive defiance by way of standing in place in Taksim Square and looking straight at the Atatürk Culture Center, quickly turned into a social media phenomenon last night. 
Infuriating Germans, Green Party Co-Chair Roth was subjected to pepper spray in Istanbul. Commenting on the incident, German nationals say, “It turns out Erdoğan was right in saying that there are foreign forces triggering Taksim, and Roth’s presence is now proof.” Other comments include, “If Abdullah Gül showed up at Occupy Frankfurt of if Erdoğan was involved in the Stuttgart 21 demonstrations, the ground would shake!”
The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality has been working continuously since last night on clearing and landscaping Taksim Square and Gezi Park. 
Explaining that the Gezi Park protests were planned six months ago, EU Minister Bağış states, “These protests are an attempt to trigger a move which will end in regime change in Turkey.” Bağış also discussed Prime Minister Erdoğan’s style with the Wall Street Journal. 
They came by land, they came by sea, and they came to hear their Prime Minister speak. Yesterday’s Kazlıçeşme rally in support of Prime Minister Erdoğan saw over a million supporters come out to the square with AK Party and Turkish flags in hand, giving true sentiment to the figures of Erdoğan’s support rate. 
Istanbul Governor Mutlu is calling on protesters to refrain from responding to calls on social media to gather in Taksim because he says; peace has been established once again in Istanbul. 
Nearly a million Istanbul residents flocked out to see Prime Minister Erdoğan speak at an AK Party rally in Kazlıçeşme on Sunday. Istanbul residents want the vandalism of protesters destroying and setting the city on fire to come to an end as soon as possible. Meanwhile, they also support Erdoğan’s referendum proposal.
On the first presidential visit to Ardahan in 18 years, President Gül had the chance to comment on the European Parliament’s resolution vote on Thursday by stating, “When reacting they need to have enough information to realize what is what.”
The number one suspect accused of planning and staging the twin bombings in the Hatay town of Reyhanlı, which killed 52 people, Nasır Eskiocak as well as three other perpetrators were arrested on Friday. 
Istanbul Governor Mutlu held discussions with protesters which started late Thursday night and went on into the early morning hours of Friday. There was no lapse in respect during the talks that were both peaceful and spirited. The main questioned asked was who ordered the use of disproportionate force. 
After deliberations between Prime Minister Erdoğan and other government officials with a delegation representing the Gezi Park protesters which went on into the morning hours of Friday, a decision was reached to respect judicial rulings and citizens’ opinions. Bringing the Gezi Park protests to a close with a series of artistic events is also now on the agenda.
Foreign Minister Davutoğlu says the European Parliament resolution adopted on Thursday is unacceptable and should they notify Turkey of the resolution, then Turkey will instantly return the gesture. 
At 2 pm on Thursday afternoon, a Turkish youth activist group ‘Bizim Çocuklar’ (Our Youth) orchestrated a protest of what they view as the double standard exhibited by western media outside the BBC’s Turkey Office in Istanbul’s prestigious Nisantaş neighbourhood.
