On May 28, 2013 a big protest started in Istanbul after the government decided to destroy one of the biggest parks in the city, Gezi Park for urban development. Thousands of people reacted in tens of cities, not just because the government will cut the trees of Gezi Park and damage the nature but also because the democracy in the country is in danger and the government keeps forcing people to accept its decisions without any objections. After people start protesting for their rights the police attacked them with tear gas and rubber bullets. Many people got injured, many people died and most importantly the international media showed every second of the protests.

Tourism’s a major factor of income in Turkey. Istanbul hosts approximately 12 millions of tourists each year. However since Gezi Park is located in a highly touristic place, during the protests tourists were also under the attack of police. Therefore the number of tourists visiting Istanbul decreased dramatically in last 5 months. Many tourists cancelled their reservations. This cost 55 million euros to hotels in Istanbul. There is no significant change in politics after the protests. People still protest from time to time and apparently the tourism sector will get smaller.

Sources:

The Gezi Park Protests and the Future of Turkish Politics: An Interview with Seyla Benhabib

http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/tourism/2013/06/21/Turkey-Gezi-Park-protests-cost-55-million-euros-hotels_8905647.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23795857