Reclaiming of Istanbul’s Taksim Square by Erdogan Supporters Sparks Trepidation in Some Quarters

In the week since President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Turks to occupy the streets and thwart an attempted coup, Istanbul’s Taksim Square has transformed from a scene of military occupation into a site of euphoric celebration.

Night after night, thousands of people drive through the city, waving Turkish flags and blaring patriotic songs as they flood into Taksim Square, heeding Mr. Erdogan’s call to stay on alert.

“Continue your resistance and duty to guard democracy,” Mr. Erdogan wrote in a text message sent to millions of Turkish cellphones on Thursday. “The owners of our squares are not tanks, but the people.”

The celebrations mark a dramatic turnabout for Mr. Erdogan, a polarizing leader whose crackdown on domestic dissent has tarnished his reputation at home and abroad.

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“There’s a risk here that this could easily lead to attacks against minorities and other vulnerable communities,” said Aykan Erdemir, a former opposition lawmaker in Turkey who now serves as a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “This could lead to vigilantism and this could get out of control.”

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