Bikini-Clad Lady Protester 'Shocks and Awes' Istanbul

Mine Dost protests in bikini on Taksim square, photo by hurriyet.com.tr

A woman in bikini has joined the antigovernment demonstration on "Taksim" Square in Istanbul, Turkey on June 20.

She supported the new form of "standing" protest started by a performance artist who stood still for eight hours on the square.

Mine Dost appeared only in bikini and running shoes while the protesters were standing silently or reading, the English-language edition of the Turkish Hurriyet Daily News, reported.

Dost did not join the silent protest but started dancing to music. Later, she said that she was a doctor and that she was born in Germany.  She said that her behavior intended to "bring freedom to Turkey."

"I wanted to make people think with my dance. Freedom has to come to Turkey," Dost explained.

Many of the passerby and some demonstrators reacted negatively to her protest and a woman shouted angrily at Dost and at those watching her.

Police officers took Dost away.  She put her clothes on and left the square but said she would come back.

Dost did indeed return in the evening and repeated her act. This time, however, she was detained and taken to the Taksim Police Department for questioning.

Turkey nationwide protests against the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party entered its fourth week.

The "standing" protest initiated by performance artist Erdem Gunduz on June 17 has been taken up by hundreds of anti-government demonstrators and spread to several Turkish cities.

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