Turkey Economic protests spark clashes in Turkey 29/11/08 19:27 CET

There have been clashes in Turkey as the country’s two largest unions took to the streets to protest against spiralling prices and a possible government deal with the International Monetary Fund.

Turkey is in negotiations for a loan from the IMF. But the Unionists say they will not pay the price for the financial crisis.

“We are here to protest against price increases and being poor”, said one man. “We have had 80 to 90 per cent price increases in energy, food and every aspect of our lives since the beginning of the year”.

Thousands of people joined in the angry demonstrations, and not just unionists. Numerous university students took part too. They face a very uncertain future as unemployment in Turkey hovers around 10 per cent.