Bikini-clad woman joins standing protesters in Istanbul's Taksim Square

ISTANBUL

Mine Dost suddenly appeared with her bikini in Taksim Square and started to dance in front of the small group of 'standing protesters.' DHA photo

A woman in a bikini joined protesters June 20 to support the dissent in a new form of civil disobedience inspired by a performance artist's solo act, in which he stood still for eight hours in Istanbul's Taksim Square.

As Turkey entered its fourth week of nationwide protests, Mine Dost suddenly appeared in front of the many demonstrators – who were standing silently looking at the Atatürk Cultural Center or reading – wearing only a bikini and running shoes.

Dost, who later said she was a doctor, did not stand imitating the other protesters but started to dance while listening to music. She said she had been born in Germany and intended to "bring freedom to Turkey." "I wanted to make people think with my dance. Freedom has to come to Turkey," she said. 

However, many of the protesters did not react well to her initiative. Some protesters accused her of "making a show of herself" while one woman shouted angrily both at Dost and those who were watching her. As she was taken away from the square by police officers, Dost put her clothes back on to prevent the incident from escalating further. She left the square but said she would return.

Dost reappeared at the square in the evening hours and repeated her act. This time, however, the police stepped in and detained her, taking her to the Taksim Police Department for questioning.

The "standing protests" have now entered their fifth day, after Erdem Gündüz – now dubbed "the standing man" – became an icon with his solo protest on June 17. Since his act, people in many cities have gathered in small numbers to stand for a while, in a show of silent support for the protests.