Gezi Park set to open to public on Sunday or Monday: Istanbul governor

ISTANBUL

Dozers replaced protesters after their heavy-handed eviction three weeks ago. The Istanbul Municipality said work was underway to plant trees and flowers. DHA photo

Istanbul's Gezi Park, which became the symbol of nationwide protests and has been cordoned off by the police for three weeks, is set to be reopened tomorrow, the governor of Istanbul announced today via Twitter.

"We are holding the much-anticipated opening of Gezi Park tomorrow. The park, which has been improved by the Istanbul Municipality, may bring peace and joy," Hüseyin Avni Mutlu wrote on his Twitter account.

He later told reporters that it would be opened on "Sunday or Monday."

The park has been sealed off since the police evicted protesters three weeks ago. The Istanbul Municipality had said that it undertook work to plant trees and flowers. It was claimed that the park would reopen just before the month of Ramadan, which starts on July 9.

"The park should be used as a park," Mutlu said. "We need peaceful Ramadan days."