The current Turkish government has been jailing journalists for years.
Whilst the constitution makes the country ostensibly secular, the AKP has been slowly turning it into an Islamist state. I assumed that's what was fundamentally behind the protests, but maybe it's just another anti-corporate thing.
The initial action was a picnic of 50 people to protest removal of trees from Gezi Parkı which was subjected to intense police reaction.
If you recall the London riots (during which I was in Wales), rude attitude of police and political scandals were among the suggested reasons, which are also among the facts that inducted things happened here in Turkey.
I wouldn't compare these events. London riots started after a person died while being followed by the police. At night, a group of people went close to the police station and, without any intervention by the police, started burning some of the nearby buildings. Then it just went from there without any police intervention at all. If there's one thing to say about the London riots is how polite police was with the whole events.
You assume correct, this protests are no longer really about a shopping mall or a park. There was a small protest to that and the reaction to it has set in motion a new protest that has been bubbling under the service for a long time now.
Whilst the constitution makes the country ostensibly secular, the AKP has been slowly turning it into an Islamist state. I assumed that's what was fundamentally behind the protests, but maybe it's just another anti-corporate thing.