Here is a translation of the reader comments from the page in the link:

Bastards!-
These foreign people came to our country, whereas we are supposed to respect them and do our best to avoid irritating them in any way; there are certain hungry dogs amongs us; these boisterous bastards they take advantage of such a (special) night and attack them. Those foreigners have every right to blame us. Unless we get rid of those bastards among us, such incidents will continue. I am confident law enforcers will give the right punishment to the perpetrators. (01.01.2008 19:52:00 Cemil)

Urban bandits or bandits on mountains, where is the difference? It would be more proper to call this high treason.(01.01.2008 19:36:00 Use-polis)

Voila!
Whereas we Turks would once be proud of our humanistic values, we have begun competing with animals (in brutality). Congratulations on what you did! (01.01.2008 18:19:00 uğur)

Shame on you!
I am a Turk living in Germany. Such a thing would never occur in Germany. Germans point out to the same fact when speaking to us. This surely doesn't do justice to our image as Turks.

Disgusting!
... I would like to personally apoligize to those guests of ours . Those are certainly a pack of riff raff. That is not something to be expected of a decent Turkish citizen.

Though a bit on the rough side, this is the correct attidude for a nation who prides on hospitality of her citizens. (first message)

I do not consider other peanuts as a part of our citizenry, whatever their ethnic origin may be.

What is your problem?
Nobody took you out last night?

Foreign tourists celebrating in İstanbul’s Taksim Square were harassed by a group of intoxicated young men. The incident was discovered by İstanbul Police Chief Cerrah, who saw a pharmacy and sent a team to check on it, wondering why it was still open at that late hour. Two foreign women were hiding inside the pharmacy to avoid harassment on the street. The police dispersed the group of sexual harassers gathered in front of the drug store.

Another group of female tourists had to hide inside a Taksim hotel, again from aggressive young males sexually harassing them.


02.01.2008

İstanbul Today’s Zaman

for the photos:
http://www.stargazete.com/index.asp?haberID=136240

I realise this is rather off-topic, but I wonder why the two men in photos 3 and 4 are wearing the same jacket!!!

well if there was that amoung of man doing this to these girls! but there were more media workers i think...

so if they think this humanistic... instead of trying to take photos... why they dont put a hand and help those people...

hypocratic idiots!!

I meant to say this, but you were faster, both..

Don't you think that this has more to do with how the tourists behave towards the Turks? I can imagine that they'd drunk way too much and were maybe 'asking for it'??

I'm not trying to defend anyone, but I just wonder, coz these things happen in Amsterdam as well on new year's eve, and it's usually because of alcohol and not because people beat others just for 'fun'.

Dont even say evil turks again who the hell are ya? look your own people bfre talk about turks..

wht the hell thse guys doing at there at the midnight? for new year? drunk like hell? everything is so normal...they dont know even wht they doin coz they drunk ...i learn tht after 11pm nothin to do at outside...if you think this is freedom...so the result is so normal..

not only in turkey all around the country many things is happen like that when new year...some turks also being stupid why coz we follow western style like other eu countries...so we saw what happen...no real turks can do like that its shame for us...but for eu people also..

thts why if islam urlife style nothin ll happen like that..new year wht the hell is that? same like other days..but wht people did drunk lost their mind so the day bcme like dooms day.. im pure turkish 100% and im so proud with myslf and with mycountry...at least better then eu 10 times with mypeople.. even i saw the things happen in taksim..

simply dont go wont happen...u go and u take the risk u cnt blame any people in turkey coz of this..

if turks evil get the hell out from this website and never come back again,..

Rain...