The protests triggered in Turkey by plans to redevelop a park into a shopping mall at first seem an unlikely cause for public anger. In reality, the demonstrations over Taksim Square's Gezi Park go to the very heart of Turkey's modern discontents.

Why it has become such a fraught issue was hinted at in a statement issued in the midst of the protests by Istanbul's Chamber of Physicians, insisting that "it is not (the) job (of police and officials) to protect the profitability of the contractors who will build a shopping mall on Taksim Square."

The rapid urbanization of Turkey — and huge growth of Istanbul in the past two decades — has defined the transformation of Turkish society and politics. The continuing migration from rural areas like eastern Anatolia to Istanbul has fueled the growth of the city, driving a building boom.