ISTANBUL, Turkey, June 3 (UPI) -- The global hacking group Anonymous said it was attacking certain websites in Turkey, which has been hit by days of anti-government protests.
In a statement released on Twitter, Anonymous said it had taken down the websites of President Abdullah Gul, the ruling Justice and Development Party, the Istanbul governor's office and the Istanbul Police Department. It threatened to attack various other sites in the Turkish government.
The hackers called on Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to resign.
In a video posted on YouTube Sunday, Anonymous said the Turkish government claims to be a democracy but is more like the "petty dictators in China or Iran."
"We have watched for days with horror as our brothers and sisters in Turkey who are peacefully rising up against their tyrannical government, [have been] brutalized, beaten and run over by riot vehicles, shot with water cannons and gassed in the streets," the group said.
Anonymous said it had penetrated some Turkish media websites, alleging they failed to accurately report on the protests.
