ISTANBUL (AP) -- Riot police firing tear
gas, water cannon and rubber bullets clashed into the early hours of
Wednesday with defiant demonstrators occupying Istanbul's central Taksim
Square and its adjacent park, in the country's most severe
anti-government protests in decades.
The crisis has left Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan looking vulnerable for the first time in his decade in government, and has threatened to tarnish the international image of Turkey, a Muslim majority country with a strongly secular tradition, a burgeoning economy and close ties with the United States.
Thousands of police moved into the square early Tuesday, pushing past improvised barricades set up by the protesters who have swarmed through the massive square and accompanying Gezi Park in their tens of thousands for the past 12 days.
Police fired repeated rounds of tear gas that rose in stinging plumes of acrid smoke from the square in running battles with protesters hurling fireworks, bottles, rocks and firebombs. In a cat-and-mouse game that lasted all day, the police repeatedly cleared the square, only for demonstrators to return.
More than 30,000 converged on the square again as dusk fell and were repelled by water cannon, rubber bullets and tear gas after Istanbul's governor, Huseyin Avni Mutlu, said the police came under attack by "marginal groups."
(61 images)
The crisis has left Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan looking vulnerable for the first time in his decade in government, and has threatened to tarnish the international image of Turkey, a Muslim majority country with a strongly secular tradition, a burgeoning economy and close ties with the United States.
Thousands of police moved into the square early Tuesday, pushing past improvised barricades set up by the protesters who have swarmed through the massive square and accompanying Gezi Park in their tens of thousands for the past 12 days.
Police fired repeated rounds of tear gas that rose in stinging plumes of acrid smoke from the square in running battles with protesters hurling fireworks, bottles, rocks and firebombs. In a cat-and-mouse game that lasted all day, the police repeatedly cleared the square, only for demonstrators to return.
More than 30,000 converged on the square again as dusk fell and were repelled by water cannon, rubber bullets and tear gas after Istanbul's governor, Huseyin Avni Mutlu, said the police came under attack by "marginal groups."
(61 images)
Taksim Square is flooded by tear gas as clashes between protesters
and riot police continue into the night in Istanbul Tuesday, June 11,
2013. AP / Vadim Ghirda
Protesters stops a police water cannon as he holds a Turkish
national flag during clashes at Taksim Square in Istanbul Tuesday, June
11, 2013. AP / Thanassis Stavrakis
Journalists surround a protester who stops a police water cannon
holding a Turkish national flag during clashes with police at Taksim
Square in Istanbul Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Thanassis Stavrakis
A protester throws a stone with a slingshot during clashes in Taksim square in Istanbul, Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Kostas Tsironis
A protester uses a slingshot during clashes in Taksim square in Istanbul, Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Kostas Tsironis
A protester appearing between a truck and a bulldozer throws a
stone to riot police during clashes in Taksim square in Istanbul,
Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Kostas Tsironis
A protester throws a stone at police during clashes at Taksim Square in Istanbul Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Thanassis Stavrakis
A protester gestures to riot policemen as he walks in front of a
burning barricade during clashes in Taksim square in Istanbul, Tuesday,
June 11, 2013. AP / Kostas Tsironis
A protester climbs a barricade waving a flag depicting jailed
Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan as a van burns during clashes at
the Taksim Square in Istanbul Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Vadim Ghirda
A protester throws a stone during clashes at the Taksim Square in Istanbul Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Vadim Ghirda
A protester holding a slingshot runs past burning construction
vehicles during clashes at the Taksim Square in Istanbul Tuesday, June
11, 2013. AP / Vadim Ghirda
Protesters react during clashes at the Taksim Square in Istanbul Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Vadim Ghirda
Police take cover behind shields during an operation at the Taksim Square in Istanbul Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Thanassis Stavrakis
A petrol bomb explodes in front of riot policemen during clashes
in Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Kostas Tsironis
Riot policemen take cover behind their shields amid tear gas smoke
during clashes in Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, June 11,
2013. AP / Kostas Tsironis
A riot policeman launches a tear gas canister during clashes in Taksim square in Istanbul, Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Kostas Tsironis
Police officer fires rubber bullets during an operation to evacuate Taksim Square in Istanbul Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Thanassis Stavrakis
Turkish riot police fire tear gas during clashes at the Taksim Square in Istanbul Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Vadim Ghirda
Turkish riot police fire tear gas during clashes at the Taksim Square in Istanbul Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Vadim Ghirda
A riot policeman launches a tear gas canister during clashes in Taksim square in Istanbul, Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Kostas Tsironis
Police operates during clashes at the Taksim Square in Istanbul Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Thanassis Stavrakis
Police throw tear gas at protesters during clashes at the Taksim Square in Istanbul Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Thanassis Stavrakis
Protesters run to avoid the tear gas during clashes at the Taksim Square in Istanbul Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Thanassis Stavrakis
Police throw tear gas at protesters during clashes at the Taksim Square in Istanbul Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Thanassis Stavrakis
A protester throws tear gas at police as a bulldozer is on fire
during clashes at the Taksim Square in Istanbul Tuesday, June 11, 2013.
AP / Thanassis Stavrakis
A protester throws back to police a tear gas canister during
clashes in Taksim square in Istanbul, Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Kostas Tsironis
A protester throws back a tear gas canister during clashes in Taksim square in Istanbul, Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Kostas Tsironis
A protesterattempts to pick up a tear gas canister during clashes in Taksim square in Istanbul, Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Kostas Tsironis
A protester throws back a tear gas canister during clashes in Taksim square in Istanbul, Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Kostas Tsironis
A protester kicks a canister after riot police flooded the Gazi
Park with tear gas during clashes at the Taksim Square in Istanbul
Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Vadim Ghirda
Riot policemen enter Gezi park during clashes in Taksim square in Istanbul, Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Kostas Tsironis
Protesters react as police evacuates the Taksim Square in Istanbul Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Thanassis Stavrakis
A couple of protesters run to avoid a policeman during clashes at the Taksim Square in Istanbul Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Thanassis Stavrakis
A man who had thrown a stone at a protester, centre, runs to
avoid being attacked, during clashes the Taksim Square in Istanbul
Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Thanassis Stavrakis
A protester reacts after being detained by police during clashes
at the Taksim Square in Istanbul, Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Thanassis Stavrakis
A protester runs to avoid tear gas as police take cover next to a
water cannon during clashes at the Taksim Square in Istanbul Tuesday,
June 11, 2013. AP / Thanassis Stavrakis
A elderly protester hangs from a police water cannon vehicle
during clashes at the Taksim Square in Istanbul Tuesday, June 11, 2013.
AP / Thanassis Stavrakis
A protester puts a wood with nails under the wheel of a police
water cannon during clashes at the Taksim Square in Istanbul Tuesday,
June 11, 2013. AP / Thanassis Stavrakis
A protester lays under a wheel of a police water cannon as other
tries to pull out him during a police operation to evacuate Taksim
Square in Istanbul Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Thanassis Stavrakis
A police operation with water cannon operates against protesters at Taksim Square in Istanbul on Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Thanassis Stavrakis
A police vehicle fires water cannon to extinguish a fire of
another vehicle after protesters threw a petrol bomb during a police
operation to evacuate Taksim Square in Istanbul Tuesday, June 11, 2013.
AP / Thanassis Stavrakis
Protesters run away to cover from a police water canon during
clashes in Taksim square in Istanbul, Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Kostas Tsironis
A protester runs from the water fired by a police canon during
clashes in Taksim square in Istanbul, Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Kostas Tsironis
A protester tries to remain standing as police water cannon fires
water during clashes at the Taksim Square in Istanbul Tuesday, June 11,
2013. AP / Thanassis Stavrakis
A protester holding a Turkish flag is thrown off his feet by a
stream of water from a police water canon during clashes in Taksim
square in Istanbul, Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Kostas Tsironis
Protesters take cover behind a traffic light and a metal fence as
police water cannon fires water during clashes at the Taksim Square in
Istanbul Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Thanassis Stavrakis
A protester tries protect himself from water from a police water
cannon during clashes in Taksim square in Istanbul, Tuesday, June 11,
2013. AP / Kostas Tsironis
A protester sits on a chair as others take cover behind an
advertising banner during clashes at the Taksim Square in Istanbul
Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Thanassis Stavrakis
A protester takes cover as the traffic light falls down during a
police operation with water cannon at the Taksim Square in Istanbul
Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Thanassis Stavrakis
A protester tries to remain standing as police water cannon fires
water during clashes at the Taksim Square in Istanbul Tuesday, June 11,
2013. AP / Thanassis Stavrakis
A protester tries to remain standing as police water cannon fires
water during clashes in Taksim square in Istanbul, Tuesday, June 11,
2013. AP / Kostas Tsironis
Protesters take cover as a police vehicle fires water canon during
clashes at the Taksim Square in Istanbul Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Vadim Ghirda
A protester throws a stone at riot police during clashes in Taksim square in Istanbul, Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Kostas Tsironis
A protester affected by tear gas is helped by other protesters to a
field hospital in Gezi Park in Taksim square in Istanbul, Tuesday, June
11, 2013. AP / Kostas Tsironis
Protesters carry another protester affected by tear gas during
clashes in Taksim square in Istanbul, Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Kostas Tsironis
A protester affected from tear gas lies in Gezi park during
clashes in Taksim square in Istanbul, Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Kostas Tsironis
A man is evacuated on a stretcher after riot police flooded the
Gazi Park with tear gas during clashes at the Taksim Square in Istanbul
Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Vadim Ghirda
A girl is evacuated on a stretcher after riot police flooded the
Gazi Park with tear gas during clashes at the Taksim Square in Istanbul
Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Vadim Ghirda
A protester affected by tear gas is helped by other protesters to a
field hospital in Gezi Park in Taksim Square in Istanbul, Tuesday June
11, 2013. AP / Kostas Tsironis
Ambulances stand by to evacuate injured protesters after riot
police flooded the Gazi Park with tear gas during clashes at the Taksim
Square in Istanbul Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Vadim Ghirda
A protester records a video with his cellphone in front of a
burning barricade during clashes in Taksim square in Istanbul,
Tuesday, June 11, 2013. AP / Kostas Tsironis
