Turkey Declares 'No More Tolerance' as Police Try Again to Clear Out Protesters

The situation in Istanbul is escalating once again as riot police have brought back tear gas and water cannons to try and clear demonstrators out of Taksim Square. On Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan declared "no more tolerance" for the protestors who have taken over the square over the last two weeks, drawing a line between the more violent clashes in Taksim and the protestors in Gezi Park, who have generally been more peaceful. 

Erdogan has described the protesters as "marginal groups," "looters," and "extremists," even though his deputy suggested he was willing to meet with environmentalists who led the Gezi Park protests. However, he's shown no sign that he's willing to back down on plans to turn the park (one of the last public parks remaining in Istanbul) into a business development or give into any demands from rioters. 

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REUTERS/Murad Sezer

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Sometime around dawn in Istanbul, hundreds of riot cops began descending on the square with massive water cannons, which were met by crowds wearing gas masks and throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails. Many of the protesters had erected barricades or created their own homemade riot shields to try and protect themselves from the larger police vehicles. Government officials also appeared to be upset by the demonstrators' decision to use a statue of Mustafa Kamal Ataturk, Turkey's revered founder, as a centerpiece of their protests by covering it in banners. Erdogan thanked police for removing the "rags" from that statue and other nearby buildings.

Photographers and other journalists on the ground have managed to capture some incredible images of the conflict and we've gathered some of the most interesting ones below.

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Protesters taunt the riot police during a protest at Taksim Square in Istanbul June 11, 2013. REUTERS/Murad Sezer

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A protester catches fire as the throws a petrol bomb at riot police during a protest at Taksim Square in Istanbul June 11, 2013. REUTERS/Murad Sezer

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Protesters take cover behind a destroyed caterpillar during a protest at Taksim Square in Istanbul June 11, 2013. REUTERS/Murad Sezer

#AFP office working as tear gaz flies on #Taksim #Turkey @cerengemini @nicolascheviron yfrog.com/obx7gddj

— Karim Talbi (@KarimTalbi) June 11, 2013

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AP Photo/Thanassis Stavraki

VIDEO: RT crew teargassed as Istanbul burns in protests youtu.be/lI6r3kQZqO8 #occupygezi #occupyturkey #turkey

— RT (@RT_com) June 11, 2013

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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 Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis

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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 Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis

#occupygezi protesters don #Turkey's most visible statue w/ flags hours after police move in w/ teargas to clear it twitter.com/wsjemre/status…

— Emre Peker (@wsjemre) June 11, 2013