Police and protesters clash in Istanbul

Istanbul. Clashes have taken place between police and anti-government protesters in the streets leading to a central square in Istanbul, as Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has displayed a show of strength in a rally organised by his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party only a few kilometers away from the violence.Thousands of protesters have been trying to reach Taksim Square on Sunday after overnight police intervention at an Istanbul park where anti-government protests were first ignited more than two weeks ago.Riot police fired bursts of tear gas and water cannon on Sunday after a night of unrest to try to prevent demonstrators from regrouping and keep them away from Taksim Square, where Gezi Park is located.Bulldozers removed barricades and municipal workers swept the streets around the central Taksim Square, sealed off by police, after thousands took to the streets overnight following the raid on the park.Meanwhile, speaking at his party’s pro-government rally in Istanbul, Erdogan accused international media of “lying”, apparently referring to the coverage of the recent protests. He said that foreign media sources were not portraying an accurate representation of Turkey.“Come on BBC, CNN and Reuters… Display this differently as well,” he told tens of thousands of supporters. “This is the real picture of Turkey, despite international media.” He also targeted the European parliament over a resolution it adopted regarding the protests. “Turkey is not a country that can be convicted by parliaments that do not know about Turkey,” Erdogan said, adding the EU should “know [its] place!”.In a resolution passed on Thursday in Strasbourg, the EU institution warned the government against the use of “harsh measures” against peaceful protestors and urged Erdogan to take a “unifying and conciliatory” stance. It also expressed its deep concern “at the disproportionate and excessive use of force by Turkish police.Throughout Saturday night, police forces entered hotels and other buildings harbouring injured protesters in Istanbul, using tear gas inside buildings and detaining demonstrators. There have been rallies and clashes in cities such as capital Ankara, Izmir, Eskisehir, Bursa, Antalya and Adana following police’s intervention in Gezi Park in Saturday evening.