Turkish riot police stormed a central Istanbul square and a nearby park Saturday, firing tear gas and water cannons to drive protesters out. The action came just hours after Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that security forces "know how to clear'' the area.
Turkish Riot Police Move to Quash Protests
![Protesters are attacked by a police water cannon at the entrance to Gezi Park near Istanbul's Taksim Square, June 15, 2013.](https://gdb.voanews.com/93fc762d-fb0d-4999-8aa6-550fea310bd2_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Protesters are attacked by a police water cannon at the entrance to Gezi Park near Istanbul's Taksim Square, June 15, 2013.
![Protesters try to resist the advance of riot police in Gezi Park in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, June 15, 2013.](https://gdb.voanews.com/8ff26ae3-c7af-4c91-b230-1cdf17d05075_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Protesters try to resist the advance of riot police in Gezi Park in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, June 15, 2013.
![Riot police fires a water cannon on Gezi Park protesters at Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey, June 15, 2013.](https://gdb.voanews.com/c8f7239c-b253-4dfb-94ea-5199f77f5c1d_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Riot police fires a water cannon on Gezi Park protesters at Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey, June 15, 2013.
![A protester runs through tents covered by tear gas in Gezi Park in Istanbul's Taksim Square, June 15, 2013.](https://gdb.voanews.com/4bcd23dc-9f13-465f-a0a5-17f48ead52f0_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A protester runs through tents covered by tear gas in Gezi Park in Istanbul's Taksim Square, June 15, 2013.