Protesters run from tear gas and water cannons used by the Turkish police to disperse a demonstration on Kizilay square in Ankara on June 9, 2013.
Turkish police have attacked anti-government protesters in the capital Ankara as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan entered into emergency talks with protest representatives.
On Thursday, Ankara police fired tear gas and made several arrests as protesters blocked some roads in the capital.
The clashes came as Erdogan held talks with representatives of protesters in a bid to end the two-week anti-government demonstrations.
Negotiations with Erdogan come after the government announced its readiness to hold a referendum on a controversial development plan in Istanbul in an attempt to put an end the ongoing protests in the country.
Earlier in the day, the protesters rejected the prime ministerâ„¢s ultimatum to evacuate Istanbulâ„¢s Gezi Park in central Istanbul, the epicenter of the protests.
Thousands of people remained camped out in the iconic Taksim Square close to the park, in defiance of Erdogan’s warning to leave the area immediately.
Meanwhile, a group of mothers formed a human chain in the square to protect their children and prevent clashes between them and the police.
The anti-government unrest began after police broke up a sit-in staged in Taksim Square on May 31 to protest against the demolition of Gezi Park.
The death toll from clashes between anti-government protesters and police in Turkey has reached five. The latest victim was a 26-year-old protester who succumbed to injuries he had sustained on June 1.
Around 5,000 of the demonstrators, most of whom are young and middle-class, have also been injured so far.
The protesters say the park, which is a traditional gathering point for rallies and demonstrations as well as a popular tourist destination, is the city’s last green public space.
Amnesty International has censured the Turkish police for the tactics they have used to control the protests.
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This article originally appeared on: Press TV