Turkish PM: No more tolerance for nationwide protests

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that his government has "no more tolerance " for the nationwide protests that have lasted over two weeks. The ongoing Gezi Park protests have turned into a "spiral of violence" rather than a fight for democratic rights, Erdogan told lawmakers of the ruling Justice and Development (AK Party) in the parliament. Erdogan called on protesters to end demonstrations and withdraw from central Istanbul's Gezi Park. "I invite them to withdraw from the park and I ask this as prime minister," he said. He noted that the Turkish economy has been targeted through these protests and that Turkey's image has been distorted. Earlier in the day, hundreds of Turkish riot police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters in Istanbul' s Taksim Square, leaving a number of protesters injured. The move came after Erdogan agreed to meet the protests' organizers on Wednesday. Over the past two weeks, the nationwide protests have left at least three people and one policeman dead and about 5,000 others injured. Organizers of the protests said earlier that they would continue their "struggle" until their demands are met by the government through tangible steps.