Tens of thousands of demonstrators packed the streets of Turkish cities in defiance of a call from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for them to end their civil uprising.
The government said the protests were "under control" even as the largest crowds yet on Saturday packed every inch of Istanbul's Taksim Square, the epicentre of nine days of nationwide unrest.
As the sun set over Taksim, which has seen no police presence since officers pulled out of the site last Saturday, fans from rival football teams Fenerbahce, Besiktas and Galatasaray united in the square. They set off red flares to loud cheers from the crowd.
"I have never experienced this friendship, this solidarity among Turks before," said Fenerbahce supporter Rustu Ozmen.
"We have to keep coming, we can't give up because Erdogan hasn't quit yet," the 29-year-old lawyer added.
In the capital Ankara, hundreds of riot police used tear gas and water cannon late Saturday to disperse some 5,000 demonstrators from the central Kizilay Square.
The police pursued the protesters who took refuge in side streets off the square, which is the nerve centre of the Turkish capital. Several people were injured, television reported.
The political turmoil erupted after police cracked down heavily on a small campaign to save Gezi Park from demolition, spiralling into nationwide protests against Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), seen as increasingly authoritarian.
Police have used tear gas and water cannon to disperse demonstrators in clashes that have left three dead and thousands injured, tarnishing Turkey's image as a model of Islamic democracy.
Deputy Prime Minister Huseyin Celik, speaking after a meeting between the premier and top AKP officials, downplayed the rallies that flew in the face of Erdogan's demand on Friday to immediately end the protests.
"The process is under the control of the government, and is becoming normalised and increasingly in line with common sense," he told reporters in Istanbul Saturday.
He also dismissed any talk of calling early elections to resolve the crisis. "You don't decide on early elections because people are marching on the streets."
-- 'No shopping mall' --
In a bid to calm tensions, Istanbul's mayor Kadir Topbas on Saturday said the park would not be turned into a shopping mall, as some feared.
But the reconstruction of Ottoman-era military barracks at the site would go ahead because it "was part of our election promises", he said, echoing earlier comments by the premier.
The protesters in Gezi Park, who say they have seen their civil rights and freedoms steadily erode under Erdogan, rejected the olive branch.
"A week ago, I could never imagine myself sleeping out on the streets of Istanbul," said 22-year-old Aleyna, wrapped up under a blanket with a stray kitten, pointing to her dirty clothes. "Now I don't know how I can ever go back."
Erdogan has faced international condemnation for his handling of the unrest in Turkey, a NATO member and key strategic partner in the region for the United States and other Western allies.
In New York, hundreds of people banged pots and waved Turkish flags in solidarity with the protestors in Turkey.
"We are here to raise awareness," said Volkan Yargici who came from New Jersey with his four-year-old son to the New York rally. "This is the tipping point. Enough is enough."
The EU on Friday called for a "swift" probe into police violence in the clashes, but Erdogan hit back, saying those involved in a similar protest would in any European country "face a harsher response".
The national doctors' union says the civil unrest has left two protesters and a policeman dead while almost 4,800 people have been injured across Turkey.
Critics accuse Erdogan, in power since 2002, of forcing conservative Islamic values on Turkey, a mainly Muslim but staunchly secular nation, and of pushing grandiose urban development projects at the expense of local residents.
Opposition to Turkey's combative leader is intense, but his AKP party has won three elections in a row, having presided over strong economic growth.
Local and presidential elections are scheduled for 2014 and the AKP said Saturday it would launch its first campaign rally in Ankara on June 15, followed by one in Istanbul the next day, according to local media.
The rallies are likely to draw tens of thousands of Erdogan supporters.
AFP
Sun Jun 09 2013
Unjuran pertumbuhan KDNK 2025 sebanyak 4.5-5.5 peratus adalah munasabah - Ahli ekonomi
Belanjawan 2025 adalah langkah terbaik untuk mengimbangi keutamaan ekonomi dengan realiti politik.
Semua negara wajib tamatkan pendudukan Israel ke atas wilayah Palestin - Suruhanjaya Siasatan PBB
Pendudukan Israel adalah punca utama kepada kitaran keganasan yang tidak berkesudahan dan konflik selama beberapa dekad.
Dijangka jana sebahagian besar pertumbuhan ekonomi global
BRICS memainkan peranan luar biasa dalam ekonomi global pada masa kini dan diyakini meningkat di masa depan.
Enam maut, 25 cedera bas terbabas di Turkiye
Enam terbunuh manakala 25 cedera apabila sebuah bas terbabas lalu terbalik di Aksaray wilayah tengah Turki, pada Jumaat.
Polis giat cari warga amerika yang disyaki diculik
Pihak berkuasa Filipina pada Jumaat melancarkan pencarian seorang warga Amerika Syarikat yang dipercayai diculik kumpulan bersenjata di selatan Filipina.
Singapura tahan remaja bawah ISA, rancang lakukan serangan
Jabatan Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISD) dalam satu kenyataan berkata pelajar yang radikal diri itu merupakan penyokong tegar kumpulan Daesh, juga merancang pergi ke Syria, untuk terlibat dalam keganasan bersenjata.
Pasukan pengaman disasar secara sengaja - Jurucakap UNIFIL
Jurucakap itu berkata kedudukan mereka telah berulang kali diserang di Lubnan, sekali gus meletakkan pasukan pengaman dalam bahaya.
Dia rakyat beta, beri keadilan sekarang - Tengku Hassanal
Tengku Mahkota Pahang itu dalam kemas kini di Instagram Story hari ini menambah, keadilan bukan sahaja perlu perlu dilaksanakan, tetapi ia juga mesti dilihat dilaksanakan.
Empat lelaki didakwa rompak jongkong emas RM710,000
Empat lelaki mengaku tidak bersalah di Mahkamah Sesyen Kuala Lumpur, pada Jumaat, atas pertuduhan merompak jongkong emak bernilai RM710,000, awal bulan lalu.
Tiga penunggang motosikal maut dalam kemalangan berasingan di LPT2
Tiga lelaki dipercayai peserta program EX5 Members 4.0 maut dalam dua kemalangan berasingan di Lebuhraya Pantai Timur 2 (LPT2) di Kemaman hari ini.
Bekas penyerang Turkiye Akin cedera ditembak di Istanbul
Rakaman CCTV menunjukkan penyerang melarikan diri dengan motosikal.
Malaysia dan negara-negara D-8 luluskan deklarasi berkaitan Gaza
Malaysia dan negara-negara anggota D-8 meluluskan deklarasi berkaitan situasi di Gaza.
Freedom Flotilla to Gaza: "Ini panggilan daripada Allah" - Dr Sharifah Mazlina
Beliau bersyukur kerana permohonan menyertai misi ini diluluskan biarpun hanya sempat mengisi borang penyertaan di saat akhir.
Batik Air gantung operasi ke Istanbul bermula 1 Mei
Syarikat penerbangan itu berkata keputusan itu dibuat sebagai respons terhadap situasi di Timur Tengah yang memberi kesan kepada laluan penerbangan Batik Air.
Sekurang-kurangnya 29 pekerja binaan maut, kelab malam di Istanbul terbakar
Sekurang-kurangnya 29 orang maut dalam kebakaran di sebuah kelab malam di Istanbul yang dalam kerja-kerja pengubahsuaian.
Ribuan rakyat Turki banjiri Lapangan Terbang Ataturk, tunjuk sokongan kepada Palestin
Ribuan rakyat Turki membanjiri Lapangan Terbang Ataturk untuk sesi Pertemuan Ramai Palestin pada Sabtu.
Misi perdagangan francais Malaysia ke Istanbul potensi tarik pelaburan RM30 juta - Fuziah
Misi bertujuan mempromosi jenama francais tempatan sekali gus menembusi pasaran Turki yang mempunyai potensi besar.
PM Anwar tiba di Istanbul untuk bertemu Presiden Turki
Antara topik yang dijadual dibincangkan dengan Erdogan ialah mengenai kebimbangan isu Israel-Palestin yang semakin meningkat.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah antara yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Mayat ditemukan di gear mendarat pesawat Turkish Airlines
Pasukan penyelenggaraan teknikal menemukan mayat itu semasa pemeriksaan rutin.