Turkish PM Erdogan, Opponents Hold Mass Rallies - Report

Activists have held a mass protest in Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul, shortly after Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the country’s prime minister, gathered his supporters in a seaside resort, media reported Saturday. Thousands who gathered in Istanbul’s Taksim Square were dispersed by riot police who used water cannon, the BBC reported. According to the British broadcaster, Erdogan told some 15,000 of his supporters that an international conspiracy led the protests, which had eased since last Saturday, when police cleared the main point of unrest - Istanbul's Gezi Park. He did not elaborate on the issue.

May saw the beginning of a small protest over plans to redevelop Gezi Park, which later turned into nationwide anti-government unrest after activists accused police of clampdowns.