Hundred of Thousands Turkish People chanted for the resignation of Govern.

Police have deployed tear gas and water cannons to quell more than 10,000 protesters that gathered in downtown Ankara. This comes as officials claim the protests are under control and the process is “becoming normalized and in line with common sense.”

The rally in the Turkish capital started peacefully in the early hours of the morning, reports the Hurriyet Daily. As the protesters arrived at the Kizilay Square in late afternoon, police there made calls to disperse in order to not block car traffic.

The police then started “a sudden and unexpected intervention” as the protesters ran to the narrow streets surrounding the square.
According to witness reports on twitter police were targeting and detaining “random” youths in the crowd. Police reportedly made at least three arrests.

Authorities deployed over 4,000 riot police to quell the unrest, witnesses claim.

Meanwhile in Istanbul a massive crowd packed the whole of Taksim Square. Protesters in the epicenter of the countrywide anti-government movement were chanting and setting off flares while the police kept their distance from the rally.

Even the fans from rival football teams Fenerbahce, Besiktas and Galatasaray united in the square, AFP reports.

However, in Istanbul’s western Gazi neighborhood things did not go as peacefully as protesters hurled incendiary devices and taunted police, which resulted in fresh clashes.

On Saturday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan held an urgent meeting with the top officials from the ruling AKP party and parliamentary Speaker Cemil Cicek.

Following the meeting, Cicek said the mass protests that have been gripping the country are now “under control” and the process “is becoming normalized and increasingly in line with common sense”.

“We are ready to listen to all reasonable, legal and democratic demands,” he added.

At the same time Istanbul’s mayor declared that Gezi Park would not be used as a venue to build a shopping mall, but the project to create a replica of Ottoman-era military barracks there would continue.

“We are definitely not thinking of building a shopping mall there, no hotel or residence either. It can be… a city museum or an exhibition center,” Istanbul mayor Kadir Topbas said as quoted by AFP. “The plan for the barracks was part of our election promises, the people gave us the authority to do it.”

Topbas however added that the final plans would be made “through dialogue” and “the number of trees can be increased.”

The Turkish government dismissed press rumors of an early election on Saturday following the party meeting on the grounds it was unnecessary. Prime Minister Erdogan, who has been criticized by protesters for his overly authoritarian ruling style, returned to Turkey on Thursday night to a throng of supporters at Istanbul airport. He called for the protests to end immediately, and his supporters responded with cheers and cries that they were ready “to die” for Erdogan. His supporters have planned a number of rallies next week as anti-government protests enter their 13th day.

Social upheaval began in Turkey last week when a demonstration against the demolition of a central park in Istanbul was brutally dispersed by police. In response, protesters occupied Istanbul’s Taksim Square and clashed with police repeatedly during the subsequent days. Many are calling for Prime Minister Erdogan’s resignation.