Protestors in Taksim Square (By Mstyslav Chernov, via Wikimedia Commons)

Riot police released tear gas and fired water cannons on thousands of protestors in Istanbul's Taksim Square. 

In an effort to regain control of the country after two weeks of nationwide demonstrations, Turkish police descended on the square and were able to clear its north side, Al-jazeera reported. Taksim Square has been ground zero for protestors since demonstrations began on May 31.

SEE ALSO: Stories From Istanbul: Firsthand Accounts Of Ongoing Turkish Protests

At a press conference, Istanbul Governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu warned protestors that they could expect greater force to be used against them if they continued their anti-government actions: "The unshakable power of our state and nation will fall upon the marginal groups," he warned, according to Istanbul's Hurriyet Daily News.

The initial protests were inspired by a proposed development project that would demolish Gezi Park, which is adjacent to Taksim Square, but quickly became a broader protest against the Turkish government and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in particular.

SEE ALSO: Turkish Protestors On Prime Mininster Erdogan

Explaining why so many were protesting, architecture historian Ugur Tanyeli told The Guardian, "The real problem is not Taksim, and not the park, but the lack of any form of democratic decision-making process and the utter lack of consensus. We now have a PM who does whatever he wants."

Read more about the protests at Hurriyet Daily News.

Read more Neon Tommy coverage of Turkey here.

Reach Deputy Editor Lauren Madow here. Follow her here.