Turkish PM to meet Istanbul park protesters

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Police and protesters retrenched today after punishing overnight clashes in Istanbul's Taksim Square — an uncertain hiatus before officials were to have talks aimed to end Turkey's biggest anti-government protests in decades.

Nearly two weeks of protests across the nation have shaped up as perhaps the biggest test in the 10-year rule of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan — who protesters say is increasingly authoritarian, a charge that he and his allies strongly deny.

President Abdullah Gul, seen by many as a more moderate voice, said the government could not tolerate more of the unrest that has disrupted daily life for nearly two weeks, but authorities would listen to protesters' grievances.

"I am hopeful that we will surmount this through democratic maturity," Gul told reporters. "If they have objections, we need to hear them, enter into a dialogue. It is our duty to lend them an ear."