Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan waves to supporters upon arrival at the Ataturk Airport of Istanbul on June 7, 2013.<\/p>\n
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for an immediate end to the anti-government protests that have swept the country for the past several days.\n<\/p>\n
Erdogan made the remark on Friday in an address to his supporters at Istanbul\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s Ataturk Airport upon returning from a four-day trip to North Africa.\n<\/p>\n
\u00c5\u201cI call for an immediate end to the demonstrations, which have lost their democratic credentials and turned into vandalism,\u201d Erdogan said to thousands of cheering supporters who descended on the airport to welcome him home.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
He thanked his supporters for their restraint in recent days. <\/p>\n
\u00c5\u201cYou have remained calm, mature and showed common sense,\u201d the premier said, adding that \u00c5\u201cWe\u00e2\u201e\u00a2re all going to go home from here\u2026 You\u00e2\u201e\u00a2re not the type of people to bang pots and pans on the streets.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Speaking in the Tunisian capital, Tunis, on Thursday, hours before his return to Turkey, Erdogan enraged protesters at home by saying that he would go ahead with a plan to redevelop Istanbul\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s Gezi Park, which is part of the city\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s iconic Taksim Square, into a shopping mall and cultural center.\n<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, thousands of whistle-blowing protesters gathered in Taksim Square, chanting, \u00c5\u201cErdogan, Resign!\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\u00c5\u201cHe doesn\u00e2\u201e\u00a2t want to change something but he will do it. I don\u00e2\u201e\u00a2t know when, but he will change,\u201d said one of the protesters.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Erdogan responded to calls for his resignation by referring to his election victory in 2011, when he took 50 percent of the vote.<\/p>\n
\u00c5\u201cThey say I am the prime minister of only 50 percent. It\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s not true. We have served the whole of the 76 million from the east to the west,\u201d the Turkish premier stated.\n<\/p>\n
The anti-government unrest began after police broke up a sit-in staged in Taksim Square on May 31 to protest against the government plan for Gezi Park.\n<\/p>\n
In Tunis, Erdogan also reiterated his claims that \u00cb\u0153extremists\u00e2\u201e\u00a2 and \u00cb\u0153foreign agitators\u00e2\u201e\u00a2 were to blame for the violence, adding that seven foreigners were arrested in connection with the week-long protests.\n<\/p>\n
In Ankara, Interior Minister Muammer Guler said the detained foreigners were two French, two Iranians, a Greek, a German and an American, and that two had been released.\n<\/p>\n
The anti-government demonstrations have mainly been held in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Mugla, Antalya, and many other cities and towns.\n<\/p>\n
According to reports, at least three people, including a policeman, have been confirmed dead during the protests so far.\n<\/p>\n
Turkish Human Rights Foundation says some 4,300 people have been hurt or sought medical care for the effects of tear gas inhalation. The Turkish government says dozens of police officers have also been injured.\n<\/p>\n
MN\/HSN<\/p>\n<\/div>\n