Story highlights Erdogan says his supporters will give protesters 'the right lesson'

Medical group: More than 3,000 are wounded in two days of clashes

The protests are the biggest movement against the prime minister in his decade in power

Hundreds have been detained across Turkey, with most released, a local agency says

Protesters seething over their treatment by security forces hurled rocks at riot police in Ankara's Kizilay Square on Monday, the latest in a string of violent clashes that have punctuated massive anti-government demonstrations spreading across Turkey -- leaving thousands injured and at least one dead in the past two days alone.

The protests united demonstrators from across the political spectrum against a common foe: security forces who unleashed tear gas and water cannons on them in response to what had been largely peaceful protests against the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"There has been unprecedented violence against protesters and social protest," demonstrator Neslihan Ozgunes said Monday.

The Turkish Medical Association claimed that at least 3,195 people had been injured in clashes Sunday and Monday. Only 26 of them were in serious or critical condition, it said. One protester, Mehmet Ayvalitas, died of his injuries, the association said.

The association reported that the bulk of the injuries occurred in Istanbul, where the protests began before spreading to Ankara, Izmir, Adana and other locations.

Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to the deputies of his ruling Justice and Development Party during a meeting with Turkish parliament on Tuesday, June 18. Erdogan said he had no intention of restricting anyone's democratic rights. "If you want to make a protest do it, do it, but do it within the framework of law," he said. Hide Caption 1 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Turkish performance artist Erdem Gunduz, center, is joined by others as he makes his silent protest in Taksim Square. As word of his gesture of protest spread, Gunduz became known as the "standing man." Protests that began as a demonstration against the planned demolition of a park have grown into general anti-government dissent across the nation. Hide Caption 2 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – People carry the coffin of Ethem Sarisuluk, who was killed during recent protests in Turkey, on Sunday, June 16, in Ankara. Hide Caption 3 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Tens of thousands attend a rally to hear Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan speak in Istanbul on June 16, a day after he ordered a crackdown on anti-government protesters at Gezi Park. Hide Caption 4 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester faces water cannons during a clash with police at an anti-government demonstration in Ankara on June 16. Hide Caption 5 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Police walk through tear gas during protests at Kizilay Square in central Ankara on June 16. Hide Caption 6 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Police detain protesters after a crackdown on a demonstration at Istanbul's Gezi Park on June 16. Hide Caption 7 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester runs during clashes between riot police and demonstrators in the streets adjacent to Taksim Square in Istanbul on Sunday, June 16. Hide Caption 8 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester throws a tear gas canister back at riot police during clashes near Taksim Square on June 16. Hide Caption 9 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Trash containers burn in front of riot police forces in Ankara, Turkey, on June 16. Hide Caption 10 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters gather in the main shopping street near Taksim Square in the early morning hours of June 16 as riot police clear Gezi Park in Istanbul. Hide Caption 11 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Turkish riot police officers use rubber bullets on June 15 to disperse demonstrators in Gezi Park in Istanbul on June 15. Hide Caption 12 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters scramble for safety as Turkish riot police officers push them out of Gezi Park using tear gas and rubber bullets. Hide Caption 13 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters run for cover as riot police spray them with a water cannon on June 15. Hide Caption 14 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester throws rocks at police during clashes at the entrance of Gezi Park on June 15. Hide Caption 15 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester on June 15, reacts in pain to a salvo of tear gas fired by Turkish riot police chasing out demonstrators in order to dismantle their tent camp in Gezi Park in Istanbul. Hide Caption 16 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Riot police move in a line through the tent camp on June 15. Hide Caption 17 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters escape from tear gas during the crackdown at Gezi Park on June 15. Hide Caption 18 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protestors fire fireworks as police drive them out of Gezi Park on June 15. Hide Caption 19 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters sleep in Gezi Park in Istanbul's Taksim Square early Thursday, June 13. Turkey's prime minister on Thursday called on protesters camped out in the park to pack up and leave. Hide Caption 20 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A man plays piano for hundreds of protesters in Taksim Square on Wednesday, June 12, in Istanbul. Hide Caption 21 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A man waves a flag in Taksim Square on June 12. Hide Caption 22 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A man sleeps in Gezi Park in Istanbul's Taksim Square early on June 12, hours after riot police moved into the square in an attempt to push demonstrators out. Hide Caption 23 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Municipal workers clean up a street in Taksim Square early on June 12, after police moved in to disperse protesters. Hide Caption 24 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester prepares to throw a tear gas canister back toward police in Taksim Square on Tuesday, June 11. Hide Caption 25 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Riot police fire tear gas canisters at protesters in Taksim Square on June 11. Hide Caption 26 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – People run from a tear gas cloud in Taksim Square on June 11. Hide Caption 27 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – People flee as riot police fire tear gas on Taksim Square on June 11. Hide Caption 28 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters run behind a barricade during clashes with police on June 11. Hide Caption 29 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester throws a tear gas canister back toward police on June 11. Hide Caption 30 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Photographers crowd around a protester posing in front of a riot police vehicle at Taksim Square on June 11. Hide Caption 31 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters seek shelter behind a barricade on June 11. Hide Caption 32 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters try to run from riot police on June 11. Hide Caption 33 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Riot police aim a water cannon at a protester as others take cover behind a makeshift shelter in Taksim Square on June 11. Hide Caption 34 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Police enter Taksim Square during clashes with protesters on June 11. Hide Caption 35 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters take cover behind a barricade in Gezi Park in Istanbul on June 11. Hide Caption 36 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester uses a slingshot to throw stones at riot police on June 11. Hide Caption 37 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters take cover behind a barricade in Taksim Square on June 11. Hide Caption 38 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester holds fireworks during clashes with riot police in Istabul on June 11. Hide Caption 39 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Riot police use water cannons and tear gas to disperse a crowd near Istabul's Taksim Square on June 11. Hide Caption 40 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester throws a tear gas canister back toward police on June 11. Hide Caption 41 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Riot police fire tear gas at demonstrators in Taksim Square on June 11. Hide Caption 42 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Police fire a water cannon at protesters on June 11. Hide Caption 43 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters hold molotov cocktails in Taksim Square on June 11. Hide Caption 44 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester throws a stone during clashes with riot police on June 11. Hide Caption 45 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters run from smoke as they clash with police in Istanbul on June 11. Hide Caption 46 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters take cover behind a barricade as fireworks go off nearby on June 11. Hide Caption 47 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Medics carry Yasin Ayhan, 23, a protester who broke his leg in a raid early Monday, June 10, in Kugulu Park. Riot police doused thousands of protesters in Ankara with tear gas and jets of water for a second straight night. Hide Caption 48 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters sleep at Taksim Square in central Istanbul on June 10. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned protesters who have taken to the streets demanding his resignation that his patience has its limits and compared the unrest with an army attempt six years ago to curb his power. Hide Caption 49 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A demonstrator is detained by police officers as protests resumed in Kizilay Square in Ankara on Sunday, June 9. Hide Caption 50 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A demonstrator covers his face with a makeshift gas mask during protests in Kizilay Square in Ankara on June 9. Hide Caption 51 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and his wife, Emine, wave to supporters upon their arrival in Ankara on June 9. Erdogan told supporters that "even patience has an end" as he went on the offensive against mass protests that have consumed Ankara and Istanbul. Hide Caption 52 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Erdogan addresses supporters from the top of a bus as police stand guard at Esenboga International Airport in Ankara on June 9. Hide Caption 53 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters gather during a demonstration at Taksim Square in Istanbul, on June 9. Hide Caption 54 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A demonstrator runs toward police during clashes with riot police in Istanbul, on Saturday, June 8. Hide Caption 55 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Demonstrators shout slogans as they gather at Kizilay Square in Ankara, Turkey, on June 8. Hide Caption 56 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Women sing as people gather at Kizilay Square in Ankara on June 8. Hide Caption 57 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters rest in Gezi Park next to Taksim Square during a demonstration in Istanbul on Friday, June 7. Hide Caption 58 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the opening session of the Ministry for European Union Affairs Conference on June 7 in Istanbul. Erdogan said today his Islamic-rooted government was open to "democratic demands" and hit back at EU criticism of his government's handling of a week of unrest. Hide Caption 59 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Supporters of Erdogan wave the Turkish flag upon the prime minister's arrival in Istanbul, on June 7. Hide Caption 60 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protestors dance at Gezi Park in Taksim Square on Thursday, June 6. Hide Caption 61 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A man walks past damaged buses near Taksim Square on Thursday, June 6, in Istanbul, Turkey. Hide Caption 62 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A mother and her daughter read notes placed by protestors on a destroyed car in Taksim Square on June 6. Thousands of striking union members joined the anti-government protests on June 5, marching in Istanbul and Ankara in a sea of red and white union flags, drumming and yelling for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to resign. Hide Caption 63 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protestors spend their day at Gezi Park on June 6. Hide Caption 64 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protestors demonstrate near the office building of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul early on June 6. Hide Caption 65 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A municipal worker collects garbage set on fire by Turkish protesters in a restaurant district of Ankara on June 5. Hide Caption 66 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A woman is wheeled away by paramedics during clashes on Kizilay Square in Ankara on Wednesday, June 5. Hide Caption 67 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters confront police forces during riots in a restaurant district of Ankara, on June 5. Hide Caption 68 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Demonstrators run for cover as police use water cannons and tear gas on the crowd in Ankara on June 5. Hide Caption 69 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters gather in Taksim Square as they shout slogans while protesting on Tuesday, June 4, in Istanbul, Turkey. Hide Caption 70 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Riot police fire tear gas at demonstrators in Istanbul on June 4. Hide Caption 71 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Paramedics carry a woman injured during clashes between demonstrators and riot police in Istanbul on June 4. Hide Caption 72 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Turkish police detain a demonstrator during clashes in Istanbul on June 4. Hide Caption 73 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester looks on during clashes with Turkish police outside of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office, near Taksim Square in Istanbul on Tuesday, June 4. Hide Caption 74 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Demonstrators wave their national flag on June 4, during a protest in Ankara. Hide Caption 75 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters cover their faces with plastic. After chaotic scenes in the streets Monday that continued late into the night and sent tear gas wafting through the air, the situation was relatively calm on Tuesday morning in Istanbul's central Taksim Square, near the park where the movement began. Hide Caption 76 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A demonstrator takes cover at a road block between Taksim and Besiktas in Istanbul on June 4. Hide Caption 77 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters clash with riot police between Taksim and Besiktas in Istanbul on Monday, June 3. Hide Caption 78 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protestors pass bricks for building barricades during clashes with riot police in Istanbul on June 3. Hide Caption 79 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Riot policemen unload tear gas during clashes in Istanbul on June 3. Hide Caption 80 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters throw riot police's tear gas back at them in Istanbul on June 3. Hide Caption 81 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protester wounds are treated during clashes in Istanbul on June 3. Hide Caption 82 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Demonstrators set up road blocks between Taksim and Besiktas. Barricades remain up around the square, and Erdogan's opponents appear determined to continue the demonstrations despite the prime minister's comment on June 3 that he expects the situation to return to normal "within a few days." Hide Caption 83 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A medical team tends to a protester. The Turkish Medical Association claimed that at least 3,195 people had been injured in clashes on June 1 and June 2. Only 26 of them were in serious or critical condition, it said. Hide Caption 84 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters stand atop a pile of rubble during clashes with Turkish police on Monday, June 3. Hide Caption 85 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Turkish riot police fire tear gas canisters to disperse protesters near Taksim Square on June 3. Hide Caption 86 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Police officers tend to a demonstrator during the violent clashes in Istanbul on June 3. Hide Caption 87 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester waves the Turkish flag from a rooftop at Taksim Square on June 3 as large crowds continue to demonstrate below. Hide Caption 88 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester wears a gas mask as smoke from a burned car fills the air at Taksim Square on June 3. Hide Caption 89 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Despite Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's call for calm on Monday, June 3, protests continued in Istanbul. Protesters carry the Turkish flag and shout against the government in Gezi Park near central Istanbul. Hide Caption 90 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – After protests that lasted until the early morning, a protester sleeps in a damaged and vandalized vehicle in Taksim Square on June 3. Protests showed no sign of letting up on Monday, almost a week after a peaceful sit-in was met with a police crackdown, igniting the biggest anti-government riots the city has seen in a decade. Hide Caption 91 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A tired protester rests in front of the graffiti-sprayed wall of an information booth at Taksim Square in central Istanbul on June 3. Hide Caption 92 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Turkish protesters clash with riot police near the prime minister's office between Taksim and Besiktas early June 3. Hide Caption 93 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters drive an excavator toward Turkish riot police as they make their way to Erdogan's office on June 3. Hide Caption 94 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – During the clashes, volunteer doctors helped injured protesters in a mosque on June 3. Hide Caption 95 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester is silhouetted by a burning car at Taksim Square during clashes in the early morning of June 3. Hide Caption 96 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester covers his face on June 3 near Erdogan's office in Istanbul. Hide Caption 97 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters clash with riot police in Istanbul on June 3. Hide Caption 98 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters gather in Taksim Square in Istanbul on Sunday, June 2. Hide Caption 99 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Riot police fire tear gas during a protest against Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling AK Party in central Ankara on June 2. Sparked by the events in Istanbul, general anti-government protests have sprung up in Ankara. Hide Caption 100 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Demonstrators hide behind makeshift shields during clashes with Turkish riot police in Ankara on June 2. Hide Caption 101 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Police use a water cannon to disperse protesters outside Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's working office in Istanbul on June 2. Hide Caption 102 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters cling to a police vehicle mounted with a water canon in Istanbul on June 2. Hide Caption 103 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Turkish police detain a protester during demonstrations in Ankara on June 2. Hide Caption 104 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester flashes a victory sign as he takes part in a demonstration in Ankara on Saturday, June 1 in support of the protests in Istanbul against government plans to demolish a park. Hide Caption 105 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters clash with riot police in Istanbul, Turkey, on Saturday, June 1. Hide Caption 106 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters clash with riot police near Gezi Park on June 1. Earlier this week, several dozen activists tried to stage a sit-in at the park, the last bit of green space left in Istanbul's Taksim Square, the city's transit and commercial hub. Hide Caption 107 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Turkish protesters wearing gas masks face off against riot police near Istanbul's Taksim Square on June 1. Hide Caption 108 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Riot police use tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowd of demonstrators on June 1. Hide Caption 109 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A man flees the clashes between Turkish protestors and riot police on June 1. On Friday, May 31, riot police stormed the growing camp in Gezi Park with water cannons and tear gas, pushing protesters into surrounding streets and triggering the clashes that have continued for more than 24 hours. Hide Caption 110 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – The clashes damaged surrounding businesses in Istanbul and forced them to close on June 1. Hide Caption 111 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A man catches his breath behind the line where clashes are taking place on June 1. Hide Caption 112 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A pair of tourists gasp for air as riot police use tear gas and water cannons the fend off the demonstrators. Turkish security forces allowed small groups of pedestrians to travel through the square. Hide Caption 113 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters buy gas masks from a local shop near the square on June 1. Hide Caption 114 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Riot police fire tear gas into the crowd of protesters overnight on Friday, May 31. Hide Caption 115 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Demonstrators set up barricades and build a fire as they clash with Turkish officers on May 31. Hide Caption 116 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Friends carry an injured protester on May 31. More than a dozen people have been injured in the clashes. Hide Caption 117 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Riot police use tear gas and water cannons to disperse a crowd at Taksim Square on May 31. Hide Caption 118 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – An activist wearing a gas mask is enveloped in a cloud of tear gas on May 31. Hide Caption 119 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A crowd scatters during clashes on May 31, as one demonstrator throws back the tear gas canister that was launched by riot police. Hide Caption 120 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – Protestors brace themselves as they are fired upon with a water canon by Turkish police forces. Hide Caption 121 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A large group of demonstrators gather to protest the demolition of Gezi Park in Taksim Square on May 31. Hide Caption 122 of 123 Photos: Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – A Turkish riot policeman uses tear gas in Taksim Square on May 28. Hide Caption 123 of 123

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International groups including Amnesty International have criticized the police response as excessive. In Ankara Sunday night, a CNN crew witnessed authorities roughing up at least one protester. One police officer kicked a CNN videographer, CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reported, and a CNN crew in Istanbul Sunday also witnessed bloodied protesters.

Erdogan responded Monday by dismissing the demonstrations as the work of "extreme elements" and said they would likely spark a backlash against the organizers.

"My smart citizens will recognize this, then they will give them the right lesson," he said.

But Turkey's president, Abdullah Gul, took a somewhat more conciliatory tone Monday, saying "the messages sent in good faith have been received."

"When we talk about a democracy, we of course mean the expression of the will of the people in electing the leaders of the country. But democracy does not just mean elections," he said. "It is natural that outside of elections if there are differing opinion, situations or objections that they be voiced. And peaceful protests are a part of that."

The protests began after plans were made to raze Gezi Park, the last green space in central Istanbul, and replace it with a replica of 19th-century Ottoman barracks. The development would contain a shopping mall.

What began as a sit-in by a handful of angry residents quickly grew into a larger protest. Riot police moved in, using tear gas and pepper spray. Protesters responded by hurling bottles, setting up barricades, blocking bulldozers and burning trash in the middle of the street.

Then, outraged by the behavior of security forces, demonstrators began attacking police. The protests have since morphed into larger complaints against Erdogan, whom protesters call paternalistic and authoritarian.

"This park was just the ignition of all that," said Yakup Efe Tuncay, a 28-year-old demonstrator who carried a Turkish flag while walking through the park Saturday.

In Istanbul, the crowds have been chanting "Tayyip resign" -- referring to Erdogan -- and "Shoulder to shoulder against fascism."

The protests have spread to 67 of Turkey's 81 provinces, according to the semi-official Anadolou News Agency. On Monday, a confederation of unions claiming some 240,000 members added its voice to the anti-Erdogan chorus, saying it would go on strike against what it called the "fascism" of Erdogan's ruling party.

On Monday, Erdogan said opponents who had failed to defeat his party in elections were trying to beat it "by other means."

"The issue of trees in Gezi Park thing is just the trigger," he said.

It's one of the few sentiments that all sides appear to agree on. Richard Haass, a Middle East analyst at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, said if the flashpoint hadn't been the park, "it would have been caused by something else.

"What you have is essentially a large group of Turks who feel alienated from this government, in power for 10 years," Haass told CNN. "It's increasingly a one-party country. All the politics happen within it. The opposition is weak, divided, feckless. You have a lot of people in Turkey who feel both alienated and intimidated by the government, and this is the way they decided to push back."

A day earlier, Erdogan was praising his government's accomplishments overseeing a decade of unprecedented economic growth in Turkey, and he defended his record as a leader who has planted many trees.

"They are putting on airs, saying we massacre trees," he said. "We have planted approximately 2 billion trees."

He also downplayed claims that Turkey could be on the cusp of its own "Arab Spring" -- the series of popular uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East that led to political upheaval in Tunisia and Egypt, particularly.

"Those in Turkey who speak of the Turkish Spring are right; the season is, in fact, spring," he said. "But there are those trying to turn it into a winter."

Asli Aydintasbas, a columnist for Milliyet Newspaper, said Erdogan is the most powerful and popular politician Turkey has seen in generations. But his approach to leadership doesn't sit well with all Turks, she said.

"We have a prime minister who has done great deeds and he really has run the economy well," she said. "But you also have this paternalistic style: 'I know what's good for you. I, as your father, can decide on the park, the bridge, the city and the constitution.' So, I think people are just wanting to have a more inclusive form of democracy in Turkey."

Hugh Pope, a senior Turkey analyst with the International Crisis Group, called the protests "completely unprecedented" and said Erdogan was caught off guard. Most demonstrators, Pope said, are "overwhelmingly ordinary people" who simply want their voices heard.

"However, there are other demonstrators who are somewhat more opportunistic in the left-wing factions who normally don't get much in the way of airtime in Turkey and are camped on Taksim Square," Pope said.

"They have outposts where they are delivering their message, and in fact it has to be said that they are sometimes on the front line of the protestors in the fights against the police at the barricades," he said.