Violent clashes have erupted for a second day in the Turkish city of Istanbul between police and protesters.

Riot officers once again used tear gas and fired live rounds into the air on Friday in the city’s troubled Okmeydani district to disperse demonstrators.

It comes a day after two people died of their injuries. One man was shot in the head while the other reportedly died of wounds caused by a fragmentation grenade.

Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan defended police tactics.

‘‘Those who think this violent unrest is against my friends, our government, our political party and the people who voted for us, are making a big mistake. This violence is against the people of this country, against the freedom, the beliefs and the future of the people of this country,’‘ Tayyip Erdogan said.

Several police officers were also injured in Friday’s violence, sparked almost a year to the day after protesters in Istanbul triggered a summer of nationwide demonstrations against Tayyip Erdogan’s government.