Turkish PM demands end to protests
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is demanding that week-long protests against his government end immediately.
Chanting "God is great," thousands of his supporters packed Istanbul's airport early Friday to welcome back the prime minister, who has been in North Africa all week.
Speaking from the top of a bus outside the airport terminal, Erdogan said the demonstrations border on illegality.
"We can't allow anyone to behave in an unlawful way in this country, to destroy by vandalizing, to destroy cities and private property and hurt our people," Erdogan warned.
Protesters marched again Thursday in Istanbul and Ankara, demanding that Erdogan resign. They accuse him of imposing his conservative Islamic views on a secular nation.
The protests were sparked last week by government plans to tear down a public park in Istanbul for new construction. The prime minister has so far refused to scrap those plans.
Police have used tear gas and water cannons on the marchers. At least two people have been killed, thousands hurt, and thousands of others arrested.
The government has apologized for the use of force. But the protesters have demanded freedom for all those who have been jailed, Voice of America reports.
