A riot policeman fires tear gas at anti-government demonstators in Istanbul on Saturday.<br/> <br />Violent clashes in the city continued for a second day, spreading to the capital Ankara and other cities.<br/> <br />What started on Monday as a sit-in to stop a redevelopment project at Taksim Sqaure has since sparked nationwide protests against Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's government.<br/> <br />Erdogan's vowed to push ahead with the contentious redevelopment, and said the issue was being used as an excuse to stoke tensions.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) TURKISH PRIME MINISTER TAYYIP ERDOGAN, SAYING:<br/> <br />"I am asking the protesters to immediately end these actions so pedestrians, visitors and local shop keepers do not get injured any more."<br/> <br />But protesters on Saturday ignored his call to end the violence.<br/> <br />Medics said close to 1,000 people were injured in the clashes in Istanbul on Friday, the fiercest anti-government demonstrations for years.
