Turkey PM Hails Police 'Heroism' in Handling Unrest

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan praised Monday police "heroism" in handling several weeks of unrest that threw up the biggest challenge yet to his government after more than a decade in power.

"Our police successfully passed a very important, very challenging democracy test," Erdogan said at a graduation ceremony at the police academy in the capital Ankara.

"Our police have responded to attacks, provocations without violating the law... and have written a saga of heroism," he said.

Erdogan's government has been widely criticized for its handling of the crisis, with United States and other Western allies condemning the use of excessive police force against protesters.

The crisis erupted when a sit-in to save Gezi Park near Istanbul's main Taksim Square prompted a brutal police response on May 31.

The violence quickly turned into countrywide demonstrations against what critics say are Erdogan's increasingly authoritarian and conservative Islamic policies, with police using tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets against protesters.

Riot police on Saturday night cleared Taksim of protesters, while Erdogan addressed loyalists at rallies in other parts of the country at the weekend.

Erdogan praised police for their "patience" and "discipline" during the protests, in which medics say four people were killed and nearly 8,000 injured.

The prime minister has said one policeman was among those killed, while another 600 officers were injured.

Milliyet newspaper reported on Sunday that 2.5 million people across 79 provinces joined the demonstrations which resulted in the detentions of 4,900 in a nationwide crackdown.