TURKISH Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has claimed victory over anti-government protesters after a heavy crackdown, as police raided homes and arrested dozens of demonstrators in a bid to stamp out nearly three weeks of unrest.
After a weekend of clashes sparked by the eviction of protesters from Istanbul's Gezi Park, the focal point of the protests, demonstrators have struggled to regroup and police have since fought only sporadic battles with smaller groups of demonstrators across the country.
On Monday night, riot police in the capital Ankara briefly fired tear gas and water cannon at protesters who hurled back stones and hid behind makeshift barricades, but there were no other reports of confrontations.
In Istanbul, dozens of demonstrators switched to silent protests, standing still in quiet defiance in the main Taksim Square located next to Gezi Park.
As the protests appeared to lose their intensity, Erdogan said he had overcome the crisis, seen as the biggest challenge yet to his Islamic-rooted government's decade-long rule.
"Our democracy has been tested again and came out victoriously," the premier told members of his ruling Justice and Development party (AKP) to roaring applause.
"The people and the AKP government have foiled the plot ... hatched by traitors and their foreign accomplices."
Confident he has weathered the storm, he warned against any resurgence of the protests.
"From now on, there will be no question of showing any tolerance to people or organisations who engage in violent acts."
His comments came as police carried out raids at homes across the country, detaining over 100 demonstrators.
Meanwhile, Hurriyet Daily News reported that the justice ministry was working on legislation to regulate social media.
Erdogan lashed out at Twitter at the start of the unrest, branding it a "troublemaker" and accusing the online messaging service of spreading "lies".
Turkey's crisis began when a sit-in to save Gezi's 600 trees from being razed prompted a brutal police response on May 31.
