ANKARA -- Turkish Interior Minister Muammer Guler said on Sunday that more than 1,700 people have been arrested in the demonstrations sweeping the country over the past days.

On Sunday, Turkish police fired tear gas and used water cannon to disperse protesters in the Turkish capital of Ankara.

Authorities took the measures to prevent about 1,000 protesters from marching to the high-security prime minister's office in downtown Ankara.

As many as 53 civilians, 19 of whom from Istanbul, and 26 police officers have been injured during the clashes, said the interior minister on Saturday.

The demonstrations erupted in Istanbul and spilled over into several other cities over the past five days. The protesters called for saving a city center park in Istanbul from shopping- center developers who had been backed by the government.