Turkey's Deputy PM Bulent Arinc has apologized to protesters injured in demonstrations opposing the demolition of an Istanbul park, BBC News reported.

The original protests over the redevelopment of Gezi Park were "just and legitimate", he said, offering to meet the organizers.

He called for the protests to end, saying they had been taken over by "terrorist elements".

The protests have escalated into five days of unrest in cities across Turkey.

"The use of excessive force shown against the people who initially started this protest with the motive of protecting the environment was wrong. And it was unfair. So I apologize to those citizens," Arinc said at a news conference in Ankara.

However, he added: "I do not think we need to apologize to those who create destruction of public property in the streets and who try to prevent the freedom of the people in the streets."