DHAKA: Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged young Turks to ignore calls to mark the first anniversary of Istanbul's Taksim Square protests.

He was speaking ahead of nationwide demonstrations planned for Saturday.

Thousands of police officers and dozens of water cannon trucks are to be deployed to the square, reports say.

Protests against plans to redevelop Istanbul's Gezi Park last year turned into mass anti-government rallies after a heavy-handed police crackdown.

A number of people were killed in the unrest, with thousands more injured, reports the BBC.

A 64-year-old woman, who fell into a coma after inhaling tear gas during another crackdown on protesters in the capital in December, died on Friday.

BDST: 0946 HRS, MAY 31, 2014