Turkey's Erdogan Defiant On Return

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has arrived back in Turkey after a trip to Africa to face angry opposition protests at home.

Erdogan was greeted by thousands of supporters as he arrived early on June 7 in Istanbul.

He said the protests in Turkey were "bordering on Illegality" that "must come to an end immediately."

Protests sparked by opposition to a development project in central Istanbul have swept Turkey in the past week.

The protests have attracted tens of thousands of people who criticize Erdogan for what they say is an increasingly arrogant and autocratic nature -- charges he rejects.

WATCH: Thousands of antigovernment demonstrators poured into Taksim Square in Istanbul and in the Turkish capital on June 6 demanding that Erdogan step down. Defiant protesters walked from Galastaseray through the main streets in Istanbul toward Taksim Square chanting "Tayyip resign."

Antigovernment Riots Continue In Turkey

Three people have been killed and some 4,000 injured in the protests, sparked by plans to build shops and apartments in a park in Taksim Square in Istanbul.

On June 6, Erdogan vowed to push ahead with those plans.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters