Turkey's ruling party rules out early elections after protests

A Turkish high-ranking official from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) on Saturday denied that the government is planning to hold early elections.

"The AK Party does not have such a plan," Huseyin Celik, AK Party's deputy chairman and spokesman said at a televised press conference following a meeting with the party's Central Decision and Administration Board.

"There is no need to call for early elections," he added.

The spokesman confirmed that the parliamentary elections will be held in 2015 as scheduled and termed the rumors about early election are completely unfounded.

Meanwhile, Celik reiterated that the government was ready to listen to citizens' "reasonable" demands.

His remarks came hours after opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli called for early elections in the country to overcome the current "deadlock."

Bahceli said during a MHP meeting that the reason behind the recent protests across the country is the government's "flawed understanding of democracy."

"There is no way left other than elections," Bahceli said.

More than a week ago, the protests started when a group ofenvironmentalists gathered in Gezi Park in Turkey's Istanbul to protest against the government's plans to build a replica of Topcu Barracks over the park as part of a Taksim urban renewal project.

It later spread to 67 cities across the country and turned into clashes between protesters and the police, which have left three people dead, over 4,000 injured and thousands detained.

The protesters vowed to go ahead with their "struggle" until their demands are met by the government through tangible steps.