Turkish Interior Minister Muammer Guler on Sunday said more than 1,700 people had been arrested in anti-government protests that have spread to 67 cities nationwide, though most have since been released.

"A large majority of the detainees were released after being questioned and identified," he said in remarks carried by the state-run Anatolia news agency.

He added that the country had seen 235 demonstrations since Tuesday.

The minister also warned against "misinformation being spread on social media," denying claims by rights groups and on social media websites that several people had been killed.

He said 58 civilians and 115 security officers had been wounded, while rights groups say hundreds of people have been hurt.

Authorities say almost 100 police vehicles, 94 shops and dozens of cars have been damaged since Friday when what started out as a local campaign against a development plan in Istanbul snowballed into sometimes violent nationwide protests against the government.

The total damage to property is estimated at more than 20 million liras (over eight million euros), according to Guler.

TTO