Celik made the announcement after Erdogan's five-hour meeting here with representatives of the protesters, saying that the government cannot accept the protests going on forever. "Those with bad intentions, seeking provocation and persisting in staying at the park will be facing the police," he said. The demonstrations erupted on May 31 after the police cracked down on a small sit-in over plans to replace the Gezi Park, the last green space in central Istanbul, and later turned into protests in dozens of cities across the country. Also on Wednesday, riot police carried out operations in Ankara by firing tear gas and using water cannon to disperse protesters. The clashes between police and protesters have killed at least three people, including a policeman, and injured 5,000 people, according to the Turkish Medical Association. The two-week unrest in Turkey has become a great concern for the international community. The U.S. State Department Spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Wednesday that the Turkish government should avoid punishing any demonstrators merely for exercising their right to free speech. She said the United States condemns any attempt by any party to provoke violence, and believes Turkey's long-term stability, security and prosperity will be best guaranteed by upholding the fundamental freedoms of expression, assembly, association and a free and independent media. On Wednesday, the European Union (EU) also urged Erdogan to conform to EU democratic standards as the violent crackdown in Turkey may harm its efforts to join the 27-member bloc. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said Turkey, as a candidate country, needs to aspire to the highest possible democratic practices of the bloc. Ashton said it is an important moment for Turkey as it provides a chance for the country to renew its commitment to European values. "I am convinced it can meet this challenge," she added. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said Turkey has sent the wrong message to EU countries as riot police suppressed demonstrators, adding that the Turkish government must do "all in its power" to protect democratic rights. The widespread protests in Turkey have also drawn attention of global media, which triggered the Turkish leadership's discontent with some foreign media's coverage of the clashes between the police and protesters. On Wednesday, two reporters of the Canadian public broadcaster CBC, Sasa Petricic and Derek Stoffel, were detained by Turkish policemen during a protest in Istanbul. CBC's Middle East correspondent Petricic tweeted a single word "arrested" at around 5:30 p.m. local time (1430 GMT) to inform of his detention, and the Canadian embassy in Ankara also confirmed that both journalists were detained. However, they were released a few hours after being taken into custody, according to a report of local Daily News. Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird also tweeted earlier that he had spoken with the Turkish ambassador and "expressed concern over reports of a CBC journalist detained in Istanbul."