AAA Jun. 17, 2013 3:44 AM ET Unions prepare strikes to support Turkey protests AP Police fire tear gas as riot police spray water cannon at demonstrators who remained defiant after authorities evicted activists from an Istanbul park, making clear they are taking a hardline against attempts to rekindle protests that have shaken the country, near city's main Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, June 16, 2013. (AP Photo) Police detain a protester as Turkish riot police spray water cannon at demonstrators who remained defiant after authorities evicted activists from an Istanbul park, making clear they are taking a hardline stand against attempts to rekindle protests that have shaken the country, near city's main Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, June 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici) Protesters man a barricade near Gezi park, in Istanbul, early Saturday, June 15, 2013. People carry the coffin of Ethem Sarisuluk, one of five people killed during the recent protests in Turkey, as Turkish riot police spray water cannon at demonstrators who remained defiant after authorities evicted activists from an Istanbul park, making clear they are taking a hardline against attempts to rekindle protests that have shaken the country, in city's main Kizilay Square in Ankara, Turkey, Sunday, June 16, 2013. (AP Photo) Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan salutes supporters during a party rally in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, June 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici) ISTANBUL (AP) - Turkish trade unions are gearing up for strikes in response to a widespread police crackdown against activists defying government attempts to end weeks of street protests. Monday's call for the one-day walkout aimed to maintain pressure on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government. Riot police on Saturday emptied Istanbul's Gezi Park of activists behind an 18-day sit-in that began as a demonstration against government plans to rip down trees and redevelop the park. It then spiraled into a nationwide protest, with the park's neighboring Taksim Square becoming the movement's epicenter. Police maintained a lockdown on vehicle traffic on the square on Monday. Thousands of protesters tried to regroup in the area on Sunday, only to be turned back by riot police firing tear gas and water cannon.