A total of 17 people were wounded late on Sunday in the clashes during protests in support of the Gezi Park demonstrations in the southern Turkish province of Mersin, private Dogan news agency reported.

The clashes broke out when police blocked the way of some 500 protesters marching toward Peace Square, said the report, adding a policemen and two journalists were among the injured.

Also, police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters who were trying to establish barricades to counter the police intervention, said the report.

The Gezi Park demonstrations began in Turkey's biggest city of Istanbul as a peaceful sit-in aiming to preserve the park on May 31 but soon snowballed into a national movement against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's leadership due to the government's harsh crackdown.

Clashes between police and protesters across the country have killed at least five people, including a policeman, and injured some 5,000.