By Ayla Jean Yackley and Asli Kandemir ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's handling of Turkey's fiercest anti-government protests in more than 30 years has exposed the extent of his authoritarianism and only entrenched hostility to his rule, the head of the main opposition party said.

Embattled Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has chosen to portray himself as a martyr battling dark forces as he faces unprecedented protests against his government. It's a role that served him well in the past but this time round it is more a sign of weakness and panic, analysts said. On Sunday he held a marathon six rallies of his supporters in three different cities during which he insisted he would stand firm against the "looters" and "extremists" calling for his resignation.

The White House praised Turkey's government Tuesday for apologizing for the use of force against protestors in the biggest mass demonstrations of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's decade in power. Deputy Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said earlier the government had "learnt its lesson" and regretted using security forces against people with "rightful demands." "We welcome the deputy prime minister's comments apologizing for excessive force, and we continue to welcome calls for these events to be investigated," White House spokesman Jay Carney said.

Information Minister Omran al-Zohbi accused Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Syria's former ally Turkey on Saturday of "terrorising" his own people and called on him to resign. "The demands of the Turkish people do not justify this violence, and if Erdogan is incapable of using non-violent methods, then he should quit," state television cited Zohbi as saying after rioting in Istanbul. "Erdogan is leading his country in a terrorist way, destroying the civilisation and achievements of the Turkish people."