ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he will build a historical monument at an iconic Istanbul park that was at the heart of anti-government protests three years ago.

Erdogan said a historical monument will be built at Taksim's Gezi Park, reviving development plans that triggered mass demonstrations in May and June 2013.

He said: "One of the issues that we have to be brave (about) is Gezi Park in Taksim. ... We will construct that historical building there."

Erdogan was referring to plans to rebuild a replica of Ottoman-era military barracks.

In 2013, Turks took to the streets denouncing Erdogan's increasingly autocratic leadership and demanding more democratic freedoms.

The protests were sparked by opposition to government plans to uproot trees at Taksim Square's Gezi Park and develop the area.