Turkish police break up demo with water cannon, tear gas
Police in Turkey have used water cannons, rubber bullets and tear gas to break up an anti-government demonstration held in the northwestern city of Istanbul.
Some 500 people gathered in the city’s Istiklal Street on Tuesday, while shouting slogans against the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and its offensive against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Police tried to break up the protesters, who were attempting to form a human chain, by firing tear gas and water cannon down the street in the busy commercial area.
According to reports, over a dozen people were arrested by the police during the rally. Among the detainees was Yasin Akgul, a Turkish freelance photographer working for the Agence France-Presse (AFP). Police forces tackled Akgul as he was attempting to take pictures of them arresting people.
Turkey has been the scene of violent clashes between security forces and protesters after Ankara started airstrikes against the positions of PKK militants in southern Turkey and northern Iraq in July.
The PKK has been fighting for an autonomous Kurdish region inside Turkey since the 1980s. The conflict has left tens of thousands of people dead.
A shaky ceasefire that had stood since 2013 was declared void by the PKK following the Turkish airstrikes against the group.
Turkey will bury Syria’s Kurdish militia if they fail to disarm: Erdogan
Turkey's foreign minister meets Syria's de facto leader in Damascus
Iran’s Pezeshkian, Egypt’s Sisi hope for restoration of bilateral ties
Hamas calls for action against Israeli settler incursions into al-Aqsa Mosque
'Hell of the hell': UNRWA blasts Israel’s months-long deadly siege on northern Gaza
VIDEO | Israel wipes out northern Gaza
VIDEO | Press TV's news headlines
Israel kills 5 Palestinian journalists in front of Al-Awda Hospital in Gaza
VIDEO | Gaza ceasefire obstacles
VIDEO | Pakistani Christians mark Christmas in solidarity with Palestine
VIDEO | Plight of Gaza cancer patients
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
