Turkish police disperse protest by Tekel workers

Turkish police used pepper spray Wednesday to disperse hundreds of workers protesting layoffs near the government’s headquarters in Ankara.

Riot police have also used clubs and shields to push back the workers from the Turkish state tobacco and liqueur company Tekel, reported The Associated Press.

The clash occurred Wednesday on the second day of the protest against the government near the Justice and Development Party headquarters in the Turkish capital.

Several workers and journalists covering the incidents have were hospitalized after suffering from the pepper spray.

CNNTürk television reported police dispersed a similar protest by firefighters in Istanbul’s Fatih district.

Meanwhile, railway workers continued a partial strike against layoffs and low wages. Personnel of the Turkish State Railways Administration, or TCDD, launched a demonstration in Ankara and Istanbul on Tuesday under the auspices of their unions, saying that 16 of their colleagues had been temporarily dismissed.

According to Anatolia news agency, TCDD personnel consequently halted or delayed trains throughout Turkey late Tuesday and Wednesday.

During demonstrations Tuesday and Wednesday, security forces detained three people at Istanbul's Haydarpaşa train station.