Turkish police fire tear gas to break up Istanbul protest

ISTANBUL - Agence France-Presse

REUTERS photo

Turkish police on Sept. 1 used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon to disperse protestors in central Istanbul, detaining over a dozen people.

The rally, which gathered some 500 people, had begun peacefully at İstiklal Avenue in the center of the European side of the city.

Police intervened as demonstrators attempted to form a human chain and shouted slogans against the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Jets from water cannon were fired down the middle of the street - a busy shopping area - and police used tear gas as demonstrators ran for cover.

Among those detained was Yasin Akgül, a Turkish freelance photographer who works as a stringer for Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Akgül was taken to a waiting police van before being released after colleagues remonstrated that he was a media photographer. Akgül was given hospital treatment for an arm injury but was later allowed to go home.

Reports said a cameraman from the state-run Anadolu Agency was also injured.

Anadolu reported that a total of 14 people had been arrested. Turkish cities are tense as the government presses a controversial campaign against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants, with security forces clamping down on any signs of large scale protest.