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Istanbul police attack protestors with tear gas, water cannon

People run away from tear gas fired by Turkish anti-riot police on March 11, 2016, at the Okmeydani district of Istanbul as people gather to mark the second anniversary of the death of the youngest victim of the Gezi Park protests. (AFP)

Police in Turkey have clashed with demonstrators protesting against a counter-terror operation that targeted the offices of a magazine.

Turkish police on Wednesday evening used tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters who had gathered in the Sultangazi district of Istanbul to show their disapproval of the operation that targeted the Yuruyus magazine building.

Security forces had earlier raided a number of buildings, including that of the magazine, as part of the anti-terror operation. Local media said that some gunshots were heard during the operation.

Special operations police, riot police, and a fire squad took part in the operation, supported by police helicopters. The police entered the magazine’s building on Fevzi Çakmak Street in Sultangazi after breaking through its door and walls, and reportedly detained five people.

The Turkish government accuses the magazine of having links with the ultra-left Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C), a terrorist organization under Turkish law.

Turkey has been hit by a number of bombings in recent months, mostly blamed on Daesh or the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militant groups.

The country has also been the scene of violence between government forces and PKK militants. Moreover, the Turkish government faces widespread condemnation over its gagging of critical media outlets as well as MPs, scholars, lawyers and NGOs. 

Aside from facilitating weapons and resources supply to terror groups operating in neighboring Syria, Turkey is also accused of buying smuggled Syrian oil from the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.


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