Turkish police fire water cannon, teargas at protesters

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish police reportedly fired water cannon and teargas on Monday, Oct 28 to break up a protest by around 2,000 people outside an Ankara court over the handling of the trial of a policeman accused of killing a demonstrator earlier this year.

Reuters reported that its witness said police clashed with the crowd as it descended on the court entrance following a ruling that the accused officer could take part in court hearings via video link.

Local media said several people were wounded but there was no immediate confirmation of this.

Officer Ahmet Sahbaz is accused of killing Ethem Sarisuluk, shot dead in June during a wave of nationwide anti-government demonstrations set off by a tough police response to a protest over the redevelopment of a park in Istanbul.

Six people, including a police officer, died during the unrest, which presented one of the biggest challenges to Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's decade-old rule.

The hearing was adjourned to December 2, media reports said.