Dozens of demonstrators were faced with tear gas and water cannons by police in Istanbul today as they protested against the Turkish government's policy towards Syria. Two groups of protesters were marching to Besiktas district near the Dolmabahce Palace on the European side of the city when officers blocked their path, reports the state-run Anatolia News Agency.
The crackdown followed similar scenes in Ankara yesterday, where clashes between students and security forces using cannons and gas saw 30 arrested and two injured. Crowds in Istanbul and Ankara were protesting against prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's funding and support for the Syrian rebels against President Bashar Assad.
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