Police drone shot down by gendarmerie in Taksim Square

ISTANBUL

A drone launched by the Turkish police to fly over Istanbul’s Taksim Square on New Year’s Eve for security purposes was shot down by the Turkish gendarmerie forces on Dec. 31. 

“We were not informed about the [drone] flight. We shot it down because we considered it a threat,” a gendarmerie officer told police officials.  

Police officers took the drone, which was worth approximately 10,000 TL ($1675), to their headquarters to repair it.

Gendarmerie forces, usually not stationed in city centers but in rural areas, were deployed at Taksim Square with armed anti-drone teams for possible attacks in order to support Istanbul police.