Police use force to disperse coup trials protest in Turkish capital

ANKARA

The crowd intended to organize a march in front of the Parliament. REUTERS photo

Turkish police today used water cannons and tear gas in central Ankara to disperse demonstrators, who had gathered to protest the Ergenekon and Balyoz (Sledgehammer) coup trials and the controversial specially authorized courts.

Around 3,000 protestors gathered in the capital over reports that the limit of five years for detentions without convictions would not be applied in the Ergenekon and Balyoz trials. Police intervened violently in the crowd, which wanted to march to Parliament.

At least 12 protesters, who were mostly members of the Workers’ Party (İP) and the Turkish Youth Union (TGB), were detained by the police, despite the intervention of main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) lawmaker Süheyl Batum.

Two people, including a police officer, were injured and left bloodied in the clashes, the AFP reported. 

Last month, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that the government was warm on the retrial of hundreds of convicted military officers.