|
 Riot police fired water cannon and tear gas on thousands of
demonstrators in several cities overnight, adding to pre-election
worries for Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan as he battles a corruption
scandal that has become one of the biggest challenges of his decade
in power.
Berkin Elvan, then aged 14, got caught up in street battles in
Istanbul between police and protesters on June 16 while going to buy
bread for his family. He slipped into a coma and became a rallying
point for government opponents.
"Berkin is our honor. He is immortal", "a mother's anger will kill
the murderers" and "Everywhere is Berkin, everywhere is resistance",
the crowd chanted in the Istanbul district of Okmeydani, where
Elvan's funeral was due to take place.
Protesters stood by fires at barricades blocking roads around the
area. Signs on shop windows said stores would remain shut for two
days, while traders sold black and white flags bearing Berkin's
face.
(Reporting by Dasha Afanasieva and Evrim Ergin;
writing by Daren
Butler; editing by Gareth Jones)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
