Turkish Police Break Protest Over Seizure of Zaman Newspaper
- U.S., Russia call for respect to free speech in Turkey
- Turkey's Erdogan comes under criticism of muzzling press
Turkish anti-riot police use tear gas to disperse supporters in front of the headquarters of the Turkish daily newspaper.
Photographer: Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Turkish police on Saturday fired water cannons and tear gas to break up a protest over the seizure of Istanbul-based Zaman newspaper on the grounds that followers of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen used it to undermine Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s power.
Police dispersed protesters around Zaman’s headquarters in Istanbul’s Yenibosna district for a second time since Friday’s decision by a Turkish court to appoint trustees to run the newspaper, which drew international criticism from the U.S. to Europe.