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Turkish police have fired water cannon and tear gas near Istanbul's Taksim Square during
a protest triggered by the funeral of a teenage boy wounded in anti-government clashes last
year. Tens of thousands of mourners chanted anti-government
slogans as the boy's coffin was carried through the streets.
In the capital, Ankara, police fired tear gas to disperse protesters.
Berkin Elvan, 15, spent 269 days in a coma after being hit by a tear gas canister as
he went to buy bread. His death on Tuesday triggered violent protests
in at least 32 towns and cities across the country - reminiscent of last year's unrest.
Many of the protesters echoed his mother's claim that the Turkish prime minister was
his 'killer'. Crowds holding pictures of Berkin Elvan first
gathered outside the house of worship in Istanbul where his body lay.
His coffin - draped in red and covered in flowers - was then carried through the streets
to the cemetery. "Berkin's murderers are the AKP police," mourners
shouted, referring to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development
Party (AKP). "The rage of mothers will suffocate the killers,"
screamed others. President Abdullah Gul expressed his sadness
and appealed for calm, urging everyone "to do everything to prevent this from happening
again". He said Turkey was going through difficult
days and that the "mind of the state has become overwhelmed by anger and hatred." He added:
"Little 15-year-old Berkin Elvan is the latest victim of this atmosphere."
Correspondents say Berkin Elvan became a symbol of the heavy-handed tactics used by police
to rein in the biggest demonstrations against the prime minister.