More than 10.000 protest Syria policy, clash with police in Hatay: Many injured and affected from tear gas

More than 10,000 protesters staged on Sunday a massive anti-war protest against the Turkish government intervention against Syria in Antakya, capital of Turkey’s eastern province of Hatay.

Protesters called on the government to stop the intervention against Syria and urged to stop providing aids to the military camps of Syrian freedom army in the border region between the two countries.

Shouting slogans like “Muslims are friends” and “We want peace, not war”, the protesters walked along the street and drawed acclamation from many locals. “We want Turkey and Syria to be friends again. We want the Syrian militants outside of Turkey’s territory.”Another slogan was “With sword, with blood we are in command of Bashar”

The protest called for the end of war and re-establishment of peace between Turkey and Syria.

Local residents joined the protest and complained that Turkey harbors Syrian militants or even terrorists in Hatay, which has caused social unrest to the local communities.

More than 2,000 policemen were deployed on the spot and claimed the protests illegal. They intervened the protests by firing tear gas while high-pressure canon vehicles driving the protesters away.Additional police forces from neighboring cities came to Hatay whose peace and rest disrupted by pro-American and Israel policy of Turhish government.

A few people were injured and some were arrested in the event.

Since the breaking out of the war, about 80,000 refugees have rushed to its neighbor of Turkey, mostly in Hatay province.