Paper Takeover Protesters Tear-Gassed In Turkey

Rubber bullets and water cannon are used on demonstrators angry at a government takeover of the Zaman media group.

18:20, UK, Saturday 05 March 2016

Video: Police Fire Tear Gas At Protesters

Tear gas has been used against people protesting against the takeover of a private newspaper by the Turkish government.

Hundreds of demonstrators, many of them women, had to run to escape the noxious gas after riot police moved in to clear the street outside Zaman's offices in Istanbul.
The editor-in-chief and a columnist were marched off the premises after state prosecutors won a court order to impose control at the publication on Friday.
It was over the Zaman group's alleged links to US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen who the government says plotted a coup.

Rubber bullets and water cannon were also fired at the crowd that gathered for a second day outside the offices of the group, which also includes English language Today's Zaman and the Cihan agency.

Video: Turkish Police Takeover Newspaper

Meanwhile, footage has emerged of heavily armoured police inside the Zaman building shot by a staff members soon after the government attempted to take control.
Several senior figures in the European Union have expressed concern.
European Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn said on Twitter: "Extremely worried about latest developments on Zaman newspaper which jeopardises progress made by Turkey in other areas."
European Parliament President Martin Schulz said the takeover was "yet another blow to press freedom" and promised to talk about the matter with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Monday.

Video: Press Freedom And Turkey

In Berlin, Norbert Roettgen, chairman of Germany's foreign affairs committee, said: "Not only the violent action against a critical newspaper, but also the fact that the government takes over the whole paper is a severe blow by the Turkish leadership against the freedom of press."
The comments are in some contrast to what critics have said is the EU's reluctance to attack Turkey's alleged censorship of the press.
The EU - and Germany in particular - have been keen to win Turkey's support in slowing the flow of refugees and migrants across the Aegean Sea to Greece.
Mr Gulen, who has lived in the US since 1999, was once Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ally but the two fell out.

Video: Over 2.6 Million Refugees In Turkey

The government accuses the Gulen movement of orchestrating corruption allegations in December 2013 against ministers and people close to Mr Erdogan as a plot to overthrow it.
Reuters says most Turkish media are not fully reporting the takeover out of fear they could face similar action.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, head of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), said the Istanbul court that ordered Zaman's seizure was acting under political authority.