Istanbul, Dec 10 (AFP) Turkish riot police today detaineda dozen activists at a protest in Istanbul denouncing Israeland the United States after Washington's recognition ofJerusalem as the Israeli capital.
Holding banners such as "against imperialism, Zionism andtheir domestic partners", the protesters gathered in Kadikoyon the Asian side of Istanbul.
Police moved in and to detain around a dozen protesters,pinning some face down on the ground and wrenching the handsof others behind their backs, an AFP photographer said.
Protests by religious conservative Turkish groups againstthe US move to recognise Jerusalem have proceeded peacefullyin Turkey in recent days.
But Istanbul police frequently crack down on leftistanti-government protests.
Pro-Palestinian protesters also held Muslim prayersoutside the Hagia Sophia, a former Byzantine church that wasturned into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of Istanbulbut is now a museum.
Some conservative Turks have argued it should be turnedback into a mosque, a move that would risk an internationalbacklash.
"We want the Palestinian people and the Muslim people tofind a free Jerusalem. We want the Israeli occupier to leaveit. We want to denounce with all our means the unfairdecision," said protester Muzeyfe Altug.
Turkey's religiously conservative Saadet (Felicity) Partyis also due to hold a mass rally in Istanbul over Jerusalem ontoday.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has led oppositionto the decision by US President Donald Trump to recogniseJerusalem as the israeli capital and has called a summit ofIslamic countries on December 13 in Istanbul. (AFP)AQS.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.