Istanbul protests leave second person dead as PM defends police

A second person has died from injuries sustained during overnight clashes between protestors and the police in Istanbul, a day after a bystander was shot and killed by police during protests.

The victim was one of two wounded by shrapnel from a hand grenade.

The Turkish daily Hürriyet reported that the explosive device had detonated during street battles between protesters and police on Thursday night, injuring one civilian and at least seven police officers. None of the police are said to be in critical condition.

The clashes have occurred in the Istanbul neighbourhood of Okmeydani, prompting fears of further violence before the anniversary of anti-government protests a year ago.

Tensions were further stoked on Friday when Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan defended the police who shot and killed a bystander during protests on Thursday,

The 34-year-old man was hit by a stray bullet while attending a funeral procession. Witnesses said that the bullet was fired by a policeman after protesters threw Molotov cocktails at an armoured police vehicle.

The mass protests were initially triggered by the mining company disaster that left 301 dead. The victims’ relatives accused the government of holding back information, while many criticised Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan for being insensitive in his reaction to the tragic event.

Riot police were deployed to block access to Istanbul’s Taksim Square and used tear gas and water cannon to disperse activists.