Protesters take to the streets in Ankara and Istanbul after Turkey’s parliament approved military operations against targets in Syria following the deaths of five Turkish citizens from Syrian shelling.

Around 5,000 people took to the streets of Istanbul on Thursday evening in an anti-war protest which turned into a demonstration against Turkey’s ruling AK Party. Protesters chanted slogans against the war as they carried anti-government banners.

“We are going through an ugly provocation of war. The Turkish and Syrian people are not enemies, but the ruling AK Party government is trying to drag our country into a war with Syria in compliance with US interests,” said protester Nevzat Evrim Onal.

The Turkish slogan “savasa hayir” (“no to war”) was the top trending item on Turkey’s Twitter on Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, in Ankara, what started as a peaceful demonstration soon turned violent as protesters clashed with police after they tried to block them from moving around the city.

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