Masked demonstrator takes down Turkish flag on Air Force base in Diyarbakır

A masked demonstrator took down the Turkish flag inside of an Air Force base in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır during protests that erupted June 8, following the funeral of a man killed during clashes in Lice. The demonstrator was photographed by Agence France-Presse photo reporter İlyas Akengin, as the demonstrator climbed the flagpole after jumping over the walls surrounding Diyarbakır’s 2nd Air Force Command.

The Turkish General Staff said in a statement that soldiers have “shown sensibility and [only resorted to] two gunshots fired in the air,” alleging that the demonstrator taking down the flag was a “child.” 

Clashes had erupted between police and demonstrators after the funeral of Ramazan Baran in Diyarbakır’s suburban Bağlar district. Baran died June 7 from gunshot wounds during the security forces’ raid on a roadblock protest against the construction of a gendarmerie post in Lice.

Some of the demonstrators battling the police in Diyarbakır gathered near the back entrance of the Air Force base with a group including the one who climbed the flagpole, jumping over the walls and entering the facility.

The fresh violence sparked protests across Turkey, mostly in hotspots and sensitive areas, such as Istanbul’s Gazi and Okmeydanı neighborhoods and the southeastern towns of Cizre, Hakkari and Van.