Thousands gather in Turkey for teenage boy's funeral
Mourners carry the coffin of teenager Berkin Elvan during funeral ceremony Thousands of people have gathered in Istanbul for the funeral of a 15-year-old boy who died nine months after being injured during Turkish anti-government protests.
Berkin Elvan's death on Tuesday led to protests in cities across the country.
President Abdullah Gul appealed for calm ahead of the funeral.
The boy was injured while walking to buy bread in Istanbul in June, when he was 14. He was hit on the head by a tear gas canister during the unrest.
Correspondents say his 269 days in a coma gripped the country and became a symbol of the heavy-handed tactics used by police to rein in the biggest demonstrations against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The funeral comes after the teenager's death on Tuesday sparked disturbances across Turkey Thousands of mourners arrived early on Wednesday in the streets near an Alevi Muslim prayer hall, known as a Cemevi, in the Okmeydan area of Istanbul.
The crowds chanted anti-government slogans, clapped and shouted the teenager's name. A march to the centre of the city began after the funeral.
Istanbul Governor Hüseyin Avni Mutlu called for security forces in the city to perform their duties "carefully" during the funeral and protest.
News of Berkin Elvan's death - the eighth linked to mass anti-government protests - triggered demonstrations in several Turkish cities on Tuesday.
In Ankara, police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse some 2,000 protesters who chanted: "Government of Erdogan, government of corruption, resign, resign."
Police pursued protesters into side streets where small clashes continued.
There was similar police action against thousands of protesters on both the European and Asian sides of Istanbul and in the cities of Mersin and Adana.
The June protests started as a gathering to save an Istanbul park, but they quickly grew into a nationwide movement against the government of Mr Erdogan, which critics say has become increasingly authoritarian and corrupt.
The BBC's Selin Girit witnesses Tuesday night's clashes in Istanbul
The sons of three former cabinet ministers have been arrested and accused of corruption, while Mr Erdogan himself has condemned as fabricated an audio recording that appears to show him talking to his son, Bilal, about hiding millions of euros in cash.
He said last month that the recording, allegedly tapped and then posted on social media, was a "treacherous attack".
The prime minister says the corruption allegations are part of a plot to unseat him by US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen.
President Gul sent a message of condolence to Elvan's family, saying that Turkey was going through difficult days and that the "mind of the state has become overwhelmed by anger and hatred".
Crowds holding posters and chanting the name of Berkin Elvan on the streets of Istanbul "Little 15-year-old Berkin Elvan is the latest victim of this atmosphere", he said.
After the boy's death was announced, his mother appeared outside Okmeydani hospital and was quickly surrounded by mourners. Tributes appeared on social media and hundreds of people gathered to show their anger.
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