Clashes in Istanbul as IMF meeting begins

06/10/09 13:43 CET

world news

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Turkish police and protesters have clashed in Istanbul where the International Monetary Fund and World Bank are meeting.

Security forces fired tear gas and used water cannon to disperse activists demonstrating against the financial institutions. Vehicles and banks were damaged in the unrest, close to the conference centre. Media reports say around 100 people were arrested. Finance ministers, central bankers and economists are discussing the global economy, hosted by Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. There is significant opposition among Turkish students to the IMF which helped bail the country out of a deep financial crisis eight years ago. Security at the conference was stepped up after a student threw a shoe at IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn last week. It missed its target.More about: Clashes and riots, IMF, Turkey

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