Turkish police have used teargas and water cannon during clashes with anti-government protesters in central Istanbul on Wednesday.<br /><br />Earlier, demonstrators marched through the city for the funeral of a boy wounded during protests last summer.<br /><br />Berkin Elvan, who was then 14, is believed to have been hit on the head with a police teargas canister while on his way to buy bread last June.<br /><br />He died nine months after falling into a coma when he was hit by a police tear-gas canister. His death brings the number of fatalities from last summer’s protests to at least eight.<br /><br />“Lots of children have been killed so far, and Berkin was the last of them. We do not want anyone to be killed. No-one here wants it. But they try to kill people, they try to block their democratic protest right. No-one came here to clash with the police,” said protester Binali Atasever<br /><br />Berkin’s death has sparked renewed unrest across Turkey ahead of elections.<br /><br />Prime Minister Erdogan criticised those taking to the streets, saying it was “undemocratic.” 18 days before elections,<br /><br />There has been growing discontent with the government over corruption scandals and plans to tighten internet controls which are seen as authoritarian.<br /><br /> Erdogan accuses “anarchists, terrorists and vandals” of being behind last summer’s protests<br /><br />Several police officers were questioned about Berkin’s head injury but no-one was ever charged.
