Turkish police attack pro-Assad rally in Istanbul

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Turkish police have used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse pro-Syrian government demonstrators in the city of Istanbul.The demonstrators gathered outside the Istanbul Congress Center that hosted the second meeting of the “Friends of Syria” group on Sunday.Reports say three Syrian demonstrators were injured during the attack.A group of opponents of the Syrian government was also demonstrating outside the conference hall in Istanbul.Meanwhile, Turkish activists held a demonstration in front of the US Embassy in the capital Ankara on Sunday to condemn the anti-Damascus “Friends of Syria” summit in Istanbul.Foreign ministers from about 70 Western and Arab countries attended the second “Friends of Syria” meeting in Istanbul on Sunday. The first meeting was held in Tunisia on February 24.Participants in the Istanbul meeting said in a statement that the conference recognizes the opposition Syrian National Council (SNC) as the “legitimate representative” of the Syrian people. However, Damascus condemned the conference, describing it as a gathering of “enemies of Syria.” /129