Turkish air raid on 'rebels' kills 35 smugglers

Thirty-five people killed in Turkish air strikes in Iraq are smugglers whom the military mistook for Kurdish rebels, Turkey said today.

The victims “were not terrorists” but people smuggling cigarettes into Turkey from Iraq, ruling party spokesman Huseyin Celik said.

Officials are investigating possible intelligence failures that led to the strikes.

He expressed regret for the deaths and suggested the government would compensate the victims.

Earlier, the military said its jets had struck an area of northern Iraq frequently used by the rebels to enter Turkey after drones detected a group approaching the border.

Protesters have clashed with police during a protest in Istanbul denouncing the air strikes.

Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse stone-throwing protesters near the city’s main square, said the Dogan news agency.

Video footage showed some demonstrators smashing glass panels at a bus stop and others throwing stones at a police vehicle.