ANKARA - Ismail Caliskan, a spokesman for the Turkish Police Department, said on Friday that Turkish police doesn't want to use excessive force.
Speaking at the weekly press briefing, Caliskan said that they had taken all necessary measures to assure the security during the May 1st Labor Day celebrations, and warned all citizens and (NGOs) not to let themselves be manipulated by provocations of illegal organizations.
Upon a question about gases used by the police officers against people during demonstrations, Caliskan said, ''those gases are being used after a series of scientific tests. They do not harm demonstrators.''
Replying to another question about incidents in Istanbul on March 6th and French Police's harsh reaction against students, Caliskan said, ''as the Turkish Police, we have the authority of using force against those who attack policemen during demonstrations. However we pay much attention to carry out our duty by using the minimum force. We do not approve to use excessive force against defenseless people.''