Police used tear gas and batons to disperse a group of about 40 supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad who tried to approach a congress hall in İstanbul where representatives of more than 70 nations gathered to discuss Syria, Today's Zaman reported.
Tensions escalated when another group, consisting of opponents of Assad, confronted the pro-Assad group. Police formed a barrier between the two groups and eventually sent the anti-Assad group away.
Many Assad supporters held portraits of the Syrian leader. One man waved Chinese and Russian flags in a show of sympathy for the two UN Security Council member nations, which have blocked efforts at the UN to issue a resolution that calls for the departure of Assad.