Report: Turkish police detains dozens during raids on protesters suspected of violence

Turkish news reports say police is carrying out raids and detaining people suspected of involvement in violence against police during a wave of anti-government protests.

NTV television says the raids in Ankara and Istanbul are targeting left-wing groups, which authorities suspect were involved in violent clashes with police.

Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency said at least 25 people were detained in Ankara and many others in Istanbul.

Earlier, police detained a dozen people who stood still at Istanbul's Taksim Square in a form of passive defiance against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's authority after activists were ousted from a sit-in at a park over the weekend.

A wave of anti-government protest swept through Turkey starting May 31 that have shaken the country's secular democracy.