Non-commissioned army officers, neighbourhood guards and police officers confronted each other in a bizarre incident in Turkey on Sunday as brawls broke out between the parties and many were hospitalised.
According to a report by Duvar, neighbourhood guards spotted two individuals carrying handguns at a farewell party held for new military recruits in the central Anatolian city of Kırıkkale.
The guards asked to see identification documents, in response to which one of the individuals tossed his gun away, but the other, identified only as army sergeant M.B., brandished his gun at the guards.
A brawl began as others in the party turned on the guards and attacked them.
Police officers who arrived at the scene were also met with resistance and further agression by the crowd. The police used pepper gas on assailants to disperse them, and the party was called off.
Some in the crowd were taken to the hospital for treatment due to the effects of the pepper spray.
Five people, including army sergeant M.B. and another army sergeant identified as E.B., were taken into custody, and the handgun tossed away by one of the suspects was recovered at the scene.
The neighbourhood guards, some of whom were also hospitalised, pressed charges against the assailants.
