Workers attend a groundbreaking ceremony of Taksim mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, February 17, 2017. REUTERS/Osman Orsal
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Construction began on Friday of a mosque in Istanbul's central Taksim square, a controversial project championed by Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan but mired in years of court battles and public debate.
Cranes moved into the site and first cement was poured at a modest ground-breaking ceremony on the edge of the square, long a rallying point for demonstrations, as riot police with armoured vehicles and water cannon stood guard.
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