‘Shameful day for free press in Turkey’ writes the last edition of Zaman, while its supporters gathered outside the country’s top-selling newspaper were violently removed by Turkish police which fired tear gas and used water cannon on the crowd.

An İstanbul court appointed trustees to take over the management of the Feza Media Group, which includes Turkey’s biggest-selling newspaper, the Zaman daily, as well as the Today’s Zaman daily and the Cihan news agency, dealing a fresh blow to the already battered media freedom in Turkey.

Turkey’s biggest newspaper, Zaman, has condemned its takeover by the authorities in a defiant last edition published just before police raided it.

Saturday’s edition said Turkey’s press had experienced “one of the darkest days in its history”.

Turkish police raided Zaman’s offices hours after a court ruling placed it under state control, but managers were still able to get the edition to print, as BBC reports.

Zaman readers gathered outside the offices to protest against the takeover of the newspaper.

Police dispersed the demonstration with tear gas and water cannon, while demonstrators were chanting “Free press cannot be silenced”.

The paper is closely linked to the Hizmet movement of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, which Turkey says is a “terrorist” group that aimes to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The raid and transfer of Zaman management to government employees have further heightened concerns about press freedom in Turkey.