DHAKA: The funeral is to take place in the Turkish capital Istanbul of a teenaged boy who died nine months after being injured during anti-government protests.

Berkin Elvan`s death on Tuesday led to protests in cities across the country, reported BBC.

President Abdullah Gul has appealed for calm ahead of his funeral.

Berkin was injured while walking to buy bread in Istanbul in June. He was hit on the head by a tear gas canister at the height of the unrest.

Correspondents say that his 269 days in a coma gripped the country and became a symbol of the heavy-handed tactics used by police to rein in the biggest demonstrations against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

News of the boy`s death - the eighth linked to last year`s mass anti-government protests - triggered protests across the country. In Ankara, police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse some 2,000 protesters who chanted: "Government of Erdogan, government of corruption, resign, resign."

Police pursued the protesters into side streets where small clashes continued.

There was similar police action against thousands of protesters on both the European and Asian sides of Istanbul and in the cities of Mersin and Adana.

BDST: 0947 HRS, MAR 12 , 2014