Police release 160 workers after Istanbul airport protest, but most still in custody

Turkish authorities have released 160 workers out of almost 600 they detained for protesting work-related deaths and poor conditions as they construct Istanbul's third airport.

Police made the arrests late Friday as security forces sought to crackdown on demonstrations against the new Istanbul Grand Airport, a huge development project which Ankara says will be the biggest in the world.

Twenty more were arrested on Saturday as they rallied in support of the detainees.

Some 35,000 people are employed on the construction project, which is due to be completed next month but has come under fire over its safety record after 27 workers died at the site. 

It's not immediately clear whether the remaining detainees will be released. 

"We don't have any information about the others, nor do their lawyers nor the MPs," Ozgur Karabulut, who heads the Dev Yapi-Is union, said at a press conference.

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In a statement issued on Friday, airport construction and operating company IGA said management had met the workers and pledged to resolve the issues "as quickly as possible". 

Despite the figures of 27 on-site deaths released by the transport ministry in April, several workers told AFP the number was likely much higher, saying accidents were very common at the site. 

Turkey has arrested more than 77,000 people since the failed 2016 coup attempt under emergency laws passed two years ago. 

Rights groups have criticised the scale of the purge and emergency laws used to stifle dissent and carry out sweeping mass arrests. 

Agencies contributed to this report. 

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