Banned Turkish newspaper remains defiant, warning of 'darkest days'

"The Constitution is suspended," the newspaper headline read in large font on a black background.

Journalists at the newpaper managed to print its latest issue after a violent take over by police on Friday night, Saturday morning.

"The Turkish press has experienced one of the darkest days in its history," it added. 

"Turkey's mass circulation newspaper was seized despite Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's assurance that 'free press is our redline'."

Meanwhile, Turkish police fired tear gas and plastic bullets to disperse a crowd of around 500 protesters who gathered outside the Istanbul office of Zaman.

The police seized the newspaper's headquarters following a court order to place it under state control.

But employees of the newspaper were allowed into the building, which had been heavily guarded by police.

"This is how we, journos, are supposed to do our job. Under special ops standing guard, police inside Zaman offices," Zaman Today's Ankara representative Abdullah Bozkurt tweeted.

A court in Istanbul had appointed trustees over Feza Media Group, which includes Zaman, following a court order issued against it on that grounds that the newspaper supported the activities of "terrorist" organisations.

The latest crackdown comes amid increasing pressure on critical media groups by the Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government.