In chaotic scenes reminiscent of a battleground, soldiers and police officers fired dozens of rounds in the air with automatic rifles as many protestors threw themselves on the ground.

The unrest, which underscored tensions between authorities and the region's mainly Kurdish population, resulted in the sacking of the city's police chief.

The incident erupted when several hundred people gathered in front of the Bingol governor's office to ask for tents following the previous day's earthquake, which has so far left more than 100 people dead and 500 others injured.

Local people had been told to keep out of damaged buildings as aftershocks continued to jolt the region and most had spent the night in the streets.

Officials admitted that tent distribution was slow, but said they were trying to give priority to the most disadvanatged people as those whose homes did not suffer any damage were also demanding tents.

Police intervened when the angry crowd refused to leave and chanted anti-government slogans, while several people attempted to storm the office of the governor.

A police vehicle drove into the crowd in a move that fuelled the rage of the protesters.

In retaliation, the protestors attacked the security forces with sticks and stones, leaving several people injured and triggering dozens more bursts of warning shots.

An enraged man was seen baring his chest and shouting at the police to shoot at him.

Windows of the goveror's office as well as nearby shops were broken and police vehicles damaged.

"Murderer police! Police Out!," chanted the demonstrators as they called on the army to take over the situation.

Relations between police and locals in this impovershed mainly Kurdish region have been tense for years due to a now-abated Kurdish rebellion for self-rule in the country's southeast.

The tough response of the police attracted criticism from the government and Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu immediately removed the local police chief from office.

"The security forces should have taken got situation under control in a way that took account of the psychological climate there," Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters in Ankara.

He said, however, that "according to information from intelligence sources, there have been very serious acts of provocation" aimed at disrupting public order and relief efforts.

Erdogan said relief work in the area was on track and called on the quake victims to show patience.

But in Bingol, frustration deepened after the violence.

"The aid is not distributed equally. Relatives and acquaintances of parliament members receive more," Fahrettin Demirel, who participated in the protest, told AFP.

"We were expecting understanding, but we were answered with bullets," he said. "We are not terrorists but quake victims."

"Terrorists" here is an expression used to describe Kurdish rebels and even Kurdish political activists.

SPACE.WIRE