A Turkish police officer who sprayed tear gas in the face of a woman wearing a red dress at an anti-government protest faces prosecution and a possible jail term, a legal source has said.

Images of the incident with “the lady in the red dress” became symbolic of the ongoing unrest throughout last summer, quickly spreading on social media and printed on stickers and posters at protest camps.

They appeared to show police officer Fatih Zengin crouching down and blasting tear gas from less than a metre away at Ceyda Sungur.

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An academic at Istanbul Technical University, Ceyda Sungur had reportedly only just arrived at the protest wearing a summer dress with a white bag over her shoulder, and had not been involved in any provocative acts.

An indictment has now accused Mr Zengin of using excessive force, and prosecutors are demanding he be dismissed from the force and sent to prison for up to three years on the grounds that no warning was issued prior to the incident, Turkish news agencies reported.

Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: Turkey unrest - protests of summer 2013 Show all 8 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: Turkey unrest - protests of summer 2013 1/8 Turkey A protestor wearing a gas mask walks in front of a burning car on Taksim square 2/8 Turkey A Turkish riot policeman uses tear gas as people protest against the destruction of trees in a park brought about by a pedestrian project, in Taksim Square in central Istanbul 3/8 Turkey People run away as Turkish riot policemen fire tear gas on Taksim square. Turkish police fired massive volleys of tear gas and jets of water to disperse thousands of anti-government demonstrators in Istanbul's Taksim Square 4/8 Turkey A man takes cover from water cannon during clashes with police at an anti-government protest in Ankara. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan defended a violent police crackdown on anti-government protesters, saying it was his 'duty' to order the evacuation of Istanbul's Gezi Park after demonstrators defied his warnings to leave 5/8 Turkey A protester clashes with a riot police officer during a demonstration in Ankara 6/8 Turkey Two men receive water from water cannons during clashes with riot police at a demonstration in Ankara 7/8 Turkey Protestors clash with Turkish policemen on the way to Taksim square in Istanbul 8/8 Turkey A man takes cover from water cannon during clashes with police at an anti-government protest in Ankara 1/8 Turkey A protestor wearing a gas mask walks in front of a burning car on Taksim square 2/8 Turkey A Turkish riot policeman uses tear gas as people protest against the destruction of trees in a park brought about by a pedestrian project, in Taksim Square in central Istanbul 3/8 Turkey People run away as Turkish riot policemen fire tear gas on Taksim square. Turkish police fired massive volleys of tear gas and jets of water to disperse thousands of anti-government demonstrators in Istanbul's Taksim Square 4/8 Turkey A man takes cover from water cannon during clashes with police at an anti-government protest in Ankara. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan defended a violent police crackdown on anti-government protesters, saying it was his 'duty' to order the evacuation of Istanbul's Gezi Park after demonstrators defied his warnings to leave 5/8 Turkey A protester clashes with a riot police officer during a demonstration in Ankara 6/8 Turkey Two men receive water from water cannons during clashes with riot police at a demonstration in Ankara 7/8 Turkey Protestors clash with Turkish policemen on the way to Taksim square in Istanbul 8/8 Turkey A man takes cover from water cannon during clashes with police at an anti-government protest in Ankara

The protests last June started off as a peaceful demonstration against government plans to redevelop Istanbul’s Gezi park, one of the last remaining green spaces in the city.

It escalated into an unprecedented show of defiance against Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's government after police used tear gas and water cannon to try to clear the site.

At least seven people, including a police officer, were killed in unrest which spread to cities around the country, while Mr Erdogan blamed the unrest on a foreign-backed conspiracy.

Watch below a video of the riots in summer 2013

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