Police stopped trucks leaving a pro-secular newspaper's printing centre and checked the paper's content on Wednesday after it decided to print a selection of Charlie Hebdo caricatures.

The paper printed a four-page selection of cartoons and articles in a show of solidarity with the French satirical weekly, Charlie Hebdo.

Cumhuriyet newspaper said police allowed distribution to proceed after thinking that the French newspaper's latest cover featuring the prophet wasn't published.

But two Cumhuriyet columnists used small, black-and-white images of the cover as their column headers in Wednesday's issue.

It wasn't immediately clear if the columnists' use of the cover image escaped the attention of police.

"While preparing this selection, we respected societies' freedoms of faith and religious sensitivities," Cumhuriyet editor-in-chief Utku Cakirozer said in a statement.

"There may have been some (people) who were worried that this would be an issue that would belittle religious beliefs... But I believe that people won't think that way when they see today's issue," Cakirozer later told The Associated Press in an interview.

On the two columnists' decision to use images of the cover in their columns, Cakirozer said: "That was the personal choice of our writers."

Police intensified security outside Cumhuriyet's headquarters and printing centre as a precaution.

Small groups of pro-Islamic demonstrators protested Cumhuriyet in Ankara and in the central city of Konya, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

A Turkish court on Wednesday ordered the telecommunications authority to ban access to websites showing Charlie Hebdo's front cover with the image of the Prophet Muhammad, a state-run news agency said.

The Anadolu Agency said the ban, which would block access to the websites in Turkey, was ordered by a court in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir, according to the Dogan news agency.

The decision came from the court, because a lawyer in Diyarbakir filed a petition saying the websites were a danger to "public order."

AP TELEVISION

Istanbul - 14 January 2015

1. Man picking up Cumhuriyet newspaper from news stand

2. Close of the news stand with Cumhuriyet papers on sale

3. Various of security outside Cumhuriyet newspaper building

4. Various of Cumhuriyet editorial meeting

5. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Utku Cakirozer, Cumhuriyet's Editor-in-Chief:

"We've received many messages (via social media.) There are some who are happy about this endeavour (that Cumhuriyet published Charlie Hebdo excerpts) and some who weren't happy. There may have been some who were worried that this would be an issue (of the newspaper) that would belittle religious beliefs, or be full of contempt. There were those types of messages, too. But I believe that people won't think that way once they see today's issue. As I said, we did this in solidarity with our colleagues who lost their lives at the Charlie Hebdo massacre; so that there are no more attacks like this in the future; and to support and protect freedom of expression."

6. Close of Cakirozer's hands

7. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Utku Cakirozer, Cumhuriyet's Editor-in-Chief:

"That was the personal choice of our writers (referring to columnists who published Charlie Hebdo cover.) As far as I know, one of them (Hikmet Cetinkaya) wrote (in his column) that he didn't believe it (the cartoon on the cover) was the Prophet Muhammad."

8. Cumhuriyet columnist Hikmet Cetinkaya, right, at his desk, speaking to colleague

9. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Hikmet Cetinkaya, Cumhuriyet Columnist:

"I am a journalist who's protected. I'm under the protection of the government. But even if I weren't under government protection, I still would have done it. Tomorrow it can happen somewhere else, and I'll publish another cartoon. Terror is a crime against humanity. It has no religion, it has no language, it has no race, it has no beliefs. This is true for the entire world. This is true for the entire world. Are we supposed to applaud terror? We have to stand tall. As a journalist, I am standing tall."

10. Mid of Editor-in-Chief Utku Cakirozer

11. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Utku Cakirozer, Cumhuriyet's Editor-in-Chief:

"In addition to keeping to publishing principles, we believe that we prepared this selection (of Charlie Hebdo cartoons) with the utmost care towards society's religious sensitivities, the freedom of belief, not just the Muslim society, but also Christian, Jewish, and those who don't believe in religion, atheists."

12. Various of people picking up newspapers at news stand

13. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Ayse Gur, Istanbul Resident:

"Censorship is the same everywhere. It (Charlie Hebdo's latest issue) wasn't published (in Turkey) the way it was printed. The newspaper (Cumhuriyet) published it by censoring itself. If I were in their shoes, would I do the same, would I do it differently? To be honest, I don't think I would have thought any differently. Conditions have become worse (in Turkey.) This is an example of courage (what Cumhuriyet did.) It's sad, but true."

14. Man looking at the newspapers

15. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Bulent Yildirim, Istanbul Resident:

"I think it's an insult to the Muslim world, that's my personal opinion. I interpret it (the publication of Charlie Hebdo by Cumhuriyet) as an insult to the Muslim world. It's an insult to the 70 million people living in Turkey."

16. Various of Cumhuriyet offices exterior

Scores of people protested in Istanbul on Thursday against Cumhuriyet newspaper, which published a selection of cartoons from the latest issue of French satirical newspaper, Charlie Hebdo.

Protesters chanted "God is great," and called for those who published the caricatures of Prophet Mohammed to be punished.

Cumhuriyet newspaper, a secular Turkish daily, printed the four-page selection of cartoons and articles on Wednesday.

They included caricatures of Pope Francis and French President Francois Hollande - but left out cartoons likely to offend Muslims.

However, two Cumhuriyet columnists, Ceyda Karan and Hikmet Cetinkaya, used small, black-and-white images of the new Charlie Hebdo cover as their column headers.

The cover of the Paris-based publication featured a weeping Muhammad, Islam's revered prophet, holding a sign reading "I am Charlie" with the words "All is forgiven" above him.

Journalist Ahmet Ozkose, present at Thursday's protest, accused the pair of behaving "viciously and immorally" for including the small, black-and-white images.

Turkey was rare among Muslim-majority nations to have publications running Charlie Hebdo images.

But the decision has raised tensions in the officially secular country.

AP TELEVISION

Istanbul - 15 January 2015

1. Protesters chanting UPSOUND: (Arabic): "God is great!"

2. Protester holding banner reading: (Turkish) "May my mother and my father be a sacrifice to you, dear Messenger (the Prophet)"

3. Protesters chanting UPSOUND: (Turkish) "Ceyda (Karan), Hikmet (Cetinkaya) will be held to account"

4. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Ahmet Ozkose, journalist:

"Ceyda Karan and Hikmet Cetinkaya behaved viciously and immorally by publishing a caricature, which is claimed to be the Messenger, in their columns in Cumhuriyet newspaper."

5. Protesters chanting UPSOUND: (Turkish) "Attacks on the Messenger will be punished!"

6. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Sumeyya Ocal, protester:

"Our red line is the Prophet. Islam has an understanding of glorifying all the prophets of other religions. It was said that is was done under 'freedom of the press' or 'freedom of expression', but this is not good faith. It was done as an insult, and it has continued for years."

7. Protesters chanting UPSOUND: (Arabic): "God is great!"

8. Turkish flag and Islamist flags