Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested on Wednesday, accused of corruption and aiding a terrorist group, according to Turkish media, prompting protests from opposition and government critics.
Mr Imamoglu is President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival, and was set to be nominated this week as the Republican People's Party (CHP) candidate for Turkey's next elections.
More than 100 people gathered near the capital city's police headquarters, where Mr Imamoglu was taken after being arrested, chanting support for the mayor and anti-government slogans.
“Ekrem Imamoglu is growing and gaining strength in the eyes of the people,” one of the protesters said.
Local news outlets reported that a large group of security personnel surrounded Mr Imamoglu’s home before taking him into custody.
Early in the morning, Mr Imamoglu’s media adviser Murat Ongun said in a post on X that he was also being detained, but did not give a reason.
Before his arrest, Mr Imamoglu said on X that hundreds of police were in front of his house. He said he would not give up and would continue resisting pressure.
Turkish authorities have also ordered the arrest of about 100 other suspects including journalists and businesspeople as part of the corruption investigation.
Some social media platforms and messaging apps, including X, WhatsApp and TikTok, were briefly restricted in Turkey, according to NTV.
The Turkish lira fell 12.7 per cent and hit a record low of 42 to the US dollar on Wednesday, following the arrest of the mayor, before clawing back some of its losses. It now trades at 39.3 to the dollar, from a close of 36.67 on Tuesday, in what looked set to be its largest absolute daily move on record.
Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek said on Wednesday that everything necessary was being done to ensure markets were functioning healthily after the lira, stocks and bonds took a substantial hit.
In his first comments following his arrest Mr Imamoglu said the Turkish people would give the necessary response to “lies, plots and traps” against him.
He shared a handwritten message on his X account hours after his arrest, which prompted protests and criticism from the opposition.
Mr Imamoglu's detention comes after his university diploma was annulled, disqualifying him from the elections. Istanbul University announced on Tuesday that it was revoking it over alleged irregularities.
According to Turkey's election laws, a candidate must have a university degree to run for president. The graduations and degrees of Mr Imamoglu and 27 others were declared void because of an “obvious error”, said the university.
“We will take this illegitimate decision to court and fight it,” Mr Imamoglu said on X in response to the university's move. However, he did not think a legal challenge would lead to a fair result. With appeals potentially running all the way to the constitutional court, it would probably take years for the case to be resolved.
Turkey is scheduled to vote for its next president in 2028.
Who is Ekrem Imamoglu?
Mr Imamoglu is a popular opposition politician from the centre-left Republican People's Party (CHP).
He has been twice elected mayor of Istanbul, in 2019 and 2023, beating candidates from Mr Erdogan's ruling conservative Justice and Development (AKP) party.
The mayoral race in Istanbul has particular importance since Mr Erdogan launched his political career there, serving as mayor in the 1990s.
Mr Erdogan has dominated Turkish politics since becoming prime minister in 2003 and must hold elections before they are scheduled in 2028 if he wants to run again under the constitution.
Turkish politics has stepped into a “new terrain” as the “unthinkable” occurred with the arrest of the popular mayor, Soner Cagaptay, senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said.
“In 1999, Turkey’s political system created its anti-hero, by jailing then Istanbul mayor Mr Erdogan (on sham charges). He entered prison as a mayor, but left it as a political star,” he posted on X.
Arresting Mr Imamoglu “will have the same effect on his brand – catapulting him to political stardom”.
Human Rights Watch issued a statement condemning the move by Turkish authorities as “politically motivated” and has called for Mr Imamoglu's release.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
RESULTS
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Teri%20Baaton%20Mein%20Aisa%20Uljha%20Jiya
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In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
It
Director: Andres Muschietti
Starring: Bill Skarsgard, Jaeden Lieberher, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor
Three stars
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Fund-raising tips for start-ups
Develop an innovative business concept
Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors
Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19
Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.)
Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months
Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses
Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business
* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna
Kandahar%20
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Wonka
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Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
'Will%20of%20the%20People'
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
The details
Colette
Director: Wash Westmoreland
Starring: Keira Knightley, Dominic West
Our take: 3/5
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
