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.
Unresolved crisis
Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.
Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.
The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.
Stan%20Lee
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NEW%20UTILITY%20POLICY%3A%20WHAT%20DOES%20IT%20REGULATE%3F
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Agreements%20on%20energy%20and%20water%20supply%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Applied%20service%20fees%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Customer%20data%20and%20information%20privacy%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Prohibition%20of%20service%20disconnections%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Customer%20complaint%20process%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Management%20of%20debts%20and%20customers%20in%20default%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Services%20provided%20to%20people%20of%20determination%20and%20home%20care%20customers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes.
The trip
From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLE
Price, base / as tested Dh274,000 (estimate)
Engine 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder
Gearbox Nine-speed automatic
Power 245hp @ 4,200rpm
Torque 500Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
LIVERPOOL SQUAD
Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner, Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Joe Gomez, Adrian, Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adam Lallana, Andy Lonergan, Xherdan Shaqiri, Andy Robertson, Divock Origi, Curtis Jones, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Neco Williams
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
HAJJAN
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Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
India team for Sri Lanka series
Test squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Priyank Panchal, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Shubhman Gill, Rishabh Pant (wk), KS Bharath (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Sourabh Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
T20 squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Avesh Khan
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
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