Protesters chant slogans during a protest march in support of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who was arrested in Istanbul on Thursday. Getty
Protesters chant slogans during a protest march in support of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who was arrested in Istanbul on Thursday. Getty
Protesters chant slogans during a protest march in support of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who was arrested in Istanbul on Thursday. Getty
Protesters chant slogans during a protest march in support of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who was arrested in Istanbul on Thursday. Getty

Erdogan warns against protest as thousands take to streets over Istanbul mayor's detention


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Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned the main opposition against "street terror" as protests against the arrest of Istanbul's mayor went on for a third day.

Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested on Wednesday over alleged corruption and aiding terrorist groups. Several other prominent figures, including two district mayors, were also held.

Mr Imamoglu can be detained for four days without charge and he was expected to be transferred to a courthouse on Saturday evening for questioning by prosecutors.

Cumhuriyet newspaper and other media reported that police began questioning Mr Imamoglu, Mr Erdogan's main political rival, on Friday afternoon. He was arrested just days before he was set to be nominated as the Republican People's Party (CHP) presidential candidate for Turkey's next elections.

Protests against the mayor's arrest have been growing since Wednesday, with the leader of the CHP calling on supporters to take to the streets for peaceful demonstrations directly against a five-day ban on protests from Turkish authorities in capital Ankara as well as Istanbul and Izmir. They are the largest protests since 2013, when Turkey was rocked by mass anti-government demonstrations that left eight people dead.

A demonstrator holds a flare as students from several universities take part in a protest against the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in Istanbul. Reuters
A demonstrator holds a flare as students from several universities take part in a protest against the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in Istanbul. Reuters

“I invite tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, and millions to peacefully demonstrate, express our democratic reaction, and exercise our constitutional rights,” the leader of Turkey’s main opposition party, Ozgur Ozel, said.

“To those who say that calling people to the streets is irresponsible, I say this: We are not the ones filling these streets and squares," he said. "It is your lawlessness and injustices that have brought people out.”

On Thursday evening, a large protest at Ankara’s Middle East Technical University led to clashes between demonstrators and police. Students said rubber bullets were used, but the government denied that. The Interior Ministry said that more than 50 people were detained and 16 police officers were injured in the fray.

Mr Erdogan said that the government would not tolerate street protests and accused the opposition party of being associated with corruption, marginal groups and terrorist organisations.

“We see that an anti-corruption operation in Istanbul is being used as an excuse to stir unrest in our streets. I want it to be known that we will not allow a handful of opportunists to bring unrest to Turkey just to protect their plundering schemes,” Mr Erdogan said.

“Pointing to the streets instead of courtrooms to defend theft, plunder, lawlessness and fraud is a grave irresponsibility,” Mr Erdogan said. “Just as we have not surrendered to street terrorism until now, we will not bow to vandalism in the future either.”

BRAZIL%20SQUAD
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ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

The more serious side of specialty coffee

While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.

The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.

Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”

One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.

Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms. 

South Africa's T20 squad

Duminy (c), Behardien, Dala, De Villiers, Hendricks, Jonker, Klaasen (wkt), Miller, Morris, Paterson, Phangiso, Phehlukwayo, Shamsi, Smuts.

Temple numbers

Expected completion: 2022

Height: 24 meters

Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people

Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people

First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time

First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres  

Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres

Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor 

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

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
Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

Where to buy art books in the UAE

There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.

In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show. 

In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.

In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.

LA LIGA FIXTURES

Friday (UAE kick-off times)

Levante v Real Mallorca (12am)

Leganes v Barcelona (4pm)

Real Betis v Valencia (7pm)

Granada v Atletico Madrid (9.30pm)

Sunday

Real Madrid v Real Sociedad (12am)

Espanyol v Getafe (3pm)

Osasuna v Athletic Bilbao (5pm)

Eibar v Alaves (7pm)

Villarreal v Celta Vigo (9.30pm)

Monday

Real Valladolid v Sevilla (12am)

 

While you're here
Updated: March 22, 2025, 5:20 AM`