A mass rally on Thursday to protest against a prison term and political ban imposed on Istanbul's mayor is the clearest sign of unity among opposition parties that aim to dethrone President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in next year’s elections, analysts say.
A court on Wednesday sentenced Ekrem Imamoglu to two years and seven months in prison on charges of insulting members of the Supreme Electoral Board following his landslide victory in Istanbul’s local election three years ago.
A political ban would see him ousted as mayor of Turkey’s largest city and prevent him from standing against Mr Erdogan in a presidential vote scheduled for June. The date for an appeal hearing has yet to be set, and could happen before or after the election.
Mr Imamoglu, who represents the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), has been seen as one of the most likely opposition candidates capable of defeating Mr Erdogan when he seeks a third term.
“Everybody knows this is a political decision, not a legal decision, of the court, and nobody’s discussing the legality of the court decision,” said Osman Sert, research director at private polling company Panormatr.
“Everybody sees this as a political decision to affect the result of the presidential election. Even [ruling party] members, it’s very difficult for them to defend the decision, they’re just trying to say it is the independent judiciary but they can’t defend it.”
While Mr Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) maintain the courts are independent, few doubt that the government has weaponised the judiciary to target its opponents.
Many observers suggested the decision to pursue Mr Imamoglu had been a miscalculation by Mr Erdogan as it could consolidate the opposition and be viewed by voters as undemocratic.
Some recalled the 2019 election in Istanbul when Mr Imamoglu was forced to face a re-run after the AKP claimed voting irregularities. The second poll saw him increase his winning margin by more than 792,000 votes.
Tens of thousands turned out in the rain for Thursday’s rally in front of the Istanbul municipality’s offices. It was the first time that opposition leaders, who have organised an alliance known as the Table of Six, had spoken together at such an event.
Opposition Campaign
Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, director of the Ankara-based German Marshall Fund, said the rally seemed to mark the start of the opposition’s campaign.
“Before this [court] decision, before yesterday, what were we talking about? We were talking about the lack of unity among the opposition,” he said. “Now they are taking the same podium … You see people rallying in a very enthusiastic way.
“So I think this has been a mistake for the government.”
The Table of Six, of which the CHP is the largest party, has been criticised recently for delaying naming a joint candidate to challenge Mr Erdogan.
It is thought Mr Erdogan would prefer to face CHP head Kemal Kilicdaroglu in the presidential race, which is due to be held alongside a parliamentary election. Under Mr Kilicdaroglu’s 12 years as CHP leader, the party has failed to win a national election and many prefer the potential candidacies of Mr Imamoglu or the CHP’s Ankara mayor Mansur Yavas.
“There may be both benefits and risks for Erdogan,” said Karol Wasilewski, a Turkey analyst and consultant for the Warsaw-based 4CF The Futures Literacy Company.
“The benefits are tied to the possible elimination of a heavy contender from the presidential race, providing that — and I guess Erdogan may be hoping for this — the opposition remains divided over the issue and unable to mobilise the electorate’s support for Imamoglu.
“The risks are obviously tied to the fact that Imamoglu’s popularity may rise as the one who is fighting against oppressors.”
Either way, the court case is a “very critical turning point,” said Mr Sert.
“After the elections, whether Mr Erdogan or the opposition wins, we will turn back to December 14 and look at this date and analyse what happened after this date.”
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh810,000
UAE%20ILT20
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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UAE
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Japan
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Canada
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More coverage from the Future Forum
FIXTURES
All games 6pm UAE on Sunday:
Arsenal v Watford
Burnley v Brighton
Chelsea v Wolves
Crystal Palace v Tottenham
Everton v Bournemouth
Leicester v Man United
Man City v Norwich
Newcastle v Liverpool
Southampton v Sheffield United
West Ham v Aston Villa
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Power: 169bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh54,500
On sale: now
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENomad%20Homes%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHelen%20Chen%2C%20Damien%20Drap%2C%20and%20Dan%20Piehler%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20and%20Europe%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20PropTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2444m%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Acrew%20Capital%2C%2001%20Advisors%2C%20HighSage%20Ventures%2C%20Abstract%20Ventures%2C%20Partech%2C%20Precursor%20Ventures%2C%20Potluck%20Ventures%2C%20Knollwood%20and%20several%20undisclosed%20hedge%20funds%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Haemoglobin disorders explained
Thalassaemia is part of a family of genetic conditions affecting the blood known as haemoglobin disorders.
Haemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that carries oxygen and a lack of it triggers anemia, leaving patients very weak, short of breath and pale.
The most severe type of the condition is typically inherited when both parents are carriers. Those patients often require regular blood transfusions - about 450 of the UAE's 2,000 thalassaemia patients - though frequent transfusions can lead to too much iron in the body and heart and liver problems.
The condition mainly affects people of Mediterranean, South Asian, South-East Asian and Middle Eastern origin. Saudi Arabia recorded 45,892 cases of carriers between 2004 and 2014.
A World Health Organisation study estimated that globally there are at least 950,000 'new carrier couples' every year and annually there are 1.33 million at-risk pregnancies.
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENadeera%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERabih%20El%20Chaar%20and%20Reem%20Khattar%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECleanTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20About%20%241%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHope%20Ventures%2C%20Rasameel%20Investments%20and%20support%20from%20accelerator%20programmes%20%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
MADAME%20WEB
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Results
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Dirt) 1,600m, Winner: Panadol, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
6.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m, Winner: Mayehaab, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
6.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh85,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Monoski, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
7.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Eastern World, Royston Ffrench, Charlie Appleby
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Madkal, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
8.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 1,200m, Winner: Taneen, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
Ahmed Raza
UAE cricket captain
Age: 31
Born: Sharjah
Role: Left-arm spinner
One-day internationals: 31 matches, 35 wickets, average 31.4, economy rate 3.95
T20 internationals: 41 matches, 29 wickets, average 30.3, economy rate 6.28
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The nine articles of the 50-Year Charter
1. Dubai silk road
2. A geo-economic map for Dubai
3. First virtual commercial city
4. A central education file for every citizen
5. A doctor to every citizen
6. Free economic and creative zones in universities
7. Self-sufficiency in Dubai homes
8. Co-operative companies in various sectors
9: Annual growth in philanthropy
The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:
1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition
The%C2%A0specs%20
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