The leader of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Kemal Kilicdaroglu, second from left, meets with French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey building in Ankara on September 15, 2017. Adem Altan / AFP
The leader of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Kemal Kilicdaroglu, second from left, meets with French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian at the Grand National Assembly of TuShow more

Turkish opposition party's lawyer leader held over alleged coup links



Turkish police have detained the main opposition party leader's lawyer as part of a probe into the group led by the US-based Islamic preacher blamed for last year's failed coup.

Celal Celik, a lawyer for Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, was taken into custody in Ankara after a police raid at his home, state-run news agency Anadolu said.

According to his biography on the CHP website, Mr Celik is a former judge who now also works as a member of the party's high disciplinary committee.

He is accused of being close to a former science, technology and communications adviser to Mr Kilicdaroglu, Fatih Gursul, who was detained in December over alleged links to the cleric Fethullah Gulen, Anadolu reported.

Turkey accuses Mr Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, of ordering the attempted putsch, allegations which he denies.

The detention comes after allegations Mr Celik cancelled his subscription with satellite TV provider Digiturk after it removed Gulen-linked television channels Bugun and Samanyolu, Anadolu and private news agency Dogan said.

There were suspicions he cancelled it because of "instructions from Gulen", Dogan reported.

Mr Celik will be taken to Istanbul, Anadolu said, as the investigation is being conducted by the Istanbul chief public prosecutor.

More than 50,000 people have been arrested since the July 2016 coup attempt over suspected connections with Mr Gulen while nearly three times that have been suspended or fired from the public sector.

Mr Kilicdaroglu has been fiercely critical of the government and the subsequent crackdown, accusing president Recep Tayyip Erdogan of a "civilian coup".

Critics including Mr Kilicdaroglu say the purge has gone well beyond the coup plotters and targeted all kinds of dissidents but the government argues it is necessary to remove real threats to the state.

The Ankara chief prosecutor issued another 71 arrest warrants for people accused of links to Mr Gulen, including eight individuals who work in the education ministry, Anadolu said. At least 27 had already been detained, it added.

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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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The hotel

Rooms at the convenient and art-conscious Andaz London Liverpool Street cost from £167 (Dh800) per night including taxes.

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SPECS
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Transmission: 6-speed automatic

 

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8. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:00:03

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The specs

Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo

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Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.