Istanbul

Prosecutors file new espionage charges against Istanbul's jailed mayor

Prosecutors filed new espionage charges against Istanbul's jailed mayor on Monday, intensifying the judicial pressure on the opposition politician seen as a top rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The new charges against Ekrem Imamoglu stem from an investigation launched last week into alleged links between his political campaign and a businessman arrested in July for reportedly carrying out intelligence activities on behalf of foreign governments. Imamoglu's former campaign manager, Necati Ozkan, and journalist Merdan Yanardag were also charged. The state-run Anadolu Agency said Imamoglu who his already in pretrial detention on corruption charges is suspected, among other things, of transferring personal data of Istanbul residents as part of an effort to secure international funding for his campaign. Imamoglu rejected the accusations as nonsense in a statement posted on social media. Even the claim that I burned down Rome would have been more credible than this nonsense, .

Afghanistan, Pakistan head to Turkey for second round of crisis talks

Afghanistan and Pakistan are heading to Turkey for a second round of crisis talks, officials said Friday, after recent fighting between them killed dozens of people and injured hundreds more. The neighbours are embroiled in a bitter security row that has become increasingly violent, with each side saying they were responding to aggression from the other. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of turning a blind eye to armed groups that cross the border for attacks, a charge the country's Taliban rulers reject. Last weekend, Qatar and Turkey mediated a ceasefire to pause the hostilities. The truce has largely held, although the countries' border remains closed except for Afghan refugees leaving Pakistan. Afghanistan's Chamber of Commerce and Industry said traders are losing millions of dollars a day because border transit and trade have ground to a halt. Southern Kandahar Province was the worst-hit by the recent fighting, especially Spin Boldak on the border, where Pakistani airstrikes kille

Istanbul shaken by 5.0-magnitude earthquake, no major damage reported

There were no immediate reports of serious damage in the city of 16 million people, the Istanbul Governor's office said on X, adding that its field teams had begun inspections

6.1 quake kills 1, injures 29 in Turkiye's Balikesir; buildings collapse

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Turkey's northwestern province of Balikesir on Sunday, killing at least one person and causing more than a dozen buildings to collapse, officials said. At least 29 people were injured. The earthquake, with an epicentre in the town of Sindirgi, sent shocks that were felt some 200 kilometres to the north in Istanbul, a city of more than 16 million people. An elderly woman died shortly after being pulled out alive from the debris of a collapsed building in Sindirgi, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya told reporters. Four other people were rescued from the building. Yerlikaya said a total of 16 buildings collapsed in the region -- most of them derelict and unused. Two mosque minarets also tumbled down, he said. None of the injured were in serious condition, the minister said. Television footage showed rescue teams asking for silence so they can listen for signs of life beneath the rubble. Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Agency said the earthq

Heads of delegations of Russia & Ukraine hold bilateral meeting in Istanbul

The Russian and Ukrainian delegation chiefs, Vladimir Medinsky and Rustem Umerov, held a one-on-one meeting in Istanbul

X restricts access to jailed Istanbul mayor's account after Turkiye request

Access to jailed Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu's social media account on X has been blocked in Turkiye, a monitoring platform said Thursday, the latest move against a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to Engelli Web, a website that tracks and reports internet censorship in Turkiye, X restricted Imamoglu's account in Turkiye complying with a legal request by Turkish authorities who cited national security and public order concerns. There was no immediate comment from X but a notice on the platform says the account which has 9.7 million followers has been "withheld in TR in response to a legal demand. The account remains accessible outside of Turkiye. Imamoglu, seen as the main opposition challenger to Erdogan's 22-year rule, was arrested on March 19 and jailed on corruption charges. He was nominated as his Republican People's Party, or CHP's presidential candidate while in custody. His arrest has been widely viewed as politically motivated although the govern

Earthquake of 6.2 magnitude shakes Istanbul, no casulaties reported

There were no immediate reports of damage, but people evacuated buildings as the quake hit and shook the city, located on the European and Asian shores of the Bosphorus strait

Istanbul sees massive protest as crowds demand mayor's release from jail

Hundreds of thousands of protesters again congregated in Istanbul Saturday to how their support for the city's imprisoned mayor and demand his release. Turkiye's main opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP) organised the demonstration, the latest in a series of protests that resulted in hundreds of detentions and have turned up the pressure on the country's long-time leader, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key rival to Erdogan, was detained on March 19th on corruption and terrorism charges that many saw as politically motivated. The government insists the judiciary is independent and free of political interference. His detention, and later formal arrest over the corruption charges on March 23, sparked nationwide protests despite assembly bans, police crackdowns, and legal prosecution by authorities. They've detained hundreds of our children, thousands of our youths... arrested hundreds of them, CHP leader Ozgur Ozel told protesters. Th

Pikachu joins Turkey protests, flees as riot police crack down. WATCH

As Istanbul erupted in protests over the mayor's arrest, a Pikachu-costumed demonstrator was caught on camera fleeing riot police

Turkey political unrest: Why anti-Erdogan protests are escalating

Thousands of people took to the streets in Turkey's major cities in the past five days over the detention of Istanbul's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, an prominent critic of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Turkey detains journalists amid protests over jailing of key Erdogan rival

Turkish authorities detained several journalists from their homes, a media workers' union reported on Monday, in what it said was a crackdown amid escalating protests triggered by the imprisonment of the mayor of Istanbul and top rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. On Sunday, a court formally arrested Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and ordered him jailed pending a trial on corruption charges. His detention on Wednesday sparked the largest wave of street demonstrations in Turkiye in more than a decade and deepened concerns over democracy and the rule of law in the country. In an apparent escalation of the government's response to the growing protests, the Disk-Basin-Is union said at least eight reporters and photojournalists were detained in what it said was an attack on press freedoms and the people's right to learn the truth. You cannot hide the truth by silencing journalists! the union wrote on the social media platform X, calling for their immediate release. There was no immediate .

Thousands rally in Istanbul as President Erdogan warns against protests

Tens of thousands of people rallied at Istanbul's city hall for a third day on Friday to protest the arrest of Istanbul's mayor and top rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, despite the Turkish leader's stern warning that street protests would not be tolerated. The rally remained peaceful. However, some 500 metres away, police used pepper spray and tear gas to push back hundreds of protesters who tried to break through a barricade in front of the city's historic aqueduct and threw flares and other objects at them. Water cannons were used to break up demonstrations in Ankara, the capital, as well as in the Aegean coastal city of Izmir. Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested in a dawn raid on his residence on Wednesday over alleged corruption and terror links, escalating a crackdown on opposition figures and dissenting voices. Several other prominent figures, including two district mayors, were also detained. Many view the arrest as a politically driven attempt to remove a popular ...

Istanbul mayor and Erdogan rival arrested: What's going on in Turkey?

The arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key Erdogan rival, has sparked outrage across Turkey, with critics calling it a coup against democracy and free elections

Police arrest Istanbul mayor, key Erdogan rival over alleged corruption

Turkish police on Wednesday arrested Istanbul's mayor a popular opposition leader and key rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and several other prominent figures as part of investigations into alleged corruption and terror links. It was a dramatic escalation in an ongoing government crackdown on the opposition and dissenting voices in Turkiye. The state-run Anadolu Agency said prosecutors issued detention warrants for the mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, and some 100 other people. Among those detained was Imamoglu's close aide, Murat Ongun. Authorities also closed several roads around Istanbul and banned demonstrations in the city for four days in an apparent effort to prevent protests following the arrest. Private NTV television reported that two Istanbul district mayors were among those detained. Critics say the crackdown follows significant losses by Erdogan's ruling party in local elections last year amid growing calls for early national elections. Government officials insist that

Russian, US diplomats meet in Istanbul for second round of talks

Russian and US diplomats met in Istanbul on Thursday to discuss normalising the operation of their respective embassies after years expelling each others' diplomats. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the talks followed an understanding reached during President Donald Trump's call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and contact between senior Russian and U.S. diplomats and other officials in Saudi Arabia. Speaking during Thursday's meeting of the Federal Security Service, Putin hailed the Trump administration's "pragmatism and realistic view compared with what he described as the stereotypes and messianic ideological cliches of its predecessors. The first contacts with the new US administration encourage certain hopes, Putin said. There is a mutual readiness to work to restore relations and gradually solve a colossal amount of systemic strategic problems in the global architecture. Putin said that part of Western elites are still determined to maintain global instability and co

IndiGo's Mumbai-Istanbul flight cancelled due to technical glitch

Domestic carrier IndiGo on Saturday said it has arranged an alternative aircraft to fly the stranded passengers after its Mumbai-Istanbul flight of December 28, scheduled to depart at 6.55 am, had to be cancelled due to a technical glitch. The long delay prompted some of the passengers to vent their anger on social media. No food or even water was served and there was no representative from the airline willing to listen to their grievances, some passengers claimed. The alternative aircraft will depart for Istanbul at 11 pm, the airline said in a statement. "We regret that our flight 6E17, originally scheduled to operate from Mumbai to Istanbul, faced a delay due to technical issues. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts to rectify the issue and dispatch it to the destination, we eventually had to cancel the flight," IndiGo said in a statement. "Mumbai to Istanbul journey suspended after 10 hours waiting by passengers. Information that there are around 100 passengers in this ...

IndiGo to send two planes to bring back stranded passengers from Istanbul

IndiGo is sending two planes to Istanbul to bring back passengers stranded in the Turkish capital after their flight to Delhi was cancelled on Friday due to a technical issue. On Thursday, hundreds of IndiGo passengers were stuck at Istanbul airport after their flights to Delhi and Mumbai were delayed. They were stranded for over 24 hours, and many took to social media to complain about the delays and lack of facilities. There was a cascading effect on the airline's scheduled flights on the two routes. IndiGo, on Friday evening, said all necessary steps were taken to ensure customers were apprised and provided with refreshments and accommodation, where possible. On Saturday, IndiGo said its flight 6E 12, operating from Istanbul to Delhi, was cancelled due to a technical issue. The cancellation happened on Friday. The airline operates two daily flights to Istanbul with leased Boeing 777 aircraft -- one from Delhi and another from Mumbai. "Alternative aircraft have been arranged t

Turkish police detain protesters demanding stronger protection for women

Police detained dozens of people in Istanbul who tried to join a rally on Monday calling for greater protection for women in Turkiye, where more than 400 women have been murdered this year. The demonstrators tried to enter the main pedestrian street, Istiklal, to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, in defiance of a ban on all protests in the area. Earlier, police barricaded all entrances to Istiklal and to the city's main square, Taksim, while authorities shut down several metro stations to prevent large gatherings. Many demonstrators were protesting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's decision in 2021 that withdrew Turkiye from a landmark European agreement known as the Istanbul Convention. The treaty, which aims to protect women from violence, was signed in Istanbul in 2011. Erdogan's decision came after some members of his Islamic-rooted ruling party accused the treaty of promoting LGBTQ+ rights and other ideals they said were incompatible with

Bomb threats escalate, over 30 Indian flights affected since morning

More than 20 flights of various Indian airlines have received bomb threats since Saturday morning, according to sources. Flights of Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Air, Vistara, SpiceJet, Star Air and Alliance Air have received the threats, the sources said. Among them are IndiGo's flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Istanbul, and Jodhpur to Delhi as well as Vistara's flight from Udaipur to Mumbai. IndiGo, in two separate statements, said it is cognisant of a situation involving flight 6E 17 from Mumbai to Istanbul, and flight 6E 11 from Delhi to Istanbul. The airline is working closely with the relevant authorities and taking all necessary precautions as per the guidelines. "Flight 6E 184, operating from Jodhpur to Delhi received a security-related alert. The aircraft has landed in Delhi and customers have disembarked the aircraft, we are coordinating with the security agencies as per procedure," the airline said in another statement. Vistara said that shortly before landing, flight UK 62

Istanbul, Turkey's biggest city, worries next earthquake will be a big one

Earthquakes are unpredictable but also inevitable, and experts say Istanbul might be due one