Istanbul’s city council will meet on Wednesday to appoint a replacement for Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, after he was officially suspended from his duties following arrest on corruption charges, Turkish authorities announced.
Mr Imamoglu, the popular leader of Turkey’s largest city, was formally arrested on Sunday and is remanded in custody on charges of establishing and leading a criminal organisation, accepting bribes, misconduct in office, unlawfully recording personal data and bid rigging, according to his office, quoting a court decision. He denies the charges.
He was not arrested over allegations of assisting an armed terrorist organisation, which was among the reasons for his initial detention. The court cited how he has already been remanded in custody for alleged financial crimes, so said it was, “unnecessary to make a decision on this particular charge at this stage”. He is being held at a prison in Silivri, west of central Istanbul.
The Istanbul governorship - a body separate from the mayoralty that comes under the Interior Ministry - said that Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Council would meet on Wednesday to choose a replacement for Mr Imamoglu. He was re-elected to lead the city of 16 million people last year for a second term after beating a competing candidate from President Recep Tayyip Erdgan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Officials will also meet on Wednesday to replace a district mayor in Istanbul who was arrested alongside Mr Imamoglu on Sunday on charges of extortion and belonging to an organisation established for the purpose of committing a crime.
A second district mayor, another ally of Mr Imamoglu, has already been replaced with an Interior Ministry-appointed trustee after he was arrested over allegedly aiding an armed terrorist organisation, a charge that allows him to be immediately substituted.
Widespread protests have taken place across Turkey in support of Mr Imamoglu and the officials arrested alongside him, with clashes taking place between demonstrators and police, who used water cannon and pepper spray. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said some protestors threw acid on security troops.
Mr Imamoglu is widely seen as the most serious competition to Turkey’s future leadership for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been in power for over two decades. Mr Imamoglu’s party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP) is the main opposition group and on Sunday, members went to the ballot box to choose the arrested mayor as their candidate for future presidential elections.
More than 15 million people cast votes, according to CHP officials, in a symbolic ballot in which Mr Imamoglu was the only name on the ballot paper. Most of the votes were from non-CHP members, to whom the vote was opened up for “solidarity” votes, the party said.
Mr Imamoglu’s ability to run in a future presidential election - not scheduled until 2028, although an early vote may be called - has already been thrown into question. Before his arrest, Istanbul University stripped him of his diploma, quoting alleged irregularities in his 1990 transfer from a private university in northern Cyprus, the Associated Press reported. Under Turkish rules, a president must have a university degree, although Mr Imamoglu is expected to appeal.
The charges against Mr Imamoglu and his associates are complex and multi-faceted. He stands accused of manipulating public tenders, accepting and offering bribes, embezzlement and laundering illicit funds through shell companies and fake invoices, leading to losses of hundreds of millions of Turkish liras from the public purse. The defendants deny the charges against them.
Turkish government officials have denied that the arrest of Mr Imamoglu and his associates is politically motivated.
“It is wrong to describe the ongoing judicial investigation as a ‘political investigation,’ and drawing legal evaluations to political grounds may cause false perceptions in the public opinion and also constitutes a violation of the principle of the State of Law,” Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said last night.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
NEW%20UTILITY%20POLICY%3A%20WHAT%20DOES%20IT%20REGULATE%3F
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Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
**Tiger:**independent, successful, volatile
**Rat:**witty, creative, charming
**Ox:**diligent, perseverent, conservative
**Rabbit:**gracious, considerate, sensitive
**Dragon:**prosperous, brave, rash
**Snake:**calm, thoughtful, stubborn
**Horse:**faithful, energetic, carefree
**Sheep:**easy-going, peacemaker, curious
**Monkey:**family-orientated, clever, playful
**Rooster:**honest, confident, pompous
**Dog:**loyal, kind, perfectionist
**Boar:**loving, tolerant, indulgent
Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
Bloomsbury Academic
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How tumultuous protests grew
A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
Company%20profile
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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
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
Riders must be 14-years-old or over
Wear a protective helmet
Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
Do not drive outside designated lanes
'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey'
Rating: 3/5
Directors: Ramin Bahrani, Debbie Allen, Hanelle Culpepper, Guillermo Navarro
Writers: Walter Mosley
Stars: Samuel L Jackson, Dominique Fishback, Walton Goggins
Why are you, you?
Why are you, you?
From this question, a new beginning.
From this question, a new destiny.
For you are a world, and a meeting of worlds.
Our dream is to unite that which has been
separated by history.
To return the many to the one.
A great story unites us all,
beyond colour and creed and gender.
The lightning flash of art
And the music of the heart.
We reflect all cultures, all ways.
We are a twenty first century wonder.
Universal ideals, visions of art and truth.
Now is the turning point of cultures and hopes.
Come with questions, leave with visions.
We are the link between the past and the future.
Here, through art, new possibilities are born. And
new answers are given wings.
Why are you, you?
Because we are mirrors of each other.
Because together we create new worlds.
Together we are more powerful than we know.
We connect, we inspire, we multiply illuminations
with the unique light of art.
Ben Okri,
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
Iran v Uzbekistan, 8pm
N Korea v UAE, 10.15pm