This is Beirut - Istanbul

Nearly 50 Held in Turkey in Probe into Opposition Istanbul Mayor's 'Graft' Case

This is Beirut, 26/04 12:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Istanbul prosecutors on Saturday said nearly 50 people had been arrested in a probe into the graft case of Istanbul's opposition mayor, whose jailing last month sparked nationwide protests. When Ekrem Imamoglu from the main opposition CHP was arrested on March 19, huge crowds began rallying in protest outside Istanbul City Hall every night, ...

Istanbul’s Jewel Hagia Sophia Undergoes Major Restoration

This is Beirut, 16/04 16:15 - Reading : less than a minute

Istanbul Hagia Sophia Restoration

The former basilica Hagia Sophia, converted into a mosque in 2020, is undergoing a comprehensive renovation, including its main dome and mosaics, to better withstand future earthquakes expected in Istanbul.

Hundreds of Thousands Join Istanbul Protest Rally

This is Beirut, 29/03 14:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Turkey Istanbul Protests Ekrem Imamoglu

Waving flags and chanting slogans, hundreds of thousands of anti-government demonstrators rallied in Istanbul on Saturday, calling for democracy to be defended after the arrest of mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, which sparked Turkey's worst street unrest in over a decade. Under a cloudless blue sky, huge crowds gathered in Maltepe on the Asian side of ...

Jailed Istanbul Mayor Says His Lawyer Has Been Arrested

This is Beirut, 28/03 09:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu journalist

Istanbul's jailed mayor Ekrem Imamoglu said in a social media post on Friday that his lawyer had been detained and demanded his immediate release. "My lawyer Mehmet Pehlivan was detained on fictitious grounds," Imamoglu said in a post on X published via his legal team. "As if the coup against democracy was not enough, they cannot tolerate the ...

Istanbul's Imamoglu - Declared Opposition Presidential Candidate - Spends First Night in Jail

This is Beirut, 24/03 10:45 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Turkey Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu

Istanbul's embattled Ekrem Imamoglu spent his first night in jail Monday a day after his suspension as mayor, as 10 journalists were detained for covering the mass demonstrations that his detention sparked across Turkey. The protests began in Istanbul after Imamoglu's arrest on Wednesday and have since spread to more than 55 of Turkey's 81 ...

Istanbul Bar Association Board Dismissed Over 'Terror Propaganda'

This is Beirut, 21/03 20:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Turkey Istanbul Protests Istanbul Bar Association

The Istanbul Bar Association's executive board was dismissed Friday on grounds of "terrorist propaganda" and "publicly spreading false information", according to a court ruling published online by a lawyers' association. Prosecutors had filed suit on January 15 several weeks after the Istanbul Bar Association demanded an investigation into the ...

Turkey Braces for More Protests Over Istanbul Mayor's Arrest

This is Beirut, 21/03 16:40 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Istanbul Erdogan Ekrem Imamoglu Protests

Turkey braced for a third day of protests on Friday as anger spread across the country over the arrest of Istanbul's popular Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in a graft and terror probe. Imamoglu, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival, was arrested at dawn on Wednesday, just days before he was due to be named the candidate for the main ...

Turkey Detains Istanbul Mayor, Erdogan's main rival

This is Beirut, 19/03 15:31 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Turkey Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu

Turkish police detained Istanbul's powerful Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu Wednesday in connection with two investigations into graft and "supporting terror," a move that the main opposition party slammed as a politically-motivated "coup". Imamoglu is President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival and his detention came ...

Istanbul