Tag: istanbul

  • Istanbul police clash with May Day protesters

    Istanbul police clash with May Day protesters

    Turkish police on Wednesday fired tear gas and rubber bullets and detained dozens of protesters after authorities banned May 1 rallies at Istanbul’s historic Taksim Square.

    More than 40,000 police were deployed across Istanbul, blocking even small sidestreets with metal barriers in an attempt to prevent protesters gathering.

    Police clashed with demonstrators near city hall in the Sarachane district, firing tear gas and rubber bullets to stop protesters breaching barricades, AFP reporters said.

    According to media reports, at least 150 people had been detained by midday, but authorities did not confirm the figure. AFP reporters saw many people being arrested.

    Some were detained trying to enter Taksim Square.

    Tall metal barriers were put up around the square, where authorities have banned rallies since 2013, when it was the focus of demonstrations against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government.

    Taksim was a rallying ground for May Day celebrations until 1977, when at least 34 people were killed during demonstrations. Authorities opened it up again in 2010, but it was shut again after the 2013 protests.

    In the Besiktas district, police detained at least 30 left-wing protesters who were shouting “Taksim cannot be banned”, an AFP journalist.

    One protester was dragged along the ground by police and his group detained.

    Another 30 people were detained in the Sisli district.

    The MLSA rights group said several journalists were pushed to the ground during the troubles.

    – ‘Taksim belongs to workers’ –

    Main roads across Istanbul were closed to traffic while public transport including ferries and subway trains were halted because of the security clampdown. Landmarks such as the Topkapi palace were cordoned off.

    Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said Taksim would be out of bounds for rallies to stop “terrorist organisations” using it for “propaganda”.

    Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and unions had pressed the government to open the square for labour rallies but Erdogan warned on Tuesday against any provocation.

    CHP leader Ozgur Ozel, accompanied by Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and labour unions, gathered at the Sarachane neighbourhood.

    “We will keep on fighting until Taksim is free,” Ozel said. “Taksim belongs to the workers.”

    Addressing the police, Ozel declared: “These workers are not your enemies Our only desire is for the day to be celebrated as a festival. We do not want conflict.”

    In 2023, Turkey’s top constitutional court ruled that the closure of Taksim Square for protests was a violation of rights.

  • Fire breaks out at nightclub in Istanbul, more than two dozen injured

    Fire breaks out at nightclub in Istanbul, more than two dozen injured

    At least 29 people have been killed in a fire in a nightclub in Turkey, reports the BBC.

    The club was in the basement of a high-rise building in Istanbul. It was closed and undergoing renovations during the day.

    Speaking to the media, Istanbul governor Davut Gül said the cause of the fire was not yet clear. Gül also said that the victims of the fire were employees, but it is not clear whether they were contractors or employees of the nightclub.

    The investigation is underway. Several people have been arrested in connection with the fire as investigations continue. They include the nightclub manager and the manager of the renovations.

    The Mayor of İstanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, offered his condolences on social media.

    “May God have mercy on our citizens who lost their lives, and I wish a speedy recovery to our injured,” he said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

    Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is aware of the tragedy following a phone call with interior minister Ali Yerlikaya.

  • Haye mehngai; Turkey’s Central Bank Chief moves in with parents

    Haye mehngai; Turkey’s Central Bank Chief moves in with parents

    The new head of Turkey’s central bank has said she has been priced out of Istanbul’s property market by rampant inflation, leaving no choice for the former finance executive but to move back in with her parents.

    “We haven’t found a home in Istanbul. It’s terribly expensive. We’ve moved in with my parents,” 44-year-old Hafize Gaye Erkan, who took up her post in June after two decades in the United States, told the Hurriyet newspaper.

    Erkan previously worked at renowned firms including Goldman Sachs and First Republic Bank — and is now getting a crash course in the soaring prices that have seen many young people struggling to find lodgings.

    “Is it possible that Istanbul has gotten more expensive than Manhattan?” she said.

    Year-on-year inflation stood at 61 per cent in November as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has allowed the lira currency to weaken while promising that a new team of economists with Wall Street experience would tackle years of economic crisis.

    To quell growing anger, officials also capped rent increases at 25 percent — though experts say that has only amplified the housing tensions, as owners try to push out occupants, sometimes fraudulently, in order to set new and higher rents.

    The central bank last month pushed up benchmark lending rates to 40 per cent in a bid to get inflation under control.

    “We’re nearing the end of our monetary tightening measures,” Erkan told the paper.

  • Passenger arrested for carrying Ihram towels soaked in heroin on flight

    Passenger arrested for carrying Ihram towels soaked in heroin on flight

    The Airport Security Force (ASF) has recovered Rs. 70 million worth of heroin in a raid from a passenger flying to Istanbul from Islamabad International Airport.

    The suspect, Imran, was travelling for Umrah when 5 kg and 448g of drugs were found on his person. He had soaked three Ihram towels with a solution of heroin.

  • PM Shehbaz invites Turkey to be a part of CPEC

    PM Shehbaz invites Turkey to be a part of CPEC

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has invited Turkey to be a part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), suggesting that it would be a “wonderful joint cooperation”.

    Shehbaz Sharif reached Istanbul, Turkey on Friday for his two-day visit where at the airport he was received by the city’s deputy governor and other senior officials of the Turkish government.

    Inauguration ceremony for the third of four Milgem Corvette ships

    Following this, the Premier spoke at an inauguration ceremony for the third of four Milgem Corvette ships for the Pakistan Navy at the Istanbul Shipyard.

    The premier said the two countries under Erdogan’s leadership have a “great chance” to move forward in this field.

    Regarding the ship’s launch, PM Shehbaz said Turkey and Pakistan are “deeply engaged” in promoting their defense capabilities for peace to ward off aggression. He said the ship’s launch is for defense purposes instead of aggression.

    The prime minister called on Turkey to further collaborate on their defense production capacities to ensure that peace was restored in the world, adding that the globe was facing “great tensions”.

    Invite Turkey to join Pakistan, China in CPEC

    PM Shehbaz also addressed a joint press stakeout along with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and invited Turkey to join the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to bring about regional prosperity, alleviate poverty and empower people through better education and health facilities.

    “I would suggest that let this be a cooperation between China, Pakistan and Turkey. This would be a wonderful joint cooperation. This is how we can meet the challenges of today,” the prime minister remarked.

    He said that he would be “happy” to discuss the matter with the Chinese leadership if Turkey moved ahead with the idea of joining CPEC.

    Pitch to Turkish entrepreneurs

    Addressing a meeting of the Pakistan-Turkey business council in Istanbul on Saturday, he told the investors that his government was resolved to cut down “very expensive” imports of oil and petroleum products, on which $27 billion was spent last year. “We simply can’t afford this.”

    “It’s not just a paper, or a talk, or a feasibility,” he said about the project today. “I, along with my colleagues, I am committed to this philosophy that we shall implement this scheme with in letter and spirit with our own resources, with investment from Turkey, from China, from Saudia Arabia, from Qatar, from the UAE (United Arab Emirates), from the United States of America, from wherever.”

    He assured the investors that the Pakistan government would create a conducive, enabling and friendly environment for them to invest in the project.

    He also asked the Pakistan ambassador in Istanbul to facilitate the Turkish investors in coming to Pakistan.

    ‘Being in Turkey feels like being home’: PM Shehbaz

    Before reaching Turkey, the premier said that he is leaving at the invitation of my brother Erdogan and that being in Turkey feels like being home.

    He tweeted: “Our bilateral ties have entered a new era of strategic partnership under the leadership of President Erdogan. We are on course to unpack the full untapped potential of relationship.”

  • Turkey, Maldives emerge celebrity pandemic vacation hotspots

    Turkey, Maldives emerge celebrity pandemic vacation hotspots

    If you’re an avid social media user like us, who loves following celebrities, chances are you have seen some of them jetting off to luxury destinations in recent weeks – despite rising coronavirus infection rates and restrictions across the world.

    From Imran Abbas to Sarah Khan to Bollywood stars including Madhuri Dixit, Janhvi Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor, several celebrities have been spotted vacationing in Turkey and Maldives.

    Imran Abbas

    Abbas has been keeping us updated with his whereabouts by sharing photos of himself in Turkey. The actor has also been spotted hanging out with several Turkish actors including Yeşim Ceren Bozoğlu, who essays the role of Hazal Hatun in Kurulus: Osman.

    Last month, Abbas also visited the sets of the popular dramas Diriliş: Ertuğrul and Kuruluş: Osman, where actor Celal Al presented him with a handmade flag from the historical series.

    Meanwhile, the Pakistani actor is also all set to host a Ramzan transmission from Istanbul titled Baraan e Rehmat, which will be co-hosted by Reema Khan from Pakistan.

    Sarah Khan and Falak Shabbir

    Sarah and Falak, who tied the knot during the lockdown, have jetted off to Turkey for what appears to be their honeymoon.

    The couple has been sharing loved up photos with each other giving us all the feels besides a serious case of wanderlust.

    Sumbul Iqbal

    Sumbul Iqbal seems to be having the time of her life in Turkey. The Dulhan star shared some gorgeous clicks of herself with fans on her Instagram.

    Iqbal is giving us major fashion inspo also.

    Sumbul is enjoying her Turkish vacation with sister Kompal Iqbal.

    Aiman Khan and Muneeb Butt

    Power couple Aiman Khan and Muneeb Butt certainly know how to enjoy a getaway and show it too.

    Though the couple was in the country for an ad campaign, they sure struck a balance between work and pleasure.

    The couple also went for a cruise on the Bosphorus.

    Nida Yasir

    Nida was spotted enjoying some family time in Turkey back in February.

    Zara Noor Abbas

    Actress Mariam Mirza and Zara Noor Abbas are recently in Turkey. Mariam Mirza shared pictures, enjoying her holidays with her husband in Turkey and Zara is also having fun there with her freind.

    Fawad Khan

    Recently, Fawad Khan and wife Sadaf were also spotted in Turkey. The photos and videos shared on social media show that they are accompanied by their friends and industry mates.

    This is their first public appearance after the birth of their child. Producer Ammara Hikmat and others shared the snaps on their Instagram stories.

    Madhuri Dixit

    Madhuri Dixit has joined the long list of Bollywood celebrities who went to the Maldives for a family holiday recently.

    The actor has been sharing snippets from her Maldives vacation, which she is enjoying with her husband and sons.

    Dixit’s Maldives itinerary also included thrilling water sports experiences, snorkelling and a date night with husband.

    Janhvi Kapoor

    Janhvi Kapoor is enjoying a vacation in the Maldives with her friends. The actor posted pictures of herself looking absolutely gorgeous in beach wear.

    “Last to get on the Maldives bandwagon but I fully get the hype,” said the actor.

    Dia Mirza

    Dia Mirza, who recently announced that she is expecting, spent the past few days holidaying in the Maldives with her husband Vaibhav Rekhi.

    In fact, Dia announced her pregnancy with a sunset shot from her vacation.

    Shraddha Kapoor

  • Kinza Hashmi gives us a reason to travel

    Pakistani actress Kinza Hashmi is vacationing in Turkey and has been posting about her drool-worthy trip on Instagram.

    Kinza shot to fame after her role in the drama, Gul-o-Gulzar and joining many others as they vacation in Turkey, she has also shared some beautiful spots of the country.

    Hashmi expressed her love for travelling and exploring places in a post captioned, “If you never go, you will never know” and ” Good things come to those who book flights “.

    Hashmi shared her thoughts with a picture in which she wrote, “Life is short and the world is wide so get out there and explore it”.

    She also shared the night view of Bebek Sahil in Arnavutköy, Beşiktaş, a visiting site in Turkey with caption, “The view was a 10/10”.

    The video she posted of enjoying in a boat made us all feel the same way she felt: “Go where you feel the most alive”.

    According to Kinza,”People don’t take trips, trips take people”. She thinks that the captivating sites and places confine people in their magic from which they cannot escape.

  • British vlogger Jay Palfrey converts to Islam

    British vlogger Jay Palfrey converts to Islam

    British YouTuber J. Palfrey has converted to Islam.

    In a video titled ‘I became a Muslim’, the YouTuber shared his experience and what lead him to embrace Islam.

    He said that he did not intend to share his journey with anyone but later changed his mind.

    “I was originally not going to share this with you, but a lot of people have found peace and inspiration in my journey through researching Islam,” said Palfrey in the video.

    He said that his visits to Muslim countries inspired him to take this decision.

    “As I travelled around the world, I met wonderful people. During my constant travels, I learned a lot and gained experience, but at the same time, I had the opportunity to understand spiritual existence, … While living in Islamic countries, I also came to understand the truth of Islam, which is a very beautiful, peaceful but most misunderstood religion,” he said.

    Palfrey thanked all the fans for their support and said that he has been receiving many messages following his announcement.

    The Youtube star also shared a video on his reasons for converting to Islam. He also recorded his mother’s reaction when he told her about his conversion.

    The British travel vlogger has around 534,000 subscribers on YouTube. Earlier, a Canadian traveller Rosie Gabrielle has converted to Islam. The traveller took to social media to make the announcement and share the reasons behind the decision.

  • Madrassa students qualify for finals of Turkey’s biggest tech competition

    Madrassa students qualify for finals of Turkey’s biggest tech competition

    Students from Jamia Bait-ul-Salam, Talagang, have qualified for the final round of TEKNOFEST 2020 that will be held in Istanbul, Turkey from September 22 to 27.

    According to reports, Blatu, the Bait-ul-Salam team has topped the category of Technology for Humanity-Social Innovation with 87 points out 100.

    Earlier in 2019, Jamia Bait-ul-Salam has won robotics competition beating participants from 20 other universities that were held at HITEC University Taxila.

    Hamza Ali Abbasi also took to social media to applaud the students.

    https://www.facebook.com/hamzaaliabbasi/posts/3369483186448665

    Turkish Ministry of Industry and Technology and the Turkish Technology Team Foundation (T3) organize the TEKNOFEST Aerospace and Technology Festival every year in a bid to make Turkey a technology producing society.

    Many students from different institutions participate in TEKNOFEST to showcase their abilities in more than a dozen different categories.