
The 'charisma battle' at the heart of the Turkish protests
Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Turkey, following the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu - the main political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Opposition leader Mr Imamoglu is a popular politician, the mayor of Istanbul, and a 2028 presidential candidate.
But last Wednesday he was detained and later formally arrested on allegations of corruption, a move he says is politically motivated.
On Sky News Daily, Liz Bates talks to Sky's special correspondent Alex Crawford who has been reporting from Istanbul and meeting with protesters.
She also speaks to Hannah Lucinda Smith, the author of Erdogan Rising: The Battle For The Soul Of Turkey, about who Mr Imamoglu is and what his arrest tells us about the direction Mr Erdogan is taking the country.

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Reuters
2 days ago
- Reuters
Turkish court issues arrest warrant for owner of pro-opposition TV channel
ANKARA, June 11 (Reuters) - An Istanbul court has issued an arrest warrant for the owner of a television channel aligned with Turkey's main opposition party on charges of bid-rigging, the prosecutor's office said late on Tuesday. The arrest warrant for Cafer Mahiroglu, owner of Halk TV, was issued as part of an investigation into an alleged criminal organisation suspected of rigging public tenders by bribing public officials. Several main opposition CHP members including district mayors were arrested under the investigation, part of a widening legal crackdown against the jailed mayor of Istanbul, President Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival, and the opposition. Mahiroglu, a Turkish businessperson who lives in London, denied the charges in a post on X. "I am being accused based on the fabricated false statements and slander of someone I have never met or seen in my life," he said, adding that he has been living abroad for 35 years. "So, there is a price to be the owner of Halk TV, the people's television, and to defend democracy, rights and law." He did not say if he would return to Turkey to contest the charges. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu of the Republican People's Party (CHP), who leads Erdogan in some opinion polls, was jailed in March pending trial on corruption charges, which he denies. His arrest triggered mass protests, economic turmoil and broad accusations of government influence over the judiciary and anti-democratic applications. The government has denied the accusations and said the judiciary is independent. Since his arrest, authorities have detained dozens of CHP members, officials from the Istanbul municipality, and other CHP-run municipalities.


The Sun
3 days ago
- The Sun
Fire TV Stick loophole gives owners Sky's best premium channels for just 23p a day – but offer ends in days
FIRE TV Stick owners will now be able to access expensive Sky streams without the need of "dodgy", illegal firesticks. Amazon is now offering a deal for people with Fire TV Sticks to get cheap Sky at a fraction of the cost. 3 The platform is giving people access to Sky's NOW streaming service for just £6.99 per month, which is £3 cheaper than what you would normally have to cough up. That price buys you the NOW Entertainment Membership, and includes access to Sky Comedy, Sky Atlantic, Sky Max, Sky Documentaries and Sky Crime. The discount applies for six months, meaning Fire TV Stick users will be able to access NOW for the rest of 2025. To get the offer you must be a new sign-up to NOW and get the deal before June 20. Access the NOW app on your Fire TV Stick to sign up and get the whopping discount. "You pay £6.99 a month for 6 months of Entertainment Membership instead of the usual selling price of £9.99 a month," Amazon said in a statement. The new deal comes as TV lovers are given harsh warnings about the serious consequences of using illegally modified Fire TV Sticks. A growing number of people in the UK are believed to be switching to illegal streaming devices, but the Federation Against Copyright Theft has warned this could lead to users having their ID stolen or their credit card details handed to criminals. Posts have begun flooding social media sites advertising modified Fire Sticks for just a few pounds. Some posts advertised all Sky channels plus streaming sites such as Netflix and Disney Plus for as little as £2.50 a month. Amazon Fire Stick trick lets you find lost remote instantly using hidden 'ringer' In comparison, if you were to pay for Sky Sports, it would set you back by at least £50 a month. Kieron Sharp, chairman of the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) said dodgy Fire Stick users are breaking the law too, and could end up being prosecuted. According to FACT, watching an illegal stream is an offence under the Fraud Act 2006, and has a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Where to buy a Fire TV Stick Fire TV Sticks are an easy way to add streaming to an older television. They're manufactured by Amazon, but you can buy them from a number of different stores. * If you click on a link in this boxout, we may earn affiliate revenue. UK Amazon Argos Currys John Lewis Very US Amazon Walmart Bestbuy Target But the biggest danger for consumers is from the malware that comes with illegally modified devices. "There's a real risk of having your identity stolen or similar," Sharp said. "If you give over your credit card details, you are giving them to criminals. "They could get access to the camera on your TV, if it has one, or microphone. "There is no safety or security with what you are getting with these modified devices." Amazon has said it has made changes to Fire Sticks to make it harder for criminals to modify them. An Amazon spokesperson said: 'Pirated content violates our policies regarding intellectual property rights, and compromises the security and privacy of our customers. 'We remain vigilant in our efforts to combat piracy and protect customers from the risks associated with pirated content, which includes prohibiting apps that infringe upon the rights of third parties in our Appstore, and warning customers of the risks associated with installing or using apps from unknown sources.' 3


Metro
4 days ago
- Metro
Day of the Jackal author and former MI6 agent Frederick Forsyth dies aged 86
Author Frederick Forsyth, best known for writing thrillers including The Day of the Jackal, has died aged 86. Throughout his career, the English novelist and journalist sold more than 70 million books in more than 30 languages. Some of them included The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil's Alternative, The Fist of God, Icon, The Veteran, Avenger, The Afghan, The Cobra and The Kill List. More than a dozen of his titles have been adapted for screen, including 1971's The Day of the Jackal, which was made into a movie in 1973. Last year Sky released a TV version, which starred Eddie Redmayne as the titular character. It's now been announced the novelist died earlier today after a brief illness. His literary agents Curtis Brown said that the best-selling author was surrounded by his family as he died at home on Monday morning. Born in Ashford, Kent, in 1938, Forsyth completed his National Service in the Royal Air Force as a pilot. He then went on to pursue a career in journalism, joining Reuters in 1961 before moving to the BBC four years later. Working as an assistant diplomatic correspondent, Forsyth began by covering French affairs and the attempted assassination of Charles de Gaulle and then reporting on the Nigerian Civil War. After quitting his job and working as a freelance reporter, he released his first book, The Biafra Story, in 1969. Although he went on to write a string of hugely successful novels, he once said he only turned to writing fiction due to needing to make money rathe than any desire to become a novelist. Reflecting on writing The Day of the Jackal – his first full-length novel – Forsyth said he wrote it because he was 'skint, stony broke'. That book debuted to glowing reviews and won the 1972 Best Novel Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America. More Trending Decades later – in 2015 – he revealed that he'd been an informant for MI6 for over 20 years. Forsyth also narrated several documentaries, including Jesus Christ Airlines, Soldiers: A History of Men in Battle and I Have Never Forgotten You: The Life & Legacy of Simon Wiesenthal. His last book – 2018's The Fox – was released in 2018. Forsyth was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1997 New Year Honours list for services to literature. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: The Twilight Zone actress Pippa Scott dies aged 90 MORE: Jonathan Joss' murder investigation takes turn as police backtrack on statement MORE: Jonathan Joss' husband says he 'held his face together' in his final moments