Mass protests erupt in Turkey over Istanbul Mayor’s arrest
Istanbul: Massive protests have erupted across Turkey following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on corruption charges, widely seen as politically motivated. Demonstrators in Istanbul, Ankara, İzmir, and other cities have taken to the streets for six consecutive nights, demanding his release and condemning what they call democratic backsliding under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s rule.
Authorities have responded with force, deploying water cannons, tear gas, and plastic bullets, while some protesters have thrown stones and fireworks at police. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported that 1,133 demonstrators were detained between Wednesday and Sunday, with 43 arrested for allegedly insulting Erdoğan and his family.
Amid the unrest, opposition leader Özgür Özel of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) visited İmamoğlu at Silivri Prison on Tuesday. He has called for a final rally outside Istanbul’s City Hall and announced that the party will appoint a municipal council member as acting mayor to prevent a government-appointed replacement.
Meanwhile, Turkish authorities have cracked down on journalists covering the protests, detaining eight reporters for allegedly violating laws on demonstrations. Media unions have condemned the arrests as an attack on press freedom.
İmamoğlu, a key opposition figure and potential challenger to Erdoğan, was arrested on March 19 on charges of running a criminal organization, bribery, extortion, and bid-rigging, all of which he denies. His suspension from office has fueled speculation that Erdoğan may call an early election before 2028 to extend his rule.
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Andhra to be developed as knowledge, creator economy hub: CM Naidu
New Delhi/Amaravati (PTI): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said the state is taking steps to transform itself into a knowledge and creator economy hub with a strong focus on artificial intelligence and quantum technology.
He noted that Andhra Pradesh has abundant tech-driven youth and the government is formulating plans to train them in futuristic technologies with support from global technology firms.
"Our goal is to transform Andhra Pradesh into a knowledge hub by focusing on AI, quantum computing, data centres, drone cities and space cities. The youth will remain our biggest asset over the next 25 years, and we seek global partnerships to scale up the creator economy," said Naidu during his interactions at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi.
Naidu, who participated in the summit in the national capital, also held meetings with several global technology leaders and industrialists to explore collaborations in artificial intelligence, clean energy and innovation ecosystems.
He met Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, Autodesk AI Head Mike Haley, Aramco India Director Abdul Rehman AiThukair, LEGO Education Vice President Tom Hall, Aadhaar Founder and CTO Srikanth Nadhamuni, Khosla Ventures Managing Partner Vinod Khosla and others at the AP Pavilion.
The chief minister also held discussions with Saudi Aramco representatives on clean energy projects, including solar initiatives, and invited the company to expand operations in Andhra Pradesh, stating that the state is highly suitable for green energy production.
He sought support from NVIDIA Vice President Callista Redmond for establishing AI Living Labs and proposed partnerships through the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub to promote youth innovation, including collaborations with IIT Tirupati and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati under the Andhra Pradesh Future Innovation and Research for Science and Technology (AP FIRST) initiative.
Naidu urged Autodesk leadership to support the development of Global Capability Centres in design engineering and requested the establishment of an Innovation Academy in Amaravati aligned with quantum technology, besides proposing AI and robotics learning labs in partnership with LEGO Education.
He also discussed AI-driven smart governance solutions with Quantela Inc Chairman Sridhar Gadhi, while World Bank Group Digital AI Regional Director Mahesh Uttamchandani met Naidu on the sidelines of the summit.
Following the meetings, Naidu visited various exhibition stalls at the summit, including those of NVIDIA, Tata, Intel and Microsoft, and reviewed AI applications across agriculture, healthcare and industry.
