EU delegation visits imprisoned Istanbul Mayor in a show of solidarity

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Istanbul, March 29 (IANS) The European Union delegation visited jailed Istanbul Mayor and Turkey’s Republican People’s Party (CHP) presidential candidate Ekrem Imamoglu in a show of solidarity after he was arrested.

Imamoglu is considered to be a strong contender in the Turkish Presidential elections for 2028.

The delegation included Vice President of the European Parliament Katarina Barley, who met Imamoglu in Istanbul’s Marmara Prison. The delegation expressed support for the jailed mayor and protesters who are protesting against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Following the visit, an official statement of the Party of European Socialists (PES) stated that the arrest has sent shockwaves in Turkey, leading to thousands of protests across the country condemning this shameful act.

It claimed that around 1800 people have been allegedly detained by the authorities.

“The imprisonment of Ekrem Imamoglu has shocked us. We remain deeply concerned by the backsliding of the rule of law and threats to democracy in Turkey. We reiterate our call to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to immediately release Imamoglu and to cease attacks on the media and protestors,” said PES President Stefan Lofven.

Vice President of the European Parliament Katarina Barley alleged that President Erdogan disregards the laws in his own country or changes them to secure his endless rulership.

The PES delegation visited the CHP office in Istanbul and met with the party leader, Ozgur Ozel. PES President Stefan Lofven and Ozgul agreed that Erdogan is “weaponising” the judiciary, the prisons, and the police to silence any opposition to his regime.

Earlier, the European Commission urged Turkey to “uphold democratic values” as both a member of the Council of Europe and an EU candidate state, following the jailing of Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu.

–IANS

int/scor/dan

Related Posts

Rajesh Kumar expresses gratitude to Cong central leadership on becoming Bihar unit chief

Patna, March 23 (IANS) Rajesh Kumar, a Dalit leader from Bihar, who was recently appointed as the State Congress President, on Saturday, expressed gratitude to the party’s central leadership, including Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and party President Mallikarjun Kharge.

“We thank Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge for entrusting me with this significant responsibility,” he said.

Kumar, the two-term MLA from Kutumba constituency in Aurangabad district, was recently appointed as the President of the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC), succeeding Akhilesh Prasad Singh.

Upon his arrival at the party headquarters, Sadaqat Ashram, for the first time after being appointed as the State party President, was looking emotional.

Kumar was warmly welcomed by the party leaders at the state headquarters.

In his address, Kumar emphasised the Congress’ commitment to addressing public interest issues as the state approaches the Assembly elections.

He highlighted concerns such as rampant corruption and unemployment, saying, “At present, there is no talk of employment, corruption in all departments is rampant here, and we will go among the public with these issues.”

Kumar also underscored the importance of increasing the party’s vote percentage, aiming for a 24 per cent rise, and stressed the collective effort of Congress leaders, district presidents, and party workers in achieving this goal.

“Our vote percentage is continuously increasing and we have to increase the vote percentage by 24 per cent, we will work on this,” he said.

Regarding potential electoral alliances and the number of seats the Congress plans to contest, the new State party President indicated that these discussions would occur closer to the election date.

He maintained that the immediate focus remains on engaging with the public on pertinent issues affecting their daily lives.

Kumar’s appointment is perceived as a strategic move by the Congress to strengthen its base among marginalised communities in Bihar, especially the Dalits, Mahadalits and economically weaker sections of the society ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections scheduled later this year.

His leadership is anticipated to bring renewed vigour to the party’s efforts in the state.

The Congress is in a phase of revamping its state leadership in Bihar.

Recently, it Krishna Allavaru from Karnataka the All India Congress Committee in-charge of Bihar and All India Congress Committee Incharge, NSUI, Kanhaiya Kumar, is frequently visiting every district in the state to strengthen the party at the grassroots level.

–IANS

ajk/khz

GDP growth of CIS countries to be 4.7 per cent in 2024: Putin

St. Petersburg, Dec 26 (IANS) The growth of gross domestic product (GDP) of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) members will reach 4.7 per cent this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at an informal CIS summit held in Leningrad Oblast.

“The macroeconomic indicators of our countries have improved significantly. Thus, by the end of 2024, the growth of total GDP of the Commonwealth countries is projected to reach 4.7 per cent,” Putin said Wednesday. He described the figure as “higher than the world average.”

Russia’s trade turnover with other CIS members in January-October increased 10.6 per cent and amounted to more than 93 billion USD, the president noted, adding that in the 10 months, the industrial production of CIS countries rose 4.3 per cent, the volume of cargo transportation went up 7.4 per cent, and retail sales added by 7.7 per cent, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to him, cooperation in financial and monetary fields is being strengthened among the CIS members, and independent payment systems and settlement instruments are increasingly being used to facilitate mutual economic transactions.

The share of national currencies in the settlements of commercial transactions between the Commonwealth members has exceeded 85 per cent.

Russia is chairing the CIS this year. Putin recalled that during Russia’s chairmanship period, priority was given to deepening economic cooperation, ensuring free movement of goods and services, eliminating trade barriers and simplifying customs procedures.

“Russia’s main efforts as the CIS chair were aimed at developing integration in the Eurasian space and strengthening the international authority of the Commonwealth,” said Putin.

“Priority was given to deepening economic cooperation, ensuring the free movement of goods and services, eliminating trade barriers, and simplifying customs procedures,” the Russian president added.

–IANS

int/rs

Assam: Over 1 lakh migratory water birds of 124 species spotted in Kaziranga

Guwahati, Feb 2 (IANS) A total of 1,12,062 migratory water and wetland-dependent birds of 124 species, the highest number for freshwater lakes in northeast India, counted in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR), officials said on Sunday.

KNPTR Director Sonali Ghosh said that the sixth Kaziranga waterbird count exercise found 1,12,062 migratory water and wetland-dependent birds of 124 species higher than the fifth round (2023-24) of bird count exercise when 88,710 such birds were found against the fourth round’s (2021-22) 66,776 birds.

She added that out of 124 species, 62 were winter migrants.

The results of bird count were announced on Sunday.

According to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) red list, seven species are globally threatened and 15 are near-threatened.

Out of three divisions, Nagaon Wildlife Division recorded the highest number of species (107).

“Key sightings included the critically endangered Baer’s Pochard and the Endangered Pallas’s Fish Eagle. The Bar-headed Goose had the highest count at 20,845 individuals, while five other species-Knob-billed Duck, Baer’s Pochard, Falcated Duck, White-tailed Eagle, and Greater white-fronted Goose were observed for the first time,” said Ghosh, a senior Indian Forest Service officer.

She added that compared to other freshwater and Ramsar sites in India — Nalsarovar (Gujarat), Keoadeo Ghana National Park (Rajasthan), Kolleru Lake (Andhra Pradesh), Wular Lake (Kashmir), Loktak Lake (Manipur), Deeporbeel (Assam), Rowmaribeel (Assam) and Donduwabeel (Assam) — significant number of water birds found in the KNPTR.

The two-day (January 11 and 12), sixth Kaziranga Waterbird Count exercise this year saw the participation of five observers, four coordinators, and 93 enumerators, belonging to various institutions and government and non-government organisations, 62 volunteers from nearby local colleges and forest staff, thereby continuing to be one of the largest Citizen Science Movement of the country since the recent years.

The bird count exercise not only aimed to gather valuable data on waterbird populations but also fostered community involvement and awareness regarding the importance of wetland conservation, the KNPTR Director said.

The collaboration among various stakeholders highlighted the collective effort needed for effective wildlife conservation in Kaziranga.

The waterbird count was first initiated in the year 2018-19 by the management authority of KNPTR.

Over the years, Kaziranga’s waterbird count exercise has evolved into an important tool for the management of wetlands of one of India’s premier tiger reserves.

Ghosh said that there was no disruption in regular tourism activities during the conduct of the census to sensitise the importance of science-based conservation in protected area management.

According to the official, India hosts nearly 370 migratory bird species from three major flyways, with 310 predominantly using wetland habitats.

The country’s diverse wetlands, spanning 15.26 million hectares, provide critical habitats for more than 200 waterbird species.

The birds typically follow the Central Asian Flyway (CAF) and East African-Eurasian Flyway (EAEF), using India’s wetlands as important refueling stations during their long journeys, she said.

“These sites are critical for the birds’ annual migration cycles, offering suitable wintering grounds and essential resources. Kaziranga and other wetlands in northeast India are important as they serve as wintering grounds for both the CAF and the EAEF flyways,” the KNPTR director said.

The KNPTR, measuring about 1,300 sq km, is home to more than 2,613 one-horned Indian rhinos.

The world-famous park is not just a home to rhinos, but also to Asian elephants, Royal Bengal tigers, wild buffalos, and many more animal species while it is also a habitat to thousands of birds of more than 124 species.

India’s seventh (fourth in natural) UNESCO World Heritage site, the KNPTR is spread across several districts of Assam, including Golaghat, Nagaon, Sonitpur, and Biswanath.

–IANS

sc/khz