ISTANBUL: An Istanbul court on Monday began hearing a case against Uber brought by the city’s taxi drivers seeking to have the ride-hailing app blocked, as tensions mount in Turkey over its popularity.
The suit brought by the main association representing taxi drivers for Istanbul is the latest legal headache for the fast-growing but controversial Uber which has already seen its license withdrawn in London.
Dozens of taxi drivers held a noisy protest outside the main courthouse in Istanbul where the case was heard, brandishing placards including “we don’t want the global thief.”
Lawyers for the Taxi Drivers Association told the court they wanted the app blocked in the city. The court said it would wait for a report from the association and adjourned the next hearing until June 4.
Tensions over the growing popularity of Uber have spread in Turkey, in some cases resulting in violence.
On Saturday, shots were fired at an Uber vehicle in Istanbul’s Kucukcekmece district but the driver was unhurt.
Uber drivers have also received false calls from people pretending to be passengers who then beat them up, according to a report in the Turkish newspaper Haberturk last week.
Eyup Aksu, the head of the main taxi drivers guild in Istanbul, slammed Uber as “pirates” and warned that the taxi drivers were ready to act if decisions went against them.
“If the judiciary takes a contrary decision then our patience is sapped. Taxi drivers are ready to do anything for their bread,” he said outside the courthouse.
Taxi drivers gathered at the court threw bottles of water at vehicles they suspected of being driven by Uber drivers, the Dogan news agency said.
The yellow taxis of Istanbul form the transport backbone of the city, with some 18,000 vehicles helping move commuters and tourists in a megapolis where public transport can be patchy.
Some complain Istanbul taxi drivers can be abrasive and prone to ripping off tourists. But most drivers, who usually rent their car from the license holder, are doing their best to earn a living honestly in a tough city.
Taxi drivers around the world have complained that Uber has made inroads into their business but the company’s biggest trouble has been in London where Uber lost its license over criminal record checks for drivers.
It is still allowed to operate in the British capital pending an appeal. New chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi is seeking to clean up the company’s reputation worldwide after replacing ousted co-founder Travis Kalanick last year.
Angry Istanbul taxi drivers seek to block Uber
Angry Istanbul taxi drivers seek to block Uber
Gaza fuel running short after Israel closes borders amid Iran war
- Israel’s military closed all Gaza border crossings on Saturday after announcing air strikes on Iran carried out jointly with the US
- Israeli authorities say the crossings cannot be operated safely during war
CAIRO/JERUSALEM: Gaza is rapidly running out of its limited fuel supply and stocks of food staples may become tight, officials say, after Israel blocked the entry of fuel and goods into the war-shattered territory, citing fighting with Iran.
Israel’s military closed all Gaza border crossings on Saturday after announcing air strikes on Iran carried out jointly with the United States. Israeli authorities say the crossings cannot be operated safely during war and have not said how long they would be shut.
Few days’ worth of supplies
Gaza is wholly dependent on fuel brought in by trucks from Israel and Egypt and a lack of fresh supplies would put hospital operations at risk and threaten water and sanitation services, local officials say. Most Palestinians in Gaza are internally displaced after Israel’s two-year war with Hamas militants.
“I expect we have maybe a couple of days’ running time,” said United Nations official Karuna Herrmann, who directs fuel distribution in Gaza.
Amjad Al-Shawa, a Palestinian aid leader in Gaza, who works with the UN and NGOs, estimated fuel supplies could last three or four days, while stocks of vegetables, flour, and other essentials could also soon run out if the crossings remain shut.
Reuters was unable to independently verify those estimates.
Israel’s COGAT military agency, which controls access to Gaza, said that enough food had been delivered to the territory since the start of an October truce to provide for the population.
“(The) existing stock is expected to suffice for an extended period,” COGAT said, without elaborating. It declined to comment on potential fuel shortages.
The truce was part of broader US-backed plan to end the war that involves reopening the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, increasing the flow of aid into the enclave, and rebuilding it.
Hamada Abu Laila, a displaced Palestinian in Gaza, said the closures were stoking fear of a return of famine, which gripped parts of the enclave last year after Israel blocked aid deliveries for 11 weeks.
“Why is it our fault, in Gaza, with regional wars between Israel, Iran, and America? It is not our fault,” Abu Laila said.
