ANKARA: Istanbul's new opposition municipality cancelled the transfer of more than 350 million lira to some pro-government foundations, Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu said on Tuesday, in one of his first moves against Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan since his election.
Imamoglu, of the main opposition Republican People's Party, won a decisive victory in a June 24 re-run vote, ending a 25-year rule by Erdogan's AK Party (AKP) and its predecessors in the country's largest city and commercial hub.
Throughout his election campaign, Imamoglu vowed to uncover what he said was the wasteful transfer of millions of lira to pro-government foundations by previous administrations.
"As of now, we have completed the cancellation of a total of 357 million lira ($62 million) of resources that were given or transferred to foundations," he told reporters on Tuesday, adding that this figure included 56 million lira of "food support" and a 165 million lira of building.
"It's incredible. On what are you spending the people's money?" he said. "This is only the beginning."
The municipality also annulled its protocol agreements with five foundations receiving transfers.
One of the five was the Turkey Youth and Education Service Foundation (TURGEV), which Erdogan founded when he was mayor of Istanbul in the 1990s. Its board includes Erdogan's daughter, his communication director's wife, and a former AKP mayor.
Other foundations that had protocol agreements annulled and fund transfers cancelled include the Turkish Youth Foundation (TUGVA), the Ensar Foundation, the Aziz Mahmut Hudayi foundation, and the Daru'l Funun Theology foundation.
The move comes after Turkish authorities last week replaced Kurdish mayors in three southeastern cities with state officials and detained more than 400 people for suspected militant links, sparking sharp criticism from the opposition.
Erdogan has said his government would take similar measures in other parts of the country if needed. But Imamoglu said such remarks were "saddening" and meaningless.
"Istanbul is in safe hands. Istanbul is being managed by a mayor who received close to 50% of the votes of Istanbulites," Imamoglu said.
Istanbul's new opposition mayor cuts funding to some pro-government groups
Istanbul's new opposition mayor cuts funding to some pro-government groups
Jordan condemns continuing Israeli closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque as end of Ramadan approaches
- Foreign Ministry calls on international community to demand that Israeli authorities stop violating Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and respect their sanctity
LONDON: Jordan on Wednesday condemned Israel for the continuing closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque, as worshippers were prevented from entering for a 12th straight day.
The Ministry of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs denounced the decision to block access to the mosque in the walled city of occupied East Jerusalem, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan, which will end in just over a week.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ambassador Fuad Majali said Jordan strongly rejected what he described as illegal actions at the mosque and ongoing provocations against worshippers, the Jordan News Agency reported.
Israel does not hold sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem, including its Islamic and Christian holy sites, he added, and should immediately reopen the mosque and allow worshipers to freely access the site without obstruction.
He called on the international community to demand that Israeli authorities stop violating Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and respect their sanctity.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is administered by Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf, which holds the legal authority to manage the compound and control access.
Israel has announced a state of emergency as a result of its conflict with Iran. In conjunction with the US it has been carrying out airstrikes on Iranian territory since Feb. 28. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed by an attack in the early stages of the conflict, along with other senior officials. In response, Iran has continued to strike Israel and several other countries in the region with missiles and armed drones.
