The AKP should respect the will of Istanbul's voters

Our readers have their say about Istanbul's elections, taxi drivers in Abu Dhabi and the royal baby

Protesters hold torches during a demonstration in Istanbul following a decision by the authorities to re-run the city's mayoral election. AFP

I write to you in reference to your editorial The will of Istanbul's voters should be respected (May 8). This editorial did a good job at explaining what protesters in Istanbul are demonstrating against, and underlined the AKP's worrying shift to authoritarianism.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dominated Turkish politics for more than two-and-a-half decades, but his rise to the top is now being challenged, partly due to the deteriorating Turkish economy, and Mr Erdogan’s foreign policy.

The people of Istanbul have cast their ballots in favour of Ekrem Imamoglu, and their votes should be respected.

K Ragavan, Bengaluru

A crucial first step to protect taxi drivers

I write to you in reference to Haneen Dajani article Abu Dhabi taxi driver shifts capped at 12 hours under new directive (May 10).

This is a welcome initiative, but it saddens me that it was only taken recently. I hope a similar cap is in place in Dubai. The same directive should apply to Uber and Careem drivers.

Driving for hours on end is unsafe both for the driver’s health and for the passengers riding with them, as their lives could be imperilled.

Nina Wedel Joergensen, Dubai

Racist jokes are not funny, especially when against kids

I write to you in reference to your article BBC sacks presenter after making chimp royal baby 'joke' (May 9). Meghan Markle has been the target of countless racist and unpleasant comments ever since she started dating her now husband Prince Harry.

The world can be really cruel and unfair sometimes.

Shame on Radio 5 Live’s host Danny Baker for comparing that innocent little baby to an animal.

This is totally unacceptable and appallingly racist. I am glad he was sacked.

Najet Attia Radwaan, Abu Dhabi