ISTANBUL // Less than four weeks before Turkey goes to the polls, the gloves have come off.
Unknown assailants beat up a local representative of the Republican People's Party, or CHP, Turkey's main secular opposition party, in the western city of Bodrum last week.
Only two days before, members of the women's wing of the mildly Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister, were beaten by other women as they tried to distribute leaflets in a neighbourhood of the south-eastern city of Batman. And in Istanbul, someone threw a petrol bomb at an AKP campaign office.
No one paid much attention to those incidents, however. Election campaigns in Turkey have never been for the faint-hearted, and the current race before local elections on March 29 is no exception.
Apart from the odd fist fight, the campaign has seen sex and corruption scandals as well as a bitter row between the government and the country's most powerful media conglomerate.
"It may seem very harsh from the outside, but it does not seem especially rough to me," one veteran pollster, Tarhan Erdem, said about the election campaign. "It has always been like this."
Although the outcome of the polls will have no direct effect on the government or the distribution of seats in Ankara's parliament, politicians and the public alike regard them as a key test for the popularity of the government and the opposition.
In many ways, the campaign resembles a general election campaign. Mr Erdogan alone wants to address meetings in 60 of Turkey's 81 provinces before polling day.
As politicians criss-cross the country, many squares in towns and cities are festooned with party flags and posters, and vehicles with loudspeakers roll through the streets, urging people to vote for this or that party.
Mayoral races in such big cities as Ankara and Istanbul are followed with special interest. Both cities are governed by the AKP at the moment. Polls give the AKP a clear lead in Istanbul, but the CHP may have a chance in Ankara.
In the Kurdish region in south-eastern Anatolia, the AKP wants to conquer as many town halls as possible from Turkey's main Kurdish party, the Party for a Democratic Society, or DTP.
During a recent visit to the region, Mr Erdogan told a crowd of several thousand people that his government was committed to bringing "justice, freedom and services" to the region, which is one of the poorest in the country.
He also reminded voters that it was his government that introduced a 24-hour Kurdish television channel this year.
While AKP politicians have been touting Turkey's economic rise and democratic reforms of recent years, the opposition has attacked the government with accusations of corruption and abuse of power.
Under the AKP government "corruption has ceased to be personal. It has become institutional", the CHP leader, Deniz Baykal, said last week. And the justice minister, Mehmet Ali Sahin, a leading AKP member, caused a storm of protest when it was reported that he suggested during a campaign speech that only those city governments supportive of the central administration in Ankara could hope to receive funds from there.
The opposition said the minister was putting pressure on people to vote AKP.
Mr Erdogan's party scored 41.5 per cent of the countrywide vote in the last local elections in 2004 and fared even better in the general election in 2007, when it raked in almost 47 per cent.
The prime minister has said he wants the AKP share to increase further this time, but it is unclear if he can achieve that goal. The AKP can hope to receive between 40 per cent and 50 per cent, opinion polls show.
Both the AKP and the CHP have suffered setbacks in recent weeks. In Kecioren, a district of Ankara where Mr Erdogan lives when he is in the capital, the local mayor, Turgut Altinok, a member of the AKP, withdrew from the race.
News reports said Mr Altinok made the decision because he had been filmed having sex with a married woman. Mr Altinok denied the reports and said he had withdrawn because he did not agree with the AKP's list of candidates in his district.
Meanwhile, a leading CHP member, Mehmet Sevigen, had to resign as deputy general secretary of his party after coming under fire for his involvement in a controversial real estate deal.
The campaign has heated up even more since a decision by Turkish tax authorities rekindled a row between Mr Erdogan and the country's most powerful media tycoon, Aydin Dogan. Last month, Mr Dogan's company was ordered to pay 826 million lira (Dh1.76 billion) for alleged tax evasion.
Mr Dogan's media conglomerate, which includes the top-selling daily newspaper, Hurriyet, and the CHP said the decision was politically motivated and aimed at stifling dissent against Mr Erdogan's government.
Mr Erdogan responded by saying that Mr Dogan, one of Turkey's richest men, had been used in "steering governments" from his company headquarters in Istanbul before the AKP came to power and was nervous now that his company was coming under the scrutiny of state authorities.
Last year, Mr Erdogan accused Mr Dogan of spreading lies about the AKP because he had not been allowed to go ahead with a real estate project in Istanbul.
@Email:tseibert@thenational.ae
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Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
· As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.
· Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.
· Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.
· The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.
· You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: Dh99,000
On sale: now
Coming 2 America
Directed by: Craig Brewer
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones
3/5 stars
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
Awar Qalb
Director: Jamal Salem
Starring: Abdulla Zaid, Joma Ali, Neven Madi and Khadija Sleiman
Two stars
The Gentlemen
Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant
Three out of five stars
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 4 (Mount 18',Werner 44', Hudson-Odoi 49', Havertz 85')
Morecambe 0
Grand slam winners since July 2003
Who has won major titles since Wimbledon 2003 when Roger Federer won his first grand slam
Roger Federer 19 (8 Wimbledon, 5 Australian Open, 5 US Open, 1 French Open)
Rafael Nadal 16 (10 French Open, 3 US Open, 2 Wimbledon, 1 Australian Open)
Novak Djokovic 12 (6 Australian Open, 3 Wimbledon, 2 US Open, 1 French Open)
Andy Murray 3 (2 Wimbledon, 1 US Open)
Stan Wawrinka 3 (1 Australian Open, 1 French Open, 1 US Open)
Andy Roddick 1 (1 US Open)
Gaston Gaudio 1 (1 French Open)
Marat Safin 1 (1 Australian Open)
Juan Martin del Potro 1 (1 US Open)
Marin Cilic 1 (1 US Open)
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
THE SPECS
Engine: 3-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 424hp
Torque: 580 Nm
Price: From Dh399,000
On sale: Now
The specs: 2018 Jeep Compass
Price, base: Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.4L four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 237Nm at 3,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.4L / 100km
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 0
Wolves 2 (Traore 80', 90 4')
Lowest Test scores
26 - New Zealand v England at Auckland, March 1955
30 - South Africa v England at Port Elizabeth, Feb 1896
30 - South Africa v England at Birmingham, June 1924
35 - South Africa v England at Cape Town, April 1899
36 - South Africa v Australia at Melbourne, Feb. 1932
36 - Australia v England at Birmingham, May 1902
36 - India v Australia at Adelaide, Dec. 2020
38 - Ireland v England at Lord's, July 2019
42 - New Zealand v Australia in Wellington, March 1946
42 - Australia v England in Sydney, Feb. 1888
Last-16
France 4
Griezmann (13' pen), Pavard (57'), Mbappe (64', 68')
Argentina 3
Di Maria (41'), Mercado (48'), Aguero (90 3')
US PGA Championship in numbers
1 Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.
2 To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.
3 Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd.
4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.
5 In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.
6 For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.
7 Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.
8 Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.
9 Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.
10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.
11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.
12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.
13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.
14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.
15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major.
16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.
17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.
18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.
Directed by Sam Mendes
Starring Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays
4.5/5
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now