Romeyka descended from ancient Greek but may die out as it has no written form and is spoken by only a few thousand people

An endangered form of Greek that is spoken by only a few thousand people in remote mountain villages of northern Turkey has been described as a “living bridge” to the ancient world, after researchers identified characteristics that have more in common with the language of Homer than with modern Greek.

The precise number of speakers of Romeyka is hard to quantify. It has no written form, but has survived orally in the mountain villages around Trabzon, near the Black Sea coast.

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Venue was closed for renovations when fire broke out with victims believed to have been working in the building

A daytime fire at a central Istanbul nightclub that was closed for renovations has killed at least 29 people, as five people, including managers, were detained for questioning.

Firefighters and other first responders surrounded the charred and smoking entrance to the Masquerade nightclub, which occupies two floors underneath a 16-storey residential building in the Gayrettepe area of the Beşiktaş district on the European side of the Turkish city.

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A surprise set of results has given Turkey’s main opposition party a major boost and enhanced the prospects of democratic renewal

Less than a year ago, Turkey’s main opposition parties were in a slough of despond. Defying their predictions, the country’s authoritarian leader, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, comfortably won a third term in presidential elections held last spring. At the same time, his Justice and Development party (AKP) emerged more powerful from a parliamentary poll, despite the economy tanking and dissatisfaction at the government’s response to the worst earthquake for decades. Years of clientelism, culture wars and overwhelming media dominance appeared to have rendered Mr Erdoğan’s strongman politics all but unassailable at national level.

Small wonder then, that a spectacular and unanticipated turnaround at Sunday’s local elections prompted wild celebrations into the early hours. In Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, the incumbent mayor, Ekrem Imamoğlu , trounced Mr Erdoğan’s candidate. Mr Imamoğlu’s Republican People’s party (CHP) also pulled off a clean sweep of other major cities, winning by a landslide in the capital, Ankara, and easily in Izmir. More suprisingly, the CHP managed to chalk up some victories in the conservative towns and villages that make up Mr Erdoğan’s electoral heartland in Anatolia, and near the Black Sea. Gains in those regions for the Islamic far‑right New Welfare party (YRP), at the AKP’s expense, added to the president’s misery.

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A new cohort of leaders inflicted an unprecedented wave of defeats on President Erdoğan who seemed to have little to offer the electorate

• Ekrem Imamoğlu, the Istanbul mayor emerging as likely challenger to Erdoğan

A fresh-faced challenger hailed a new dawn for Turkish democracy, as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan comforted a defeated crowd outside his party’s headquarters, telling them “unfortunately we couldn’t get the result we wanted … everything happens for a reason”.

Supporters of Istanbul’s mayor celebrated long into the night after Ekrem İmamoğlu secured a second term in office, as Turkey’s main opposition party swept to victory in local elections .

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The affable father of three has the same roots as Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, but says ‘our ideas are largely opposite’

• Turkey’s opposition party sweeps local elections in snub to Erdoğan

Newly re-elected Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu has emerged as the main challenger to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s reign, after fending off the Turkish president’s AK party in local elections.

After clinching a comfortable victory and retaining his post in Sunday’s mayoral elections, based on the vast majority of votes counted, Imamoğlu, 53, is seen by many analysts as a potential future president.

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Recep Tayyip Erdoğan seeks to dislodge Ekrem İmamoğlu and bring city back under control of Justice and Development party

Voters in Turkey have gone to the polls for local elections as the country’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, seeks to bring Istanbul back under his party’s control in a showdown with his last major challenger, the incumbent mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu.

“Let Istanbul return to its rightful owners … You need to rescue this ancient city from the oppression of the CHP,” Erdoğan told attenders at one of two pre-election rallies he held in Turkey’s largest city, referring to the opposition Republican People’s party (CHP).

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Ekrem Imamoğlu’s 2019 victory was a big moment for Turkey’s opposition – but five turbulent years as Erdoğan’s enemy have taken their toll

On the banks of Istanbul’s Golden Horn, the Istanbul mayor, Ekrem Imamoğlu, rallied a crowd for his re-election campaign as banners advertising his opponent flapped in the breeze on a nearby bridge.

“We brought prosperity to Istanbul,” he proclaimed, drawing cautious applause.

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Hawkish rise comes 10 days before local elections as, analysts say, a signal it is independent from political constraints

Turkey’s central bank unexpectedly raised interest rates to 50% on Thursday, citing a deteriorating inflation outlook and pledging to tighten further if it looks like inflation is significantly and persistently worsening.

The hawkish move came 10 days before local elections and was seen by analysts as a signal that the central bank was independent from any political constraints and determined to tackle price rises.

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Talks offer ‘huge opportunities’ but come at a delicate time after Ankara held up Sweden’s accession to Nato

The UK and Turkey have started talks about a post-Brexit free trade agreement targeting the service sector of the economy.

The UK government said there were “huge opportunities” for British businesses in exporting to Turkey, as one of the fastest-growing economies in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development group of nations, with trade between the two countries worth £26bn in 2022.

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