The joint candidate of the opposition, for the pro-secular Republican People's Party, or CHP, and the nationalist Good Party, Ekrem Imamoglu served as mayor of Istanbul for just 18 days before the March 31st election that resulted in his stunning win was annulled and his mandate was revoked.

Instead of boycotting the re-run, the CHP decided to mount a new fight for victory which it believes was snatched from Imamoglu's hands.

The 49-year-old former contractor and district mayor is now casting the repeat election as a fight for Turkish democracy.

The soft-spoken politician is leading a campaign promising conciliation and an end to divisions in the highly polarised country and has said he wants to be the mayor of all of Istanbul's 16 million residents.

But he has also signalled that he would expose corruption within the municipality, which has been led by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's party and its Islamist predecessors for 25 years.

He maintains that the governing party squandered the city to make its inner circle rich and is promising social policies to lift a quarter of Istanbul residents from poverty.

With Turkey's media almost entirely dominated by pro-government outlets, Imamoglu has had to lead a grassroots campaign, walking the streets of Istanbul to reach out to voters.

He has also had to fight off attacks by pro-government media and fake news.

Opinion polls suggest that Imamoglu is a few points ahead of his rival, due in part to sympathy votes.

His popularity has soared so much that many now tout him as a possible candidate to run against Erdogan in presidential elections currently set for 2023.

Istanbul - 13 June 2019

1. Various of opposition candidate for Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu emerging from a campaign bus amid smoke, waving to supporters

2. Supporters waving flags and cheering

3. Close of a woman making a heart sign with her hands

Istanbul - 10 June 2019

4. Pan right of crowd at Imamoglu campaign rally

5. Low view of Imamoglu, UPSOUND (Turkish): "I'm crying out from here. I am coming to make Istanbul habitable for 16 million people! Sixteen million! Sixteen million!"

6. Crowd cheering, UPSOUND (Turkish): "Mayor Ekrem! Mayor Ekrem!"

7. Group of men sitting, Cemil Caliskaner giving V for Victory sign

8. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Cemil Caliskaner, ruling AK party supporter:

"They (referring to the ruling party) made him lose an election he had won (referring to Imamoglu in March 31st elections). He's won that election and they made him lose it. And as an AK (ruling Justice and Development) Party supporter, out of spite, I will now vote for Imamoglu."

Istanbul - 14 June 2019

9. Wide of Imamoglu election billboards

10. Two Imamoglu's billboards, left reading: (Turkish) "We will unite; we will integrate; we will reconcile", right reading: (Turkish) "We are this city's greater majority"

11. Wide of street with Imamoglu billboards and ruling party candidate Binali Yildirim billboards on the right

Istanbul - 17 June 2019

12. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Ekrem Imamoglu, opposition candidate for Istanbul mayor:

"This election is to repair, to treat the oppression of democracy, the mistake against democracy, (this) conspiracy."

Istanbul - 14 June 2019

13. Man holding a banner with Imamoglu's campaign slogan, reading: (Turkish) "Everything will be great"

14. Close of Imamoglu's merchandise

15. Man waiting at a bus stop, Imamoglu graffiti on the wall behind him

16. Close of the graffiti, reading: (Turkish) "Everything will be great"

Istanbul - 17 June 2019

17. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Ekrem Imamoglu, opposition candidate for Istanbul mayor:

"I believe the people of Istanbul will give the necessary response to this injustice at the polls as a result of their belief in democracy. And God willing, the victors will be Istanbul and democracy."

Istanbul - 15 June 2019

18. Various of Imamoglu banners, reading: (Turkish) "Everything will be great"

Istanbul - 10 June 2019

19. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Ozge Kaya, Ekram Imamoglu supporter:

"The reason (we're voting for Imamoglu) is because we don't want the AK Party anymore. We are fed up. We're really tired of them. And we see Ekrem Imamoglu as a solution and that's why he has our vote."

Istanbul - 15 June 2019

20. Various of Imamoglu campaign tent and people approaching it

Istanbul - 14 June 2019

21. Imamoglu's banners in the street

22. Various of big banner hanging from the top of a building, with Imamoglu making the heart sign with his hands, reading (Turkish) "If there's Imamoglu, there's hope"

People in Istanbul woke to a new a new government system with the same head of state at the helm, many saying they expected Recep Tayyip Erdogan to win Sunday's election which completed Turkey's transition from a parliamentary system to a presidential one.

Erdogan was pronounced the winner on Sunday of the country's presidential election with an "absolute majority" of valid votes.

Speaking early on Monday, the head of the Supreme Election Council said 97.7 of votes had been counted.

The electoral board plans to announce final official results on June 29.

++PLEASE NOTE: SCRIPT HAS BEEN UPDATED, USE THIS VERSION++

Istanbul - 25 June 2018

1. Woman looking at newspaper headlines in Istanbul's Karakoy district

2. Woman taking Turkish 'Birgun' newspaper reading (Turkish) "Unfair elections"

3. Turkish 'Aksam' newspaper reading (Turkish) "Historical victory"

4. Tilt-down of headlines of 'Milliyet' newspaper reading (Turkish) "First president (referring to new presidential system) Erdogan" to "New parliament"

5. Turkish flags, Mosque behind in central Istanbul

6. Ferry landing in Istanbul's Karakoy district

7. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Ahmet Celebi, 55, Istanbul resident:

"Our expectation was already clear. It was clear that Mr. Erdogan would take the elections. I am happy with the results. I don't have anything else to say."

8. Various of people leaving ferry landing

9. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Yusuf Yagmur, 25, Istanbul resident:

"We have been watching how things were going in the country until now. As I had no idea about the presidential system, I preferred (voting for) those who are already on government. We haven't seen the presidential system before; for the benefit of our country we wanted Erdogan to take the elections."

10. Turkish flag on Istanbul's historical peninsula

11. Ferries on Bosporus

12. Wide of Istanbul's historical peninsula and Topkapi palace

Turkish voters in Istanbul offered mixed reactions on Monday after the ruling Justice and Development party (AKP) swept municipal elections on Sunday, gaining 45.5 percent of the votes and retaining the key city of Istanbul.

Despite allegations of corruption and concerns about authoritarianism, citizens have given Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan momentum that could see him start a campaign to become the country's first directly elected president.

One voter, Muslum Demur said he hoped AKP "continues for a long time".

"If it wasn't for them, Turkey would have been sold down the river," he added.

Another man, Erol Turk, disagreed.

"Nothing has changed. The people believed in lies, the people were satisfied with corruption. Nothing has changed. They say 'clean politics'. Those who say that need to make politics clean to begin with," he said.

Financial analyst Sevin Ekinci said Erdogan's celebratory speech was "softer" compared to previous statements and calls to ban Facebook and social media.

Erdogan's win eased market concerns over instability on Monday, leading to a stock market rally.

The Turkish lira strengthened against the dollar and the euro.

Analysts say the result amounts to a vote of confidence for Erdogan and could encourage him to run in presidential elections in August, where he needs 50 percent of the votes to win.

AP TELEVISION

1. Various of people walking along Istanbul streets

2. Mid of a corn and chestnut vendor

3. Close of charred corn

4. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Muslum Demir, Voter:

"He (Erdogan) was good for us, and for Turkey. There were some people causing trouble but that's another story. I hope the ruling party (AKP) continues on for a long time. It's a good party. We really like it. If it wasn't for them, Turkey would have been sold down the river."

5. Wide pedestrians walking

6. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Erol Turk, Voter:

"Nothing has changed. The people believed in lies, the people were satisfied with corruption. Nothing has changed. They say 'clean politics'. Those who say that need to make politics clean to begin with. They should be transparent, and honest."

7. Various of Turkish Lira being counted in a currency exchange office

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Sevin Ekinci, Financial Analyst:

"This will create some easiness, and less uncertainty. And the second one is Erdogan's (victory) speech which covered all of the country, and all of the public. He did not say 'You didn't give us your votes, and you will see now what you're going to get.' He didn't say 'I will punish more now, I will ban Facebook.' He didn't make these kinds of statements. And it was a relatively softer statement if he thinks of his character."

9. Close of her hands

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Sevin Ekinci, Financial Analyst:

"Foreign investors have some concerns. They do not know if this is a country where people cannot have freedom of speech, freedom of expression, I should say. And they would wonder how to invest in this country."

11. Various man looking at newspapers at kiosk

12. Close newspaper headline reading (Turkish) "The polls decision"

13. Close newspaper headline reading (Turkish) "Vote of confidence"

14. Close newspaper headline reading (Turkish) "They celebrated victory as a family"

Voting was under way across Turkey on Sunday in an election that is largely seen as a referendum on the country's prime minister and his ruling AK Party.

In the largest city, Istanbul, people queued to vote as polls opened in the assembly and mayoral elections.

The outcome of the local elections will carry significance for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is battling a corruption scandal that has prompted the fall of four of his cabinet ministers.

It is widely expected that his Justice and Development, or AK, Party will outstrip opposition parties, winning most of the votes.

His party has pointed to the 39 percent they received in the 2009 local elections as a benchmark.

Mayoral races in Ankara and Istanbul will also be watched for signs that Erdogan's popularity is waning.

There are over 50 million eligible voters in Turkey's 81 provinces.

The local elections come ahead of presidential elections in August and parliamentary elections next year.

AP TELEVISION

1. Various of people voting in local elections

3. Close of Rumeysa Kutay being helped into polling station

4. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) vox pop, Rumeysa Kutsay, Istanbul resident:

"When we were children we had a citizenship class. In the course, I was taught that the most important duty as a citizen is to vote. Today, I am here to do my duty."

5. Various of the elementary school being used as a polling station

6. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) vox pop, Esat Cilveli, Istanbul resident:

"I hope that it will be good for the people and that someone good will come into power. We want nothing else. We are tired of being oppressed."

7. Close of Turkish flags

Polls have opened in Turkey's high-stakes presidential and parliamentary elections which could consolidate President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's hold on power or curtail his political ambitions.

Voters gathered at polling centres early on Sunday in Istanbul to cast their ballots in the elections that will complete Turkey's transition to a new executive presidential system that was approved in a controversial referendum last year.

Erdogan, who has been in power since 2003, is vying for a new five-year term with vastly increased powers under the new system.

His ruling party is hoping to retain its majority in parliament.

Erdogan is however facing a more robust and united opposition, which has vowed to return Turkey to a parliamentary democracy with strong checks and balances.

More than 59 million Turkish citizens are eligible to vote.

EDITORIAL NOTE: Turkish authorities have imposed reporting restrictions related to Sunday's elections. This applies from 1500 GMT on Saturday, 23 June, through to 1500 GMT on Sunday, 24 June. The restrictions mean that ALL CONTENT RELATED TO THE ELECTIONS ARE NO ACCESS TURKEY until 1500 GMT on Sunday on all platforms and all media.

The restrictions allow that between 1500 GMT and 1800 GMT on Sunday only "news and announcements by the Supreme Election Council about the elections may be published" or broadcast.

The restrictions are lifted at 1800 GMT, when all news and content related to the elections may be published after that time in Turkey on Sunday. The Supreme Election Council might choose to lift restrictions before this time.

All customers who have a footprint in Turkey are advised to follow this guidance.

ASSOCIATED PRESS - NO ACCESS TURKEY

Istanbul - 24 June 2018

1. Various of electoral officials counting ballots

2. People inside polling station waiting to vote

3. Man voting

4. Polling station officials

5. Close of ballot box

6. Various of voting

7. People queuing outside polling station

8. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Sengul (no surname given), voter:

"Tonight things may change (in Turkey). This might be a big change, this might be a good change."

9. Ballots on table

10. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Meral Yildiz, voter:

"Our candidate has been clear for 16 years anyway. That's why we don't need to think about it."

11. People leaving polling station

Politicians in Turkey are campaigning for the last remaining hours before a propaganda ban begins ahead of Sunday's critical presidential and parliamentary elections.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main opponent Muharrem Ince drew a massive crowd to an Istanbul rally Saturday.

More than 59 million Turkish citizens, including some 3 million living abroad, are eligible to vote Sunday.

It's the first time they'll be voting for president and parliament at the same time — a change approved last year by a referendum that switched Turkey's governance system to an executive presidency.

Six candidates are running for president and eight parties have fielded candidates for 600 parliamentary seats.

Five of those parties will also run as part of two competing electoral alliances: The "People Alliance" by Erdogan's ruling party and a nationalist party versus the "Nation Alliance" by the leading secular opposition, a nascent centre-right party and an Islamic-leaning party.

The elections will take place under a state of emergency that has been in place since Turkey's July 2016 failed coup.

EDITORIAL NOTE: Turkish authorities have imposed reporting restrictions related to Sunday's elections. This applies from 1500 GMT on Saturday, 23 June, through to 1500 GMT on Sunday, 24 June. The restrictions mean that ALL CONTENT RELATED TO THE ELECTIONS ARE NO ACCESS TURKEY until 1500 GMT on Sunday on all platforms and all media.  The restrictions allow that between 1500 GMT and 1800 GMT on Sunday only "news and announcements by the Supreme Election Council about the elections may be published" or broadcast.

The restrictions are lifted at 1800 GMT, when all news and content related to the elections may be published after that time in Turkey on Sunday. The Supreme Election Council might choose to lift restrictions before this time.

All customers who have a footprint in Turkey are advised to follow this guidance.

ASSOCIATED PRESS - NO ACCESS TURKEY

Istanbul, Turkey - 23 June 2018

1. Various of rally for main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) presidential candidate Muharrem Ince

2. Ince walking on stage

3. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Muharrem Ince, Turkish presidential candidate from CHP party:

"When I am president, I will lift the state of emergency within 48 hours. The central bank and its board of directors will be autonomous."

4. Wide of crowds UPSOUND (Turkish) "President Ince! President Ince!"

5. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Ayse Burc, CHP supporter:

"I will vote for Muharrem Ince for the future of my children and grandchildren, for a secular Turkey, for a free country."

6. CHP supporter holding up poster of Ince in crowd

7. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Sevinc Karaks, CHP supporter:

"I will vote for Muharrem Ince for my rights, law, justice, democracy, the republic, freedom, equality, and education especially."

8. Various of CHP supporters

The leader and presidential candidate of the centrist, Kemalist and pro-EU Iyi (Good) party cast her vote in Turkey's high-stakes presidential and parliamentary elections on Sunday.

Meral Aksener voted in the country's largest city, Istanbul.

Leaving the polling station, Aksener told reporters that while "everything can be discussed in democracies, you cannot object to the results of an election that are the outcome of the voters' free will."

The elections could consolidate President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's hold on power or curtail his vast political ambitions.

It will complete Turkey's transition to a new executive presidential system, a move approved in a controversial referendum last year.

Erdogan, who has been in power since 2003, is vying for a new five-year term with vastly increased powers under the new system.

His ruling party is hoping to retain its majority in parliament.

Erdogan is however facing a more robust and united opposition, which has vowed to return Turkey to a parliamentary democracy with strong checks and balances.

EDITORIAL NOTE: Turkish authorities have imposed reporting restrictions related to Sunday's elections. This applies from 1500 GMT on Saturday, 23 June, through to 1500 GMT on Sunday, 24 June. The restrictions mean that ALL CONTENT RELATED TO THE ELECTIONS ARE NO ACCESS TURKEY until 1500 GMT on Sunday on all platforms and all media.

The restrictions allow that between 1500 GMT and 1800 GMT on Sunday only "news and announcements by the Supreme Election Council about the elections may be published" or broadcast.

The restrictions are lifted at 1800 GMT, when all news and content related to the elections may be published after that time in Turkey on Sunday. The Supreme Election Council might choose to lift restrictions before this time.

All customers who have a footprint in Turkey are advised to follow this guidance.

ASSOCIATED PRESS – NO ACCESS TURKEY

Istanbul – 24 June 2018

1. Various of Iyi (Good) Party's presidential candidate Meral Aksener arriving inside polling station, greeting election officers, receives ballots

2. Various of Aksener casting her vote, greeting election officers

3.SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Meral Aksener, Iyi (Good) Party's presidential candidate:

"Everything can be discussed in democracies. Only one thing cannot be discussed: You cannot object to the results, that are the outcome of the voters' choice, that were made with free will. The most important word here is 'free will'."

4. Various of Aksener exiting the polling station, greeting supporters, entering car and departing

LEADIN:

Syrian refugees living in Turkey fear they could be sent back home following recent mayoral elections.

Over three million Syrians, who fled Syria due to the ongoing conflict, now call Turkey home.

STORYLINE:

Although Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan remains in power in Turkey, recent mayoral elections saw his power slip in

two major cities.

Erdogan's party, The Justice and Development Party (AKP), and its nationalist ally won a majority of local election votes across Turkey but lost in the capital, Ankara. The opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) candidate Mansur Yavas won with 51 percent of the vote.

In Istanbul, Erdogan lost to the main opposition party's mayoral candidate, Ekrem Imamoglu.

Both Ankara and Istanbul had been held by Erdogan's conservative, religious-based party and its predecessor for 25 years.

Erdogan's rise to power began as Istanbul mayor in 1994 and he has repeated numerous times in pre-election rallies: "Whoever wins Istanbul, wins Turkey" and "Whoever loses Istanbul, loses Turkey."

The results are worrying some of the 3.5 million Syrians living in Turkey, who view President Erdogan as their protector.

Some fear that if another leader were to gain a foothold in Turkey their precarious residency status may not offer them enough protection against deportation.

Essam Natour, who works in a Syrian restaurant, hopes President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will stay in power.

He used to own a sweet shop in Aleppo, but the 55-year-old, who has been in Turkey for six years, now works in Istanbul to make ends meet.

"We are grateful to the Turkish people, and we congratulate them for having such as great president as (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan," he says.

Syrians who have set up businesses such as barber shops and coffee shops in the city fear that a political change in Turkey could mean millions of refugees are sent home.

Most of the Syrians are reluctant to talk politics, given their fragile legal status in Turkey. Many do not have official permits to stay.

Nassif Mohammad is one of them.

The 23-year-old waiter was studying Fine Arts in Damascus when the war started. He says he wants to go back to his country when the crisis is over.

"I always take into account that there is the possibility that we will go back. Whoever is in power, our aim is to go back to Syria. Why? Because Syria is our country. Honestly, Turkey is not our country," he says.

Ammar Al-Jalab, a 42-year-old from Damascus who manages Al Rayan Restaurant in Taksim, has an official residence and work permit.

He says Syrians whose homes have been destroyed, in the bombing of opposition areas by the regime of Bashar Al-Assad and Russia, fear returning to the conflicted country the most.

A waiter from Algeria, Haide Degaichia, explains that the majority of Syrian customers are Erdogan supporters, as they believe a new president may threaten their fragile safety.

"Yes they want (Turkey's President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan to stay here. Why? Because they have a good picture (vision) about Erdogan, that's the problem. We don't know the intentions of  the new (potential) president."

Turkish researcher on cultural anthropology, Şenay Özden, believes the reason for their fears is that Turkey does not grant refugee status to refugees who are not Europeans, so millions of Syrians living in the country are left in limbo.

"They don't have long term legal status in Turkey," she says.

"This is why they are fearful. If Syrians actually had refugee status or any long term legal status in Turkey, which should mean refugee status, then they wouldn't have to have this fear."

According to international humanitarian law, refugees cannot be sent back to their country if their safety is at risk.

Although the war in Syria is coming to an end, there are several reasons why these refugees cannot return, explains Özden.

"People fled Syria due to political reasons," she says.

"It is true that many people fled from ISIS control regions or other Islamic armed forces, but the majority of the people actually ran away from the Assad regime.

Therefore, many people indicate that as long as the regime is in power, if they go back to Syria it means they are risking being arrested by the regime, and this is why they came in the first place, you know, why they left Syria.

So if they go back it is basically, you know, putting themselves back under the same risk. This is one. Two: many people are not going to go back to Syria because they don't want to be enlisted in the military."

Istanbul – 11 April 2019

1. Wide of election banner showing Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan (right) and his Istanbul candidate Binali Yildirim

2. Wide of election banner in Taksim square

Istanbul – 13 April 2019

3. Various of election banners showing People's Republican Party CHP Istanbul mayoral candidate Ekrem Imamoglu

4. Mid of a Syrian chef preparing kebab

5. Mid of waiter taking the kebab to a table

6. Close of kebabs on barbecue

7. Pan of street where restaurant is located in Istanbul Aksaray's neighbourhood, also called "Little Syria"

8. Wide of owner and employee of Syrian restaurant Beit Alezz in Istanbul

9. Close up of employee

10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Essam Natour, 55-year-old from Aleppo, working in a restaurant:

"We are grateful to the Turkish people, and we congratulate them for having such as great president as (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan. God willing, God will let him win. God willing, we will see this country succeed. God willing, God will also bring peace to our country."

11. Wide of Syrian barbershop in Istanbul's Aksaray neighbourhood

12. Mid of Syrian barber shaving a customer

13. Close up of hands shaving customer

14. Close of shisha pipes outside a Syrian coffee shop in Aksaray

15. Wide of Syrian coffee shop in Aksaray

16. Close of waiter  coffee shop

17. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Nassif Mohammad, 23-year-old waiter from Damascus:

"On this topic (Turkey's politics) it's not my place to speak, but I always take into account that there is the possibility that we will go back. Whoever is in power, our aim is to go back to Syria. Why? Because Syria is our country. Honestly, Turkey is not our country."

18. Wide of people walking in street in Aksaray

19. Wide of mosque in Aksaray

20. Wide of tramway driving through Yusufpasa station

Istanbul – 11 April 2019

21. Wide of Istiklal Avenue and tramway passing through

22. Wide of people walking in Istiklal Avenue

23. Wide of Istiklal Avenue side alley where Syrian restaurants are located

24. Mid of Syrian cook cutting Syrian shawarma from a skewer

25. Close up to hands cutting shawarma

26. Pan to right of workers and manager outside Syrian restaurant

27. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ammar Al-Jalabi, 42-year-old restaurant manager from Damascus:

"I am not afraid that they would send me back to Syria. The people who are afraid are the people whose homes have been destroyed."

28. Close of cat

29. Wide of manager and workers feeding cat

30. SOUNDBITE (English) Haider Degaichia, 30-year-old waiter from Algeria working in a Syrian restaurant in Istanbul:

(Referring to Syrian customers) "Yes they want (Turkey's President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan to stay here. Why? Because they have a good picture (vision) about Erdogan, that's the problem. So we don't know the intention about the new (potential) president, the new incoming president."

Istanbul – 14 April 2019

31. Wide of ships crossing the Bosphorus River and seagulls flying

32. Wide of ships crossing under bridge in Bosphorus River

33. Mid of Turkey's flag and vehicles driving over bridge

34. Wide of Turkish anthropologist Şenay Özden working in her office

35. Pan to left of Turkish anthropologist Şenay Özden

36. Close up to Özden

37. SOUNDBITE (English) Şenay Özden, Researcher on Cultural Anthropology of refugees:

"It is not new that Syrians get afraid of being sent back to Syria, obviously, and you know this is an issue that comes up each time before each election, mainly because actually politicians from all sides use this issue, you know, as part of their political campaign. I believe the main reason actually of this fear is that, you know, they don't have a long term legal status in Turkey. This is why they have the fear.  If Syrians actually had refugee status or any long term legal status in Turkey, which would mean a refugee status, then they wouldn't have to have this fear."

38. Close up of books on the table

39. High angle of Şenay Özden working on her laptop

40. SOUNDBITE (English) Şenay Özden, Researcher on Cultural Anthropology of refugees:

"People fled Syria due to political reasons. It is true that many people fled from ISIS controlled regions or other Islamic armed forces, but majority of the people actually ran away from the Assad regime. Therefore, many people indicate that as long as the regime is in power, if they go back to Syria it means they are risking being arrested by the regime, and this is in the first place why they came, you know, why they left Syria. So if they go back it is basically, you know, putting themselves back under the same risk. This is one. Two: many people are not going to go back to Syria because they don't want to be enlisted in the military."

41. Various of call to prayer at sunset at the Blue Mosque, Sultanahmet Mosque

LEAD IN:

President-elect Donald Trump's Middle East policy remains unclear.

Syrian refugees are generally not sure what to expect for their country, but are pessimistic about the effect Mr. Trump's election will have on Syria and the wider Middle East.

STORY-LINE

Syrians living in Istanbul believe the victory of Donald Trump in the US elections signals a tough time ahead for their war-torn country.

Many Syrians living in the district of Aksaray, now known as Little Syria because of the number of citizens coming from the neighbouring country, feel that Trump will not be supportive of the opposition fighting against President Bashar Assad.

Suliman Alabyad is a 26 year old engineer from Homs who moved to Turkey and now survives selling traditional dishes of his hometown Homs in his restaurant.

Like many other Syrians, he is busy with the daily struggle to make a living and didn't follow the elections at all until he learned that Trump was the winner.

Now he thinks Mr. Trump's comments about Syria during his campaign point to a change in American foreign policy, with support moving from the opposition to the regime.

"When I heard Trump won the elections I started to have some hope. Then I found out that he is pro-regime, he doesn't like Arabs, doesn't want to help Arabs. He thinks Assad is the right one to lead the country, that Assad is a good president and that he would be able to control the situation. So I don't expect any good action coming from his (Trump) side," Suliman Alabyad says.

More than three million Syrians have fled to Turkey since the beginning of the conflict in 2011, and half a million live in Istanbul.

Wasim Barikhan is one of them. The 28 year-old engineer opened a hairdressers in Istanbul in 2012.

As a businessman, he thinks Trump will look for economic success during his term, but he is afraid the elected US president does not have enough international experience to deal with the complexity of the Syrian conflict.

Almost half a million Syrians have been killed during the conflict, which has been in a stalemate for several years, with US, European and Gulf countries supporting opposition rebels and Russia and Iran backing the Assad regime.

At the same time, all factions claim to be fighting terrorists from the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS).

Syrians in Istanbul like to buy their traditional baklava in this shop in the Aksaray neighbourhood owned by Abdullah Bilshie, a 40 year-old from Aleppo who opened this business in 2013.

He also didn't follow the elections closely, and can only hope for the best.

Analyst Sinan Hatahet believes Trump is inexperienced for the complexity of the Syrian conflict. He expects a withdrawal of American support for opposition rebels.

"During his campaign he made promises only to focus on ISIS and this very simple view of the very complex situation in Syria for Trump means that he needs to let the Russians and Assad take charge of fighting ISIS," says Hatahet.

During his campaign, Mr. Trump hinted that he wanted to establish stronger ties with Russia to fight the Islamic State (IS) together.

Istanbul, Turkey – 17 November 2016

1. Mid of Suliman Alabyad in his Syrian restaurant behind counter and waiter

2. Close of a Syrian traditional chickpeas dish

3. Mid of Alabyad with one of his customers

4. Mid of pictures of Istanbul and Homs hanging on a wall

5. Close of Alabyad

6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Suliman Alabyad, 26 year old restaurant owner from Homs:

"People came to be and told me Trump had won. When I heard Trump won the elections I started to have some hope. Then I found out that he is pro-regime, he doesn't like Arabs, doesn't want to help Arabs. He thinks Assad is the right one to lead the country, that Assad is a good president and that he would be able to control the situation. So I don't expect any good action coming from his (Trump) side."

7. Wide of a mosque in Aksaray neighbourhood in Istanbul

8. Wide of street in Aksaray neighbourhood

9. Wide of people in Aksaray neighbourhood crossing the street

10. Wide of crossing point in Aksaray neighbourhood

11. Low angle of old city wall in Fatih district and cat passing by

12. Mid of hairdresser Wasim Barikhan

13. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Wasim Barikhan, 28 year old engineer and hairdresser owner:

"About the Syrian conflict I don't think he (Trump) will be better than all the previous presidents, because they build themselves up on the misfortunes of others. For them (Americans) the Arab states are nothing - of course it is the opposite. If he has economic success he will succeed politically. But I don't think he will be politically successful as a president. I wish the best for all the Arabs."

14. Mid of people passing by in Aksaray neighbourhood

15. Wide of a mosque in Aksaray

16. Wide of people passing by

17. Tilt up of staff working in Syrian baklava shop

18. Close of hands covering baklava

19. Close of baklava

20. Mid of baklava shop owner Abdullah Bilshie

21. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abdullah Bilshie, Baklava shop owner:

"Actually I don't know anything about him (Trump). I just recently heard about him through the media. I hope he will be a good president for the Arab and Islamic world."

22. Mid of customers on a coffee terrace

23. Wide of coffee terrace

24. Wide of a minaret

Istanbul, Turkey - 18 November 2016

25. Mid of Syrian analyst Sinan Hatahet working in his office

26. Close of Hatahet

27. SOUNDBITE (English) Sinan Hatahet, Syria and Middle East analyst:

"During his campaign he made promises only to focus on ISIS and this very simple view of the very complex situation in Syria for Trump means that he needs to let the Russians and Assad take charge of fighting ISIS."

28. Various of analyst Hatahet working in his office

29. SOUNDBITE (English) Sinan Hatahet, Syria and Middle East analyst:

"He (Trump) is not going to join Russia or not going to you know encourage them or pat them on the back as much as he won't intervene into stopping them or into channelling their forces in the right direction, which is helping the Syrian people definitely in getting rid of ISIS but also helping the Syrian people achieve a transitional… a transition towards democracy. So this is what we should be expecting from United States in general as a global power, not only from Mr Trump."

30. Various of a Mosque in Topkapi neighbourhood in Istanbul

SHOTLIST

Kazlicesme, Istanbul - 21 August 2007

1. Wide of stage during AKP (Justice and Development Party) rally for elections

2. Presidential candidate and foreign minister Abdullah Gul waving

3. Various of Gul's wife, Hayrunnisa Gul, wearing headscarf

Eminonu, Istanbul - 23 August 2007

4. Wide pan of Eminonu square

5. People standing alongside fish and bread boats

6. Pan from woman wearing head scarf to another not wearing one

7. Crowds of people in the street

8. Various of covered and uncovered women in the street

Fatih, Istanbul - 23 August 2007

9. Tilt down of shop selling Islamic clothing

10. Women looking at head scarves to buy

11. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Neriman Yasar, university graduate

"So many people have been alienated in this country because of the headscarf. Maybe it will put them at ease, allow them to be included into social life and perhaps give them a little self-confidence."

Nisantasi, Istanbul - 22 August 2007

12. Wide of Nisantasi square

13. Various of boutiques selling Western clothing

14. Various of women in Western dress

15. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Hatice Denizci, Local woman:

"The inside of Abdullah Gul's head is covered. I am not bothered by the fact that his wife is covered. However, this is what I think. Let's say there's a reception and everyone's dressed in a modern way and, how should I put it, I would not be happy to see her dressed as if she was from Saudi countries."

Sefakoy, Istanbul - 22 August 2007

16. Various set-up shots of Cosmopolitan magazine editor in chief Leyla Melek Cifci

17. SOUNDBITE (English) Leyla Melek Cifci, Editor in Chief of Cosmopolitan Magazine:

"We consider ourselves very modern in Turkey, very Westernised and of course this image of the first lady I think doesn't really go hand in hand with this modern way we like to feel ourselves."

Buyukada, Istanbul - 23 August 2007

18. Various set-up shots of author Ipek Calislar

19. Various of photograph in book of Turkey's former leader who was the founder of the secular republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Ataturk's wife Latife Hanim who is covered in the photograph and second president of Turkey, Ismet Inonu

20. SOUNDBITE: (English) Ipek Calislar, Author:

"We don't know the behaviour of Mrs Gul because perhaps the discussion started from that. We only know the image, she is not appearing in the press and we don't know her ideas. If she starts to talk in the modern lady-like tone then I think the scarf will be unseen and it disappears."

Eminonu, Istanbul - 22 August 2007

21. People fishing on Galata Bridge

22. Covered woman out fishing

23. Old city peninsula

STORYLINE

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul seems set to fulfill his dream of becoming president of Turkey this week.

On Tuesday, parliament heads into a decisive vote on Gul's nomination and the ruling party needs only a simple majority to secure his victory.

Turkey's secular establishment and its Islamic-leaning government have long quarreled over issues such as the appointment of Islamic-minded officials and the role of the military in politics.

But in the run-up to Tuesday's vote, nothing has inflamed passions quite as much as a debate over a simple item of clothing.

Gul's wife has been wearing the hijab, the Islamic-styly scarf covering the head and neck, since her teens and has been a leading campaigner for women's right to wear the scarf.

If her husband win's Tuesday's vote, Hayrunnisa Gul will become the first Turkish first lady to wear Islamic attire since 1925.

This prospect has been causing a storm between those who see the hijab as a symbol of political Islam and others who view it as an order from God.

Secularists view with consternation the idea that a woman who wears a Muslim headscarf might enter the presidential palace that was once home to modern Turkey's revered, and decidedly secular, founding father, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Others believe that the arrival of Hayrunnisa could be a a chance for Turkey's Muslims to feel more included in Turkish society.

Neriman Yasar, a recent university graduate who wears the hijab, said "many people have been alienated in this country because of the headscarf".

But she told AP Television that Hayrunnisa Gul's potential climb to one of the most prestigious positions in the country might put Muslim women "at ease, allow them to be included into social life and perhaps give them a little self-confidence".

A top Turkish designer recently said he had been asked by Hayrunnisa Gul to create a modern take on her Islamic attire, a claim later denied by Gul's aides.

An aide contacted by The Associated Press said Vienna-based designer Atil Kutoglu was one of many designers Gul had been in touch with, but would not say if she was seeking to modernise the hijab.

The aide spoke on condition of anonymity.

In the fashionable and Westernised neighbourhood of Nisantasi in Istanbul, one resident told AP Television she had not really been bothered by Gul wearing Islamic dress as wife of the foreign minister.

But she added she would have reservations if Gul was wearing the hijab on the international political stage as the country's first lady.

"Let's say there's a reception and everyone's dressed in a modern way and, how should I put it, I would not be happy to see her dressed as if she was from Saudi countries," Hatice Denizci.

Leyla Melek Cifci, the editor in chief of the Turkish edition of the women's magazine Cosmopolitan, said she believed Gul's image did not reflect the way modern Turkey sees itself.

"We consider ourselves very modern in Turkey, very Westernised and of course this image of the first lady I think doesn't really go hand in hand with this modern way we like to feel ourselves," she told AP Television.

The headscarf has been banned in government offices and schools and secularists see the prospect of a first lady wearing one as a challenge to the modern path Ataturk set for Turkey.

Many remember how Hayrunnisa Gul once appealed to the European Court of Human Rights for the right to wear the headscarf to a university and fear she will subject the presidency to Islamic influence.

They also scoff at the notion a woman clad in an Islamic garment might represent a secular nation that is vying for European Union membership.

Ataturk sought to minimise religion's hold on society in this 99-percent Muslim population by banning religious garb and changing the alphabet from the Arabic, associated with the Quran, to the Latin one.

But the cultural divide between a military-backed group determined to preserve secularism and those devoted to Turkey's religious traditions has simmered since then.

Ataturk's Sorbonne-educated wife, Latife Ussaki, usually dressed in Western-style clothes but wore the veil while first lady to prevent any conservative backlash against her husband, according to her biographer.

Speaking to AP Television, Ipek Calislar said that the controversy surrounding Hayrunnisa Gul could be helped if people had a better knowledge of her ideas, and not just the image portrayed in the media.

"We only know the image, she is not appearing in the press and we don't know her ideas. If she starts to talk in the modern lady-like tone then I think the scarf will be unseen and it disappears," Calislar said.

An extremely pious section of the population who were once poor and alienated from the secular establishment are becoming more assertive.

They see the headscarf ban as an attack on freedom of religion and feel the time has come to abandon the rigorous interpretation of Ataturk's principles.

Gul has pledged loyalty to Ataturk's secular principles.

It is a key issue because the president, although largely ceremonial, has the power to temporarily block legislation and appoint judges to top courts.

If Gul is elected, one of his first tests would be whether he would take his wife to a key military ceremony on August 30, where Islamic-style headscarves are banned.

The military has hinted that it is unlikely to relax its rules, even for the president.

SHOTLIST

1. Wide of Istanbul's Galata bridge with mosque in the background

2. Tilt down from mosque to bridge

3. Wide of Istanbul's Fatih District

4. Banner on street in favour of Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul's presidential candidacy

5. Mid of women wearing head scarves walking along road

6. Tilt up of man holding prayer beads walking along street

7. Wide of pedestrians

8. SOUNDBITE (Turkish): Nimet Eksioglu, Female vox pop:

"Whose republic are they saving from who? How many martyrs we gave for this country. If we have a war today I'll carry bullets on my shoulders to the military, I'll give my food to the military. So tell me whose country are they saving from who?"

9. Women wearing head scarves on the street

10. SOUNDBITE (Turkish): Hanife Uzum, Female vox pop:

" If someone whose wife is uncovered (by head scarf) can be president, than someone whose wife is covered can also be president. It is a democracy."

11. Statue of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey and Turkish flag

12. Wide of the Independence Statue

13. Young couple on the street

14. Pan across crowd in street

15. SOUNDBITE (Turkish): No name given, Female vox pop:

"He (Abdullah Gul) shouldn't be president. Turkey is a secular republic. He had better withdraw his candidacy."

16. Wide of pedestrians in Istiklal street

17. SOUNDBITE (Turkish): No name given, Male vox pop:

" We don't want, for sure, economic loss. But this issue (election of new president) is seen as more important that economy."

18. Pan from crowd to sign reading: (in English) "Change"

19. Wide of exchange office

20. Close-up of board displaying rates of exchange

21. Various of set-up of former chief of National Reserve, Gazi Ercel

22. SOUNDBITE (English): Gazi Ercel, former chief of National Reserve:

"In the early morning the markets was extremely angry, extreme tension, full stress of the market place. And some Stock Exchange market indices fell down for about eight percent. But in the noon time, the market has become calm and now the situation is going on in this direction."

23. Wide of trading floor at Istanbul Stock Exchange

24. SOUNDBITE (English): Gazi Ercel, former chief of National Reserve:

"I don't think the political party, including the ruling party AKP (Justice and Development Party) or (the) opposition party would not be in a position to increase the tension, stress in the system, because at this point of time, (the)stress is enough."

25. Mid of stock brokers

26. SOUNDBITE (English): Gazi Ercel, former chief of National Reserve:

"The responsibility is (inaudible), is going direct to the Government in order to take a decision as soon as possible in order to calm down the market place."

27. Wide of Istanbul Stock Exchange

STORYLINE

The Turkish stock market dropped on Monday, a day after hundreds of thousands of pro-secular demonstrators protested flooded central Istanbul on Sunday to demand the resignation of the government, which they fear is leading Turkey toward Islamic rule.

The financial fallout came amid calls for early general elections and fears that the armed forces will intervene in a dispute pitting Turkey's religiously oriented ruling party against the military-backed, secular establishment.

The pro-secular military's threat to intervene in a disputed presidential election could also damage Turkey's troubled efforts to join the European Union, which has urged the Muslim nation to reduce the political influence of the army.

The heart of the problem is a conflict over Turkey's national identity that has brewed since Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, an army officer in World War I, founded the secular republic after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.

He gave the vote to women, restricted Islamic dress and replaced the Arabic script with the Roman alphabet.

The conflict burst wide open again last week, with the presidential election serving as a flashpoint for the frustration of secularists with what they view as a government willing to let Islam influence the workings of the state, including the education system.

The crisis unfolded on Friday when opposition lawmakers boycotted a first round of parliamentary voting for the government's presidential candidate, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, and appealed to the Constitutional Court to annul the process.

That night, in an ominous reminder of 1997, the military threatened to intervene in the presidential election and warned the government to curb Islamic influences.

Some pro-Islamist Istanbul residents on Monday expressed indignation at the situation.

"Whose republic are they saving from who? How many martyrs we gave for this country?" demanded one local woman.

"If we have a war today I'll carry bullets on my shoulders to the military, I'll give my food to the military. So tell me whose country are they saving from who?" she asked.

The candidacy of Gul, a close ally of Erdogan, triggered an outcry from secular groups that think he would use the office, a post with veto power over legislation, to chip away at the separation of state and religion.

At least 700-thousand pro-secular demonstrators took to the streets on Sunday.

Waving the country's red flag and singing nationalist songs, demonstrators in Istanbul called Erdogan a traitor.

Secularists are also uncomfortable with the idea of Gul's wife, Hayrunisa, being in the presidential palace because she wears the traditional Muslim head scarf.

Another local resident defended this saying:" If someone whose wife is uncovered (by head scarf) can be president, than someone whose wife is covered also can be president. It is a democracy."

But other pro-secular residents were insistent that Gul should not be president.

"Turkey is a secular republic. He had better withdraw his candidacy," said one woman to AP Television.

Others said the issue was more important even than the economic situation in the country.

The turmoil unsettled traders in Istanbul, where the benchmark index, the IMKB-100, was down 4.01 percent at 44,984.45 points by closing, after opening down 7.99 percent.

Turkey's currency, the lira, slid against foreign currencies and was trading at 1.36 against the US dollar, compared to Friday's close of 1.33.

"In the early morning the markets was extremely angry," said Gazi Ercel, former chief of National Reserve. "But in the noon time, the market has become calm and now the situation is going in this direction."

Turkey, a candidate for European Union membership, has been steadily recovering from a financial crisis in 2001, curbing inflation and pushing ahead with banking reform and other initiatives backed by the International Monetary Fund.

The country has huge foreign debt but is attractive to foreign investors.

Analysts said the markets will likely recover if the government defuses tension by agreeing to early elections for Parliament, a move that could appease critics and clear the way for more vigorous implementation of economic reforms once a new government is in place.

Late on Monday Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan appealed for stability and drew attention to his strong economic record in a national address.

Under the current government, Turkey has reined in inflation and implemented reforms backed by the EU.

Both Gul and Erdogan have pledged loyalty to Turkey's secular constitution, and cite their record as modernisers in implementing EU reforms.

Gul was expected to win the vote because in Turkey the president is picked by Parliament, which is dominated by his party.

But Turkey's Constitutional Court was evaluating an appeal by the pro-secular Republican People's Party to cancel the voting process.

The court was expected to announce its decision on Tuesday or Wednesday morning.

The current president, Ahmet Necdet Sezer, is a strong secularist seen as acting as a check on the government.

SHOTLIST

Istanbul - 28 August 2007

1. Wide of Ortakoy Mosque

2. Various of Bosporus strait

3. Various of Istanbul street scenes

4. SOUNDBITE: (Turkish) Nezaket Tasdelen, Istanbul Resident, Vox pop:

"I am also from Kayseri, the same town as (presidential candidate) Abdullah Gul, that's why I like him. He is a very good man. I wholeheartedly want him to become president."

5. Wide of people walking

6. SOUNDBITE: (Turkish) Abdullah Aytekin, Istanbul Resident, Vox pop:

"He has experience from serving as Foreign Minister, and he has been in politics for a long time. I think he will be more active in the international arena than our last president."

7. Wide of woman feeding birds

8. SOUNDBITE: (Turkish) Nihal Ozturk Kaya, Istanbul Resident, Vox pop:

"I don't know. I hope it will be good but I don't want Abdullah Gul (as president)."

9. Pan from street to newspaper stand

10. Newspaper headline reading: (Turkish) "We wont back down from our determined attitude - Military Spokesman"

11. Newspaper headline reading: (Turkish) "What do people expect from Presidential Palace?"

12. Newspaper headline reading: (English) "Turkey prepares for Gul"

13. Photo of Abdullah Gul and wife, Hayrunnisa Gul, on front page of newspaper

FILE

Ankara - Date Unknown

14. Various of Abdullah Gul at cabinet meeting

15. Various of Abdullah Gul meeting with Turkish Cypriot Leader Rauf Denktash

16. Various of Abdullah Gul at National Security Council meeting

STORYLINE

Turkish presidential candidate Abdullah Gul is expected to win election as president on Tuesday, despite having his earlier bid for the post blocked by the secular establishment because of concerns about his background in political Islam.

Gul, a devout Muslim, who was once part of Turkey's Islamic movement, has pledged to uphold secular principles enshrined in the constitution, and to use his contacts in foreign capitals to promote Turkey's role on the international stage.

But the military-backed secular establishment, fears Gul is so loyal to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he would not use the presidency's veto powers as a traditional check on the government.

They also fear he will undermine the secular principles enshrined in the constitution, despite his track record as a reformer who has worked to steer Turkey toward membership in the European Union.

Gul's nomination earlier this year sparked a political crisis and continues to divide public opinion to this day.

Some believe that Gul's track record and experience will resonate with the public once the controversy blows over.

"He has experience from serving as Foreign Minister, and he has been in politics for a long time. I think he will be more active in the international arena than our last president," Abdullah Aytekin, an Istanbul resident, told AP Television.

While others, remain staunchly against his candidacy.

"I don't know. I hope it will be good but I don't want Abdullah Gul (as president)," said Nihal Ozturk Kaya.

Millions of people took to the streets in protest, following Gul's nomination, and the military, which has ousted four governments since 1960, has threatened to intervene to protect the secular system.

Turkey's military issued a stern warning on Monday about the threat to secularism on the eve of an expected triumph for Gul.

General Yasar Buyukanit, chief of the military, said in a note on the military's Web site Monday: "Our nation has been watching the behaviour of those separatists who can't embrace Turkey's unitary nature and centers of

evil that systematically try to corrode the secular nature of the Turkish Republic."

However, there were no signs that the military planned to disrupt Tuesday's vote.

A parliamentary deadlock forced Gul to abandon his initial bid, but Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, emboldened by his AK party's success in July's early elections, re-nominated Gul as the party's presidential candidate.

The post of President is largely ceremonial but the president does have veto powers, which the current president, the secular Ahmet Necdet Sezer, has used to temporarily block legislation or the appointment of alleged Islamist officials.

Gul and Erdogan say they are not Islamists and point to reforms they have carried out to advance Turkey's bid to join the European Union.

Gul has pledged loyalty to Turkey's secular constitution and promised neutrality.

LEADIN:

Syrians living in Turkey have been reacting to Sunday's election results.

Incumbant president Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged to begin returning them to their homeland during his campaign.

STORYLINE:

Istanbul's Aksaray neighbourhood is also known as "Little Syria" - a reference to the number of Syrian businesses operating here.

Turkey has hosted more than three million of its neighbours since war broke out over the border in 2011.

And in the cafes and restaurants in this area, they meet up, eat, talk and even smoke the traditional Syrian waterpipe, Nargileh, together.

But since the Turkish presdeintial and parliamentary elections on Sunday, concerns have been rising.

Turkey's current president Recep Tayyip Erdogan won over 52 percent of the votes in the presidential race, and his ruling Justice and Development Party garnered 42.5 percent of the parliamentary vote.

Both Erdogan and the opposition party leaders pledged during their elections campaign plans to start sending Syrians back to their country.

Syrians here are sceptical about the plan.

Translator Mohamed Shehada is from Aleppo. He believes Erdogan was just referring to small pockets of the country, such as Tell Abyad and Manbij.

"Both are just villages, not cities. So, he said that he intends to send back some of the Syrian guests from Tell Abyad and Manbij to their homes. This does not mean that the entire four million (refugees) belong in Tell Abyad and Manbij," he says.

"Such statements are not always applicable on the ground. Where can he send all these people? Moreover, there are some who invested hundreds of thousands of dollars and established their own businesses. It is definitely impossible to ask them to abandon their own businesses and leave the country all of a sudden."

In fact, many Syrians insist they would be only too keen to return - as long as their country is safe.

"We are willing to go back much sooner than he (Erdogan) wants to send us back, it is our own country, our homeland," says Ayman Ali El-Shaikh, a computer sciences student and consultant.

"However, does the current situation in Syria suit me to go back and reside there? No security, no safety, no stability, no nothing!"

Turkey has a significant stake in Syria, where it mounted a military operation in the north and now controls about 4,000 square kilometres (1,500 square miles) of Syrian territory.

Erdogan's policies towards its people have been welcoming until now.

But Mohammad Al-Debis, an Arabic and English Teacher from Damascus who moved to Istanbul in 2015, believes the president's words have been misunderstood.

"I don't believe that Erdogan is going to force anyone to come back to Syria," he says.

"Mr Erdogan knows that those Syrian people are here in Turkey, only five or six percent of them are refugees. The others are working, and they are paying taxes, and they are emerging in this community."

Erdogan has won a new five-year term with vastly increased powers.

But his governing party saw its parliamentary majority slip, leaving him reliant on the support of a small nationalist party.

Critics have reacted with alarm to Erdogan's victory, saying the results usher in what will effectively be one-man rule, putting someone with increasingly autocratic and intolerant tendencies at the helm of a strategically significant NATO country.

Istanbul, Turkey - 26 June 2018

1. Wide of Selcuk Sultan Mosque in Aksaray neighbourhood in Istanbul, known as "Little Syria" for the number of Syrian businesses settled here

2. Mid of minaret

3. Wide of street in Aksaray neighbourhood with Syrian and Turkish restaurants and businesses

4. Close of restaurant worker cutting traditional kebab meat

5. Mid of restaurant with customer in foreground

6. Tilt up from sign reading (Turkish and Arabic) "Orange Juice" to kebab restaurant worker

7. Close of oranges

8. Wide of Syrian restaurant terrace with customers

9. Wide of Mohamed Shehada, 25 year-old translator and consultant from Aleppo, chatting with another man

10. Shehada smoking traditional Syrian waterpipe, Nargileh

11. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mohamed Shehada, translator and consultant from Aleppo:

"Concerning the statements I have heard, he (Erdogan) spoke about Tell Abyad and Manbij, saying that in the next days to come he would overrun Tell Abyad and Manbij. Both are just villages, not cities. So, he said that he intends to send back some of the Syrian guests from Tell Abyad and Manbij to their homes. This does not mean that the entire four million (refugees) belong in Tell Abyad and Manbij. We wish to go back to Syria as soon as tomorrow. I wish for it if they declare the end of the war in Syria. Our homes and our own people are there. However, such statements are not always applicable on the ground. Where can he send all these people? Moreover, there are some who invested hundreds of thousands of dollars and established their own businesses. It is definitely impossible to ask them to abandon their own businesses and leave the country all of a sudden."

12. Wide of people walking by in Aksaray neighbourhood

13. Wide of customers going inside Syrian restaurant

14. Wide of the inside of Syrian restaurant

15. Mid of Shehada and Ayman Ali El-Shaikh, Computer Sciences student and consultant from Syria

16. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ayman Ali El-Shaikh, 25 year-old Computer Sciences student and consultant from Syria:

"We are willing to go back (to Syria) much sooner than he (Erdogan) wants to send us back. It is our own country, our homeland. We have houses, vehicles and businesses in Syria that we left behind and fled away from. So far, we still feel like foreigners in this country. Despite the five years I have been living in Turkey I am still a foreigner, I am merely a guest in Turkey. I established my own business, I studied hard to improve my foreign language, but that (Syria) remains my country. I have a desire to go back to my own country more than Recep Tayyip Erdogan's intention to send me back. I would go back out of my free will. However, does the current situation in Syria suit me to go back and reside there? No security, no safety, no stability, no nothing!"

17. Various of Nargileh on sale in a Syrian tobacco shop

18. Mid of Mohammad Al-Debis, Arabic and English teacher from Damascus, taking seat in the terrace (he moved to Turkey in 2015)

19. SOUNDBITE (English) Mohammad Al-Debis, Arabic and English teacher from Damascus:

"I don't believe that Erdogan is going to force anyone to come back to Syria. It's only the problem that they misunderstood what he said. This is my opinion, I don't know. I think that he will make, he will establish some safe zones, safe places, and the Syrians who want to come back to their places at the north of Syria, he will allow them to come back. Otherwise I don't think, it doesn't make any sense to force people to come back to their countries. Especially that Erdogan, Mr Erdogan knows that those Syrian people are here in Turkey, only five or six percent of them are refugees. The others are working, and they are paying taxes, and they are emerging in this community."

20. Various of Istanbul Golden Horn skyline

SNTV spoke to FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan in Istanbul on Wednesday (11th November) following Jordan's international friendly with Malta. The Prince vowed that he would "open the windows and unlock the doors" of FIFA if he was elected to become president of football's world governing body. "We have to reverse the pyramid where we have to put our players and fans at the top of our priorities," said the Prince.

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan was in Istanbul on Wednesday to watch the Jordanian national team record a 2-0 over Malta in an international friendly.

Prince Ali will be hoping for an equally as convincing win next February when the FIFA Presidential election takes place in Zurich.

That election will determine who will succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA President and Prince Ali is in the running to take charge of football's world governing body.

The Jordanian Prince also stood against Blatter in May earlier this year and indeed forced a second round of voting among all FIFA member associations but decided to stand down following the opening round of voting.

With Blatter seemingly set to leave FIFA, Prince Ali hopes this time will see a different end result.

On Wednesday, Prince Ali vowed that, if elected, he would clean up FIFA following scandal after scandal this year and repair the organisation's reputation.

"We need to improve the reputation of FIFA dramatically. And that can only happen through a change in the leadership of the top and a leadership who understands the needs of this century we are living in and who can work with everyone across the globe," said the Prince.

"First of all, the first thing I would do is to open the windows and unlock the doors. I think it is very important that we are an open governing body, and also that we serve the needs of our national associations. We have to reverse the pyramid where we have to put our players and fans at the top of our priorities, and work from there," he continued.

He added, "We have to be a service organisation. And if we can do that, and we do it correctly, and I believe that I can, then we would be in the right direction to bring FIFA back on track."

The Prince also did not rule out expanding the World Cup finals format from 32 teams at present, if elected.

"Based on the results of the last World Cup, that there is potential for expansion. We do need to look at expanding, and I said that before, but we need to do it properly and we have to bring all the stakeholders in football together to really come up with a concise decision," he said.

SNTV spoke to FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan in Istanbul on Wednesday (11th November) following Jordan's international friendly with Malta. The Prince vowed that he would "open the windows and unlock the doors" of FIFA if he was elected to become president of football's world governing body. "We have to reverse the pyramid where we have to put our players and fans at the top of our priorities," said the Prince.

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan was in Istanbul on Wednesday to watch the Jordanian national team record a 2-0 over Malta in an international friendly.

Prince Ali will be hoping for an equally as convincing win next February when the FIFA Presidential election takes place in Zurich.

That election will determine who will succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA President and Prince Ali is in the running to take charge of football's world governing body.

The Jordanian Prince also stood against Blatter in May earlier this year and indeed forced a second round of voting among all FIFA member associations but decided to stand down following the opening round of voting.

With Blatter seemingly set to leave FIFA, Prince Ali hopes this time will see a different end result.

On Wednesday, Prince Ali vowed that, if elected, he would clean up FIFA following scandal after scandal this year and repair the organisation's reputation.

"We need to improve the reputation of FIFA dramatically. And that can only happen through a change in the leadership of the top and a leadership who understands the needs of this century we are living in and who can work with everyone across the globe," said the Prince.

"First of all, the first thing I would do is to open the windows and unlock the doors. I think it is very important that we are an open governing body, and also that we serve the needs of our national associations. We have to reverse the pyramid where we have to put our players and fans at the top of our priorities, and work from there," he continued.

He added, "We have to be a service organisation. And if we can do that, and we do it correctly, and I believe that I can, then we would be in the right direction to bring FIFA back on track."

The Prince also did not rule out expanding the World Cup finals format from 32 teams at present, if elected.

"Based on the results of the last World Cup, that there is potential for expansion. We do need to look at expanding, and I said that before, but we need to do it properly and we have to bring all the stakeholders in football together to really come up with a concise decision," he said.

Maltepe Hasan Polat Stadi, Istanbul, Turkey. 11th November, 2015.

1. 00:00 Various of FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan in stand

2. 00:08 Various of Jordan and Malta players listening to anthem

3. 00:20 Various of Prince Ali

4. 00:28 SOUNDBITE (English) Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, FIFA presidential candidate:

"Well I think the president of FIFA should be somebody who understands the needs of 209 national associations, somebody who can serve football from grassroots up, and focus on development for national associations. But at the same time we need to improve the reputation of FIFA dramatically. And that can only happen through a change in the leadership of the top and a leadership who understands the needs of this century we are living in and who can work with everyone across the globe."

5. 01:12 Various of Prince Ali watching soccer match

6. 01:20 Various of soccer match

7. 01:28 SOUNDBITE (English) Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, FIFA presidential candidate:

"First of all, the first thing I would do is to open the windows and unlock the doors. I think it is very important that we are an open governing body, and also that we serve the needs of our national associations. We have to reverse the pyramid where we have to put our players and fans at the top of our priorities, and work from there. We have to be a service organisation. And if we can do that, and we do it correctly, and I believe that I can, then we would be in the right direction to bring FIFA back on track."

8. 02:06 Various of Prince Ali in the stand

9. 02:14 Various of soccer match

10. 02:22 Various of crowd

11. 02:34 SOUNDBITE (English) Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, FIFA presidential candidate:

"Not at all, that's democracy, I think it is a good thing that there are other candidates. Having said that I was the first one to take up this challenge, and I hope to see it through. And it is not about the presidency at all, but it is about changing the culture of football, and that change needs to come from the top, and I believe I am the best person to do that."

12. 03:00 Various of players

13. 03:19 Various of Prince Ali

14. 03:28 SOUNDBITE (English) Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, FIFA presidential candidate:

"I was elected to the FIFA Executive Committee from Asia, specifically because they wanted somebody to make changes and I fought for them for four years that I was there. But that's why I did refused to go back to FIFA Executive Committee, and instead run for the presidency because I realised that it is really the way to make changes that we want. So that's where I come from. I am also a national association president, so I understand the needs of the national associations that represent football."

15. 04:05 Various of Prince Ali greeting Jordan players

16. 04:22 SOUNDBITE (English) Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, FIFA presidential candidate:

"Well everybody knows what I stood for at the time I was there. I was the one to always call for reforms, for making the Garcia Report public, so I think I was one of the people, as everybody knows, who was pushing for it. And as I said I understood the only way to really make a change is to run for the presidency."

17. 04:50 Various of Prince Ali entering the stadium

18. 05:02 Various of Prince Ali in stand

19. 05:06 SOUNDBITE (English) Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, FIFA presidential candidate:

"Well I do believe, obviously, based on the results of the last World Cup, that there is potential for expansion. We do know however that it will not take place until 2026. So I am very hesitant that this sort of thing be used for election purposes right now. We do need to look at expanding, and I said that before, but we need to do it properly and we have to bring all the stakeholders in football together to really come up with a concise decision, and not to use it as a part of the campaign for the election. I will not do that."

20. 05:44 Various of soccer match

Istanbul residents reacted on Friday to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's announcement of early elections on 1 November.

No group won a majority from voters in June and Erdogan's party was unable to find a coalition partner.

The widely expected announcement on Friday came days after Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu abandoned efforts to build a coalition government, following the failure of talks with the leaders of two smaller parties.

The ruling party lost its parliamentary majority in June for the first time since it came to power in 2002, forcing it to seek a coalition alliance.

The June result hampered Erdogan's ambitions to increase the powers of the largely ceremonial presidency.

He is believed to have favoured a new election, and Turkey's main opposition leader has accused the president of obstructing the coalition-building efforts - a charge Erdogan denies.

Istanbul residents reacted on Friday to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's announcement of early elections on 1 November.

No group won a majority from voters in June and Erdogan's party was unable to find a coalition partner.

The widely expected announcement on Friday came days after Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu abandoned efforts to build a coalition government, following the failure of talks with the leaders of two smaller parties.

The ruling party lost its parliamentary majority in June for the first time since it came to power in 2002, forcing it to seek a coalition alliance.

The June result hampered Erdogan's ambitions to increase the powers of the largely ceremonial presidency.

He is believed to have favoured a new election, and Turkey's main opposition leader has accused the president of obstructing the coalition-building efforts - a charge Erdogan denies.

Istanbul - 21 August 2015

1. Various of people crossing a street in Istanbul

2. Various people walking in street

3. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Mehmet (surname not given), works for a sports business:

"I don't believe Turkey will resolve all its problems with early elections. First of all, an election has been held recently, and its results are clear. If this election has not resulted in anything (meaning a new government) in Turkey, I think an election in such a short period of time is nothing but repetition."

4. People sitting in a cafe

5. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Ela Tamkan, business manager:

"Whoever I ask in my circle, they say they will vote for the same party they have voted before (in 7 June elections). We will all vote for the party we voted before. I don't know what is going to change."

6. Various of traffic

7. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Murat Onder, tradesman:

"I think people will now think more clearly, and vote accordingly. That's my opinion."

8. Various of people sitting in a cafe

SHOTLIST

Istanbul, Besiktas district

1. Wide of old city

2. Pan from traffic to Barboros Mosque

3. People crossing street

4. People sitting on benches

5. SOUNDBITE: (Turkish) Ozgur Ozeralp, Vox Pop:

"I hope the regime will not get in danger, in that case the army will get involved, and it will be even worse."

6. Wide of traffic

7. People walking

Istanbul, Fatih district (predominantly muslim area of the city)

8. Mid of kiosk

9. Tilt down of newspapers stand

10. Mid of headline reading: (Turkish) "Gul Elected President with 339 votes"

11. Headlines reading: (Turkish) "Secularism is the guarantee for peace" - tilt up - "Rose (Gul in Turkish means rose) season at presidential palace"

12. Men reading newspaper at coffee shop

13. Wide of coffee shop

14. Close-up of tea on table

15. SOUNDBITE: (Turkish) Recep Sarikaya, Vox Pop:

"Everybody here are happy Abdullah Gul became president. We have been waiting for this. It should have happened earlier."

16. Wide of street

17. SOUNDBITE: (Turkish) Sibel Kaya, Vox Pop:

"It is a shame (that Gul become president). We burnt... I cant say anything more. Will his wife ever uncover her head?"

(Q: No?)

"She won't uncover!!! We burnt, we are finished. It is the end of the world."

18. SOUNDBITE: (Turkish) Sukran Akpinar, Vox Pop:

"We are very happy that he is elected. God willing it will be good for the country."

(Q: What will happen now in Turkey?)

"Everything will be much better."

(Q: What would be his priorities?)

"He'll solve the waiting problems, and he will be the same to everybody. Turkey will turn into a much better country."

19. People walking on street

20. Poster of a model wearing veil

21. Wide pan of street

STORYLINE:

Istanbul residents expressed mixed reactions on Wednesday morning, to the election of Abdullah Gul as president yesterday.

"I hope the regime will not get in danger, in that case the army will get involved, and it will be even worse," Ozgur Ozeralp said.

Recep Sarikaya, a resident from the Fatih district, a predominantly muslim area of Istanbul, disagreed.

"Everybody here are happy as Abdullah Gul became president. We were waiting for this. It should have happened earlier," Sarikaya said.

Gul, a devout Muslim with a background in political Islam won the Turkish presidency on Tuesday, a major triumph for the country's Islamic-rooted government after months of confrontation with the secular establishment.

Gul, 56, received a majority of 339 votes in the parliamentary ballot.

Commanders from the fiercely secular military were conspicuously absent from his swearing in ceremony, a move regarded by many as a symbolic protest against the decision to elect a president to a post traditionally held by a secular figure.

After taking his oath, Gul, who consistently denied he has an Islamist agenda, praised the predominantly Muslim nation's secular system and pledged impartiality.

Gul said that the Turkish Republic was a democratic, secular, social state governed by the rule of law and that he would always be a determined to advocate of those principals.

Gul's initial bid for president earlier this year was blocked over fears that he planned to dilute Turkey's secular traditions.

When Erdogan nominated Gul, secularists staged mass rallies and the military, which has ousted four government since 1960, threatened to intervene.

Lawmakers opposed to Gul's candidacy boycotted votes on his candidacy, thwarting his election.

That prompted Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to call early general elections, which his party dominated.

Gul then insisted he be re-nominated for president, arguing that his party's victory in the early general elections gave him a strong mandate to run.

He rejected calls from secularist parties to step aside in favour of a non-Islamist, compromise candidate.

As foreign minister, Gul, who speaks English and Arabic, has cultivated an image as a moderate politician, acting as an impassioned voice for reforms to promote Turkey's bid to join the European Union.

Two other candidates, Sabahattin Cakmakoglu of a nationalist party, and Tayfun Icli of a small center-left party, got 70 and 13 votes, respectively.

One of Gul's first tasks as president will be to approve Erdogan's new Cabinet, which the prime minister will present to him on Wednesday.

Syrian refugees living in Istanbul have expressed concern they will be deported following the re-election of Turkey's President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Erdogan won over 52 percent of the vote in the presidential race, and Syrians living in the country say they fear they may be sent back to their home country.

Turkey is home to a large number of Syrian refugees and Erdogan's policies have been welcoming until recently.

But both Erdogan and opposition party leaders announced during the election campaign plans to start sending Syrians back to their country.

Many living the city have settled in jobs and started businesses, and though they wish to return, they still believe it is simply too dangerous.

"It is definitely impossible to ask them to abandon their own businesses and leave the country out of a sudden," said one refugee, Ayman Ali El-Shaikh, a 25-year-old Computer Sciences student and consultant:

Since the conflict started in Syria back in 2011, Turkey's Erdogan has been host to around three million Syrian refugees.

Istanbul - 26 June 2018

1. Selcuk Sultan Mosque

2. Minaret

3. Wide of street in Aksaray with Syrian and Turkish restaurants and businesses

4. Close of restaurant employee cutting traditional kebab meat

5. Kebab restaurant with customers

6. Tilt-up from sign reading in Turkish and Arabic "orange juice" to kebab restaurant staffer

7. Close of oranges

8. Syrian restaurant terrace with customers

9. Two Syrian customers chatting and smoking traditional Syrian water-pipe Nargileh

10. Close of customer smoking Nargileh

11. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mohamed Shehada, 25 year-old translator and consultant from Aleppo:

"Concerning the statements I have heard, he (Erdogan) spoke about Tell Abyad and Manbij, saying that in the few days to come he would overrun Tell Abyad and Manbij. Both are just villages not cities. So, he said that he intends to send back some of the Syrian guests from Tell Abyad and Manbij to their homes. This does not mean that the entire 4 million (refugees) belong in Tell Abyad and Manbij. We wish to go back to Syria as soon as tomorrow. I wish if they declare the end of the war in Syria. Our homes and our own people are there. However, such statements are not always applicable on the ground. Where can he send all these people? Moreover, there are some who invested hundreds of thousands of dollars and established their own businesses. It is definitely impossible to ask them to abandon their own businesses and leave the country out of a sudden."

12. People walking in Aksaray neighbourhood

13. Customers inside Syrian restaurant

14. Wide of inside of Syrian restaurant

15. Two customers chatting and smoking Nargileh

16. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ayman Ali El-Shaikh, 25 year-old Computer Sciences student and consultant:

"We are willing to go back (to Syria) much sooner than he (Erdogan) wants to send us back, it is our own country, our homeland. We have houses, vehicles and businesses in Syria that we left behind and fled away. Up until now, we still feel like foreigners in this country, despite the five years I have been living in Turkey I am still a foreigner, I am merely a guest in Turkey. I established my own business, I studied hard to improve my foreign language, but that (Syria) remains my country. I have a desire to go back to my own country more than Recep Tayyip Erdogan's intention to send me back, I would go back out of my free will. However, does the current situation in Syria suit me to go back and reside there, no security, no safety, no stability, no nothing!"

17. Nargileh on sale in Syrian tobacco shop

18. Close of Nargileh

19. Wide of Nargileh and tobacco shop in Aksaray

20. Syrian restaurant customer taking seat in terrace

21. SOUNDBITE (English) Mohammad Al-Debis, 47 year-old Arabic and English Teacher from Damascus:

"I don't believe that Erdogan is going to force anyone to come back to Syria. It is only the problem that they misunderstood what he said. This is my opinion, I don't know. I think that he will make, he will establish some safe zones, safe places, and the Syrians who want to come back to their places at the north of Syria, he will allow them to come back. Otherwise I don't think... it doesn't make any sense to force people to come back to their countries. Specially that Erdogan, Mr Erdogan knows that those Syrian people are here in Turkey, only 5 or 6 percent of them are refugees. The others are working, and they are paying taxes, and they are emerging in this community."

22. Various of Istanbul Golden Horn skyline

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won Turkey's landmark election on Sunday, the country's electoral commission said, ushering in a new system granting the president sweeping new powers which critics say will cement what they call a one-man rule.

The presidential election and a parliamentary election also held Sunday, both more than a year early, complete NATO-member Turkey's transition from a parliamentary system of government to a strong presidential system. Voters approved the change in a referendum last year.

Erdogan, 64, insisted before the election that the expanded powers — which include the authority to impose states of emergency and to issue decrees — would bring prosperity and stability to Turkey, especially after a failed military coup attempt in 2016. A state of emergency has been in place since the coup.

The president's critics, however, warned that Erdogan's re-election would cement the grip on power of a leader who they accuse of showing increasingly autocratic tendencies.

Istanbul - June 24, 2018

1. Various of Istanbul skyline

2. Various of Istanbul Taksim area

3. Various of Turkish political analyst Soli Ozel watching elections result on TV

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Soli Ozel, political analyst:

"The fear was that because there are very few checks and balances in the system and the judiciary is not independent that this would lead to very serious monopolisation of power that in a democratic system would concentrate too much power in the hands of the executive. Mr Erdogan promised to make their judiciary more credible, more independent, then more free. We'll see. But one of the things he promised, and this was under pressure from the opposition, that he would lift the state of emergency. That would be a good test of what we should expect in the new system."

5. Various of Mr Ozel watching news

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Soli Ozel, political analyst:

"We will see the first reactions of the markets, will they consider this as finally the end of a turbulent period and the Turks have been voted for continuity therefore for stability? Or will they see this continuation of Mr Erdogan's policy, which the markets determined to be rather erratic in the past month or so, that remains to be seen. But I suspect that one of the priorities of Mr Erdogan would be to form an economic team that could actually give confidence to Turkey's investors."

7. Close up to TV screen showing election results counting showing AKP party leading

8. Close up to Mr Ozel

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Soli Ozel, political analyst:

"It would probably mean that Turkey will continue its policies. The fight against terrorism in this particular context doesn't mean just fighting the PKK within the country but also taking the fight to Syria and to Iraq. Currently Turkey has troops within Syria and right before the elections were held there were attacks against the PKK's headquarters in Qandil mountains in northern Iraq. I suspect that this will continue. The big question is whether or not there will be a new opening towards Turkey's western allies. A good test of that might very good be the NATO summit that is coming in about two weeks' time in Brussels."

10. Various of Mr Ozel watching election counting on TV

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Soli Ozel, political analyst:

"The relations with the EU have subsided from where they were about a year ago. The most important outstanding problems are with the United States, that are related to the American support for the PKK's affiliate in Syria, the PYD. It has to do with the American complaints about Turkey deciding to buy S-400 anti-aircraft missiles from Russia, and there are threats been thrown back and forth about what may happen. But under normal circumstances I would expect a cooling off period."

12. Various of "15 July Martyrs Bridge"

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SHOTLIST:

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Istanbul - 10 December 2015

1. Woman walking past by banner reading (English, Turkish) "Trump Tower Shopping Center"

2. Various of Trump Towers in Istanbul

3. Various of entrance to Trump Tower's shopping centre

4. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Ozan Emen, Employee at Trump shopping mall:

"A politician shouldn't say this. If he does, he has to close this building (Trump Towers.) Because there are Muslim people working here, praise God. This is affecting me, affecting me in an unfavourable way. It's a reason for me to quit my job."

5. Close of Trump Towers sign

6. Various of people eating in a restaurant at the entrance of Trump Towers

++NIGHT SHOTS++

7. Various of entrance of shopping mall, lit up with Christmas decorations

8. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Oguzhan Kilic, Employee at Trump shopping mall:

"Of course I like the company for which I work, and I am happy to be working here. But I have some doubts related to its (Trump Towers') name. As you know, there are residences in Trump Towers. For example, if my customers, or me who wants to buy, or if another person that I know wants to buy a place here, I wouldn't direct him or her (to buy a place at Trump Towers), I would advise them to buy a residence somewhere else. And I'm going to do that."

9. Various of Trump Towers flags outside building

STORYLINE:

Employees at Trump Towers mall in Istanbul expressed their discomfort on Thursday at remarks made by US presidential hopeful Donald Trump, about barring all Muslims from entering the United States.

Ozan Emen, a 20-year-old sale consultant at a men's clothing store, said the comments were a reason for him to quit his job.

Another Turkish Muslim working in the mall at the base of Trump Towers, Oguzhan Kilic, said although he's happy with this job he wouldn't advise people to buy apartments within the building due to its name.

Trump's comments have been widely condemned both in the US and internationally.

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Turkish journalist Asli Aydintasbas said on Tuesday that US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump's call to block Muslims from entering the United States is "against human rights" and that the idea was "preposterous".

On Monday, Trump proposed stopping Muslims from entering the country "until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses."

His suggested ban was quickly condemned by other Republican and Democratic presidential candidates.

Meanwhile, some 300 demonstrators gathered in Istanbul to protest what they called a witch-hunt against Islam and Muslims.

Turkish journalist Asli Aydintasbas said on Tuesday that US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump's call to block Muslims from entering the United States is "against human rights" and that the idea was "preposterous".

On Monday, Trump proposed stopping Muslims from entering the country "until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses."

His suggested ban was quickly condemned by other Republican and Democratic presidential candidates.

Meanwhile, some 300 demonstrators gathered in Istanbul to protest what they called a witch-hunt against Islam and Muslims.

Istanbul - 8 December 2015

1. Various of Turkish journalist Asli Aydintasbas using laptop

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Asli Aydintasbas, Turkish journalist:

"(Donald Trump's call to bar all Muslims from entering US) It's a preposterous suggestion. First of all, it is against human rights and any concept of democracy that we know of. It's also not a good way to fight ISIS (alternative acronym for Islamic State group.) There are already over six million Muslims in America, most of them are US citizens. And what's important is really to find...The problem is not Islam, the problem is extremists."

3. Cutaway

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Asli Aydintasbas, Turkish journalist:

"So, definitely it is a silly idea and also I want to point out: Muslims are fighting Islamic State. As we speak of, Islamic State has hurt more Muslims, there have been bombings in this country (Turkey,) more than 100 people have died in Ankara round (twin blasts in Ankara). There have been bombings in other countries. And if you look at their targets and the tally for the Islamic State attacks, it is more Muslims that have suffered than non-Muslims. This is a fight in which we were all in it together."

5. Protesters chanting (in Arabic) "God is one, God is great"

6. Various of protesters with banners chanting (in Turkish) "The Islamic movement cannot be stopped" and "May you drown in your grudge and hate against Muslims."

7. Hands holding signs

8. Women holding banner reading (Turkish) "Our Islamic struggle in universities cannot be stopped" and chanting (in Turkish) "Killer United States, collaborator PKK" (Kurdistan Workers' Party)

9. Women chanting (in Arabic) "God is one, God is great"

10. Women chanting (in Turkish) "Love, justice, freedom"

11. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Ahmet Yasin Kocamaz, 'Muslim College Students' spokesperson:

"With the Charlie Hebdo and Paris (November 13) attacks the politics the United States implemented after September 11 (2001) have been enabled again. A witch-hunt against Islam and Muslims has started. Hatred of Islam is trying to be legitimised by showing Islam as a source of terror and by using ISIS propaganda as a shield."

12. Various of riot police

13. Various of march