4 days ago
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ANKARA: Turkish authorities detained a lawyer for President Tayyip Erdogan's biggest political rival, jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, an MP of the main opposition party, CHP, said on Friday (Mar 28).
Imamoglu, a CHP member who leads Erdogan in some polls, was jailed on Sunday pending trial for graft, provoking the largest anti-government protests in a decade, which led in turn to mass arrests nationwide.
Mehmet Pehlivan, a lawyer who defended Imamoglu in the latest investigation, was detained "for fabricated reasons", CHP MP Turan Taskin Ozer said in a post on X, without giving details.
Imamoglu, who has since been released, has been temporarily dismissed from his job because of the case, demanded the immediate release of his lawyer.
"As if the coup on democracy wasn't enough, they can't stand the victims of this coup defending themselves," Imamoglu said on X.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is surrounded by supporters and security as he arrives at a courthouse in Istanbul. (Photo: Reuters/Umit Bektas)
MASS ARRESTS
Pehlivan’s arrest came as authorities continue sweeping dawn raids on journalists, students, and political activists following Türkiye’s largest wave of anti-government protests in over a decade.
The demonstrations began last week after Imamoglu was jailed pending trial on corruption charges. He has also been temporarily dismissed as mayor of Istanbul. Many of his supporters view the charges as part of a broader effort to sideline a popular challenger to Erdogan ahead of the next election.
More than 1,900 people have been detained since the protests erupted, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. While nightly rallies led by the CHP ended earlier this week, smaller organic protests continue in several cities despite police bans and reports of forceful dispersals.
The Istanbul Bar Association said three lawyers were among some 100 people arrested at a protest in the city’s Sisli district on Thursday. Legal advocates have also reported being denied access to detainees held at police facilities.
Pehlivan is reportedly being investigated on money-laundering charges. Imamoglu has rejected the accusations, saying his lawyer was detained “on fictitious grounds.”
The crackdown has drawn concern from human rights groups and foreign governments. Reporters, students, and opposition figures have all been targeted in the wave of arrests, raising fears over shrinking civic space and judicial independence in Türkiye.
