Turkey Escalates Crackdown: Arrests of Istanbul Mayor’s Lawyer and Journalists Deepen Unrest
ISTANBUL, Turkey — Turkey has escalated its actions against anti-government demonstrators recently, detaining the attorney of the imprisoned Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, and increasing actions against journalists. The arrest of Imamoglu on March 16 has spurred the largest public dissent Turkey has seen in over a decade, prompting a chilling effect among protestors who persist in demonstrations amidst heightened repression. Imamoglu, who is widely regarded as a significant challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, had his lawyer, Mehmet Pehlivan, taken into custody under dubious charges, which opposition sources claim are related to accusations of … Read more