site.btaTurkish Authorities Detain Jailed Istanbul Mayor's Lawyer

Turkish authorities have detained the lawyer for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's biggest political rival, jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a member of the People's Republican Party (CHP), who leads Erdogan in some polls, Reuters reports.

Imamoglu has been in jail since Sunday awaiting trial on corruption charges, sparking the biggest anti-government protests in a decade, which in turn have led to mass arrests across the country.

Mehmet Pehlivan, a lawyer who defended Imamoglu in the latest investigation, was detained "for fabricated reasons," MP Turan Taskin Ozer told the National Assembly on X, without giving details.

Imamoglu, who has been suspended over the case, demanded the immediate release of his lawyer.

"As if the coup against democracy wasn't enough, they can't stand the victims of this coup defending themselves," Imamoglu said on X.