Starmer faces call to stand against Turkish president Erdogan as country’s worst unrest in a decade continues

A journalist imprisoned by the Turkish president in 2015, has called on British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer to stand against him.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continues to clamp down on opposition following several days of widespread anti-government protest.

More than 1,100 people have been detained since Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and charged with corruption on 23 March, sparking countrywide demonstrations.

Many local and international journalists have been arrested, including BBC News correspondent, Mark Lowen, who was deported on Thursday (27 March).

Turkish journalist Can Dündar told The Independent: “This is the moment that they have to take side with the democratic forces of Turkey, instead of supporting an autocrat in Ankara.”