Mahir Polat, a senior official at the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality, has been released from pretrial detention and put under house arrest, his lawyer said Wednesday.
Polat, who serves as deputy secretary-general of the opposition-run municipality, had been held in prison as part of a wider crackdown on figures close to İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a key political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
His lawyer, Erkam Erdem, told broadcaster Halk TV that the release procedures had begun and that Polat would be confined to his residence under judicial supervision.
Polat had reportedly been transferred to a hospital several times in recent weeks due to ongoing medical issues.
He was arrested shortly after İmamoğlu was detained on March 19 and arrested on March 23, triggering the largest wave of anti-government protests in Turkey since 2013. Authorities have since detained more than 2,000 people and arrested nearly 300 of them, including students, journalists and political staff.
İmamoğlu, widely seen as a potential challenger to Erdoğan in future elections, was named the Republican People’s Party (CHP) presidential candidate shortly after his arrest.