Turkey defies pressure to keep activist in jail

ISTANBUL: A Turkish court on Friday kept civil society leader Osman Kavala in jail despite Western pressure and the risk the case could further harm Ankara´s relations with Europe.

The hearing in Istanbul was the first since President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to expel 10 Western ambassadors who called for Kavala´s release. It also came as Erdogan is facing one of the toughest economic tests of his rule since 2003 and the Turkish lira tumbles to record lows against the dollar.

The 64-year-old civil society leader and businessman, who has been kept in jail without conviction for more than four years, is accused of financing 2013 anti-government protests and playing a role in the 2016 coup attempt.