Banksy unveils New York mural as a protest against jailing of Turkish artist Zehra Dogan

Banksy has unveiled a mural in New York in support of a Turkish artist who was jailed for nearly three years over a painting.

Zehra Dogan was reportedly imprisoned last year for her painting of a brutally damaged Turkish city.

The anonymous British artist's work shows the image projected above a mural of black tally marks which resemble jail bars and represent the time she has spent in prison.

A painting of her face is seen peering from behind one set of bars.

The New York Times reported that the mural was 70ft long, made in collaboration with graffiti artist Borf and was unveiled on Thursday.

"I really feel for her. I've painted things much more worthy of a custodial sentence," Banksy said in a statement to the paper.

"Sentenced to nearly three years in jail for painting a single picture," he added.

Ms Dogan was sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison for painting the city Nusaybin damaged by state security forces, according to freedom of expression advocates PEN.

She argued she made the painting as a journalist but was charged with being connected to Kurdistan Workers' Party, which has been battling President Recep Tayyip Erdogan