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European Calls for the Release of Istanbul's Mayor
Several mayors from European cities have demanded the release of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the Mayor of Greater Istanbul, after he was arrested along with dozens of others on charges related to "corruption" and "aiding a terrorist organization." The Turkish opposition has described this move as a "coup."
In a joint statement, mayors from several European capitals, including Amsterdam, Paris, Milan, Barcelona, Rome, Helsinki, Ghent, Utrecht, and Brussels, condemned İmamoğlu’s arrest, who is considered a potential rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan by many in Turkey. European officials expressed their "deep concern" regarding this arrest, calling it "arbitrary detention" that violates fundamental rights and municipal freedoms in Turkey.
The statement affirmed that the detention of İmamoğlu, in addition to the pressures exerted on elected local officials, represents a violation of democratic principles in the country. It emphasized that "Ekrem İmamoğlu, a democratically elected leader, is a symbol of hope for a future Turkey based on pluralism, justice, and the rule of law," with calls for his "immediate release" and the "dismissal of all legal proceedings" against him.
The International Association of Francophone Mayors and the Network of European Cities also pledged to support efforts to "respect democratic freedoms and human rights in Turkey."
In a related context, Turkish authorities launched a widespread campaign of arrests in Istanbul on Wednesday, targeting İmamoğlu, which has raised tensions in the country's political landscape. The opposition described this step as a "coup against the next president." In a statement from the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office, İmamoğlu, a member of the opposition "Republican People's Party," was described as a "leader of a criminal organization," and his university degree was canceled.
The campaign has included 106 other detainees, including sub-mayors and journalists, who are being investigated in two separate cases, one related to charges of corruption and "forming a criminal organization" and the other concerning "aiding a terrorist organization."
