The High Representative of the European Union, Kaja Kallas, and the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, took the view, on the evening of Wednesday 19 March, that the arrest earlier in the day of the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, and the arrests and charges brought against elected representatives, political activists, civil society and business representatives, journalists and others since the beginning of the year “give rise to questions regarding Türkiye’s adherence to its long-established democratic tradition”.
In a joint statement, they urged the Turkish authorities to provide full transparency and to follow due process. “As an EU candidate country and long-standing member of the Council of Europe, Türkiye is expected to apply the highest democratic standards and practices”, recalled Ms Kallas and Ms Kos. They warned that respect for fundamental rights and the rule of law are essential for the accession process and will continue to be an integral part of EU-Turkey relations.
On his arrival at the European Council on Thursday 20 March, the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, recalled that the EU had made efforts in recent years to improve its relations with Türkiye. “This is why the arrest of an opposition politician as central as the mayor of Istanbul is a very, very bad sign. This is worrying for democracy in Turkey, but also for relations between Europe and Turkey”, he warned.
For her part, the President of the European Committee of the Regions, Kata Tüttő, called it “a disastrous day for Turkey and one of the most dramatic manifestations in recent years of the erosion of democracy and the rule of law in Turkey”. “The arrest of one of the country’s most important politicians is an attack on the democratic opposition and local democracy”, she added.
Several political groups in the European Parliament have also denounced the arrest.
Urgent debate at the Council of Europe. Meeting in Strasbourg on Wednesday 19 March, the Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe expressed its “grave concern” at the arrest of the mayor a few days before he was chosen as the Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate for the 2028 presidential election.
The Bureau also expressed its “dismay” at the decision taken by Istanbul University to revoke Mr İmamoğlu’s university degree, which prevents him from standing for the country’s presidency.
Denouncing not only this arrest but also those of hundreds of other people, the PACE Bureau denounced “political motivations” intended to “obstruct the opposition (...) and limit Turkish citizens’ free political choice”.
This situation, it points out, “comes despite some recent positive developments in the country regarding the peace process and Türkiye’s important role in support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, which the Bureau welcomes”.
For its part, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe has announced that an urgent debate on the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul will be held at its plenary session next week. (Original in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant and Véronique Leblanc, with Solenn Paulic)