Following an urgent debate on Wednesday 9 April, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a Resolution calling on the Turkish authorities to immediately release Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul who was arrested in March on charges of “corruption” and “aiding terrorism” (90 votes in favour, 8 against and 2 abstentions).
The Assembly is calling for “all unfounded charges against him and others involved in the same investigation” to be dropped, and for the decision to revoke his university degree to be rescinded.
Denouncing a “political ploy” to prevent Mr İmamoğlu from standing as a candidate in the next presidential election, the British Conservative Lord David Blencathra also condemned the misuse of the charge of “aiding terrorism” against any potential opponent.
The Resolution condemns the repression of the demonstrations triggered by this arrest and calls on Ankara to comply with the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights calling for the release of Osman Kavala and Selahattin Demirtaş.
At this stage, no sanctions have been requested against Turkey.
Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, has announced that he will be attending the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on 12 and 13 April.
“We expect that he should send our clear message” on this occasion, said German Socialist spokesman Frank Schwabe, after welcoming the EU’s decision to cancel its visits to Turkey in the coming weeks.
Link to the Resolution: https://aeur.eu/f/gd9 (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)