EU urges Turkey to ‘uphold democratic values’after mayor’s arrest

The European Commission on Monday urged Turkey to “uphold democratic values” as both a member of the Council of Europe and an EU candidate state, following the jailing of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.

“We want Turkey to remain anchored to Europe, but this requires a clear commitment to democratic norms and practices,” commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercier told reporters.

A Turkish court formally placed İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu under arrest on Sunday as part of a corruption investigation, after a fourth night of mass protests sparked violent clashes with riot police.

The mayors of the Şişli and Beylikdüzü districts in İstanbul were also arrested on Sunday on terrorism or corruption charges.

The three mayors were removed from office by the Interior Ministry.

İmamoğlu is widely seen as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s strongest potential political challenger. His arrest has sparked nights of street protests on a scale unseen in Turkey since 2013.

Germany also condemned İmamoğlu’s arrest on Monday and said it was following developments with “great concern.”

“The arrest and suspension of the mayor of Istanbul is totally unacceptable. This must be clarified very quickly and transparently,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s spokesman Steffen Hebestreit told a press conference.

İmamoğlu is seen as the only politician who could defeat President Erdoğan.

His arrest came just days before he was due to be named as the candidate for the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in the 2028 presidential election.

“We are currently observing the developments in Turkey with great concern,” Hebestreit said.

He said Germany had made “great efforts” to promote good ties between Turkey and the European Union.

“The latest developments are a bad sign for democracy in Turkey but also for the future development of these relations,” Hebestreit said.

A foreign ministry spokesman said German officials had held talks with Turkey’s ambassador in Berlin.

“I can confirm … that a meeting with the Turkish ambassador took place this morning,” Christian Wagner told the press conference.

The political situation in neighboring Turkey is “worrying” in the wake of İmamoğlu’s arrest, a Greek government spokesman said on Monday.

The undermining of the rule of law and civil liberties “cannot be tolerated,” spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said.

He added that Ankara would have to provide “convincing answers … for any alleged violation of these principles.”

The spokesman also warned that current conditions would complicate the organization of an upcoming meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Erdoğan.

“It is becoming difficult, you understand, to organize the High Council of Cooperation between Greece and Turkey immediately in Ankara,” he said.

No exact date has been officially announced for this meeting, which is part of efforts ongoing since December 2023 aimed at rapprochement of the two historic regional rivals, which are both NATO partners.

Greek daily Kathimerini had nonetheless reported April 8 as the date for a meeting between the two leaders.

France said in a statement on Sunday that the arrest and suspension of İmamoğlu and other political figures from office “constitutes a serious attack on democracy.”

A spokesman for France’s foreign ministry said Turkey had said it would protect the rights of opposition politicians, adding, “The respect of these commitments is a central element of our relations as well as relations between Turkey and the European Union.”

Although European countries have condemned the arrest of İmamoğlu, they have been accused of softening their criticism of President Erdoğan due to an ongoing security crisis between the United States and Europe, which has deepened Europe’s reliance on Turkey.

© Agence France-Presse