Council of Europe Congress condemns detention of Istanbul mayor

Monday 24 March 2025 - 14:36

By: Zahouani Ilham

Council of Europe Congress condemns detention of Istanbul mayor

The president of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Marc Cools, called for the "immediate release" of Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul, on Monday. Cools described Imamoglu’s detention as a "calculated maneuver" designed to undermine "the fairness of electoral processes."

Cools emphasized that "detaining Mayor Imamoglu when he was about to be nominated as the presidential candidate for his party has nothing to do with justice but everything to do with politics." He further stated, "This is a calculated move aimed at damaging the integrity and fairness of electoral processes, which constitutes an attack on democracy."

Imamoglu, a key opponent of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested on Wednesday, officially dismissed from office on Sunday, and imprisoned in Silivri, west of Istanbul. He faces charges of "corruption," which he denies, describing his arrest as "an execution without trial."

The Republican People's Party (CHP), Turkey's main opposition party, has officially designated Imamoglu as a candidate for the upcoming 2028 presidential election following a primary held on Sunday.

Cools also urged Istanbul University to "reconsider the revocation of Imamoglu’s degree" from 1994. "Revoking it more than thirty years after he earned it, and at a time when he needed it, cannot be a coincidence. The university should reinstate it," he stated.

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities president reminded that Turkey, as a member of the Council of Europe, has committed to upholding and defending democratic values, the rule of law, and human rights. "We call on Turkish authorities to respect these commitments," he concluded.

The Congress will hold its next session on Thursday in Strasbourg. The body, tasked with strengthening local democracy, includes 306 members representing over 130,000 local and regional governments from the 46 member states of the Council of Europe.