As Socialists, Democrats and Greens Group in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, we congratulate Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi (Republican People’s Party) for its last Congress and its Chairperson Özgür Özel for being re-elected with unanimous support.
The recent wave of detentions in Türkiye, including that of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and over a hundred other individuals, marks a critical moment for the Türkiye’s democracy.
We are closely monitoring the recent arrests of opposition leaders in Türkiye, which has already raised serious concerns about the independence of the judiciary and the erosion of democratic safeguards. The use of secret witnesses and politically motivated charges undermines the rule of law and silences legitimate democratic opposition. We stand in solidarity with all those targeted for exercising their political rights and call on Turkish authorities to uphold their obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.
It is crucial that Türkiye upholds its commitments to democratic norms and international standards. The arbitrary detention of political figures and the restriction of fundamental freedoms have no place in a system that claims to be democratic. A nation’s strength lies in its ability to uphold justice, protect fundamental rights, and allow the people to freely determine their own future.
We demand immediate release of Ekrem İmamoğlu, mayors of districts in Istanbul and young people who have been detained for exercising their right to peaceful protest.
April 2025
