European and Greek mayors through their collective bodies “strongly condemn” the prosecution of Mayor Constantinople Ekrem Imoglou.

The president of the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece Lazaros Kyrizoglou expressed that he was fully written with the content of the statement by the President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.

“Unfortunately, the arrest is a continuation of an unacceptable practice that wants the government of our neighboring country to dismiss or replace democratically elected mayors, with persons he appointed, against the democratically expressed choice of citizens,” the KEDE president says, adding: ” acquis and the European Charter of Local Government »

Announcement of Congress Council Congress and Regional Authorities

The President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Mr. Marc Cools and the rapporteurs of the International Organization for the Local and Regional Republic in Turkey, Mr. David Eraay (Switzerland, ERR) and Bryony Rudkin (United Kingdom, SO) made the following statement:

“We condemn the arrest of the democratically elected Mayor of Constantinople, in the most rigorous way, Mr. Ekrem Imamoglu, who has all the characteristics of a political personality subject to high pressure compared to the upcoming presidential elections – and subsequently the decision of the Chp Political Party. He had preceded his diploma from the University of Constantinople, a document necessary for his candidacy in the presidential election.

In three different electoral processes, the citizens of Constantinople have undoubtedly shown their confidence in the face of Mayor Imamoglu and these pressures can only be treated as fully opposed to the will of the people.

We will continue to follow the case closely and bring the issue to the Congress Bureau meeting on Monday, March 24, 2025, where the Bureau of the International Organization will decide on the proposal for an emergency discussion focused on the 48“