At the request of Dora Bakoyannis, the Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe decided to propose to the April plenary to discuss the latest developments in Turkey.

It is noted that Dora Bakoyannis in her post earlier had stressed that the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu is a blatant violation of democratic authorities and undermines the rule of law in Turkey.

“Political clearance of opponents through justice, the suppression of demonstrations and censorship on social media confirm the authoritarian slide of the Turkish government.

I am submitting today a request for an urgent debate at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), calling for the investigation of the Imamoglou case and the systematic violation of political freedoms in Turkey. As a member of the Council of Europe, Turkey has obligations it cannot ignore. European countries also have an obligation to reassess what they consider to be “common perception”.

I call on the Turkish government to immediately liberate Ekrem Imoglou and stop the politically motivated persecution.

I also call on my colleagues in the Council of Europe to send a clear message in favor of democracy.

The defense of democracy is the responsibility of all of us, ”he said.