CoR delegation visits Türkiye in response to jailing of local leaders

Two members of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) visited Türkiye on 22-23 September on a fact-finding visit whose purpose was to follow up on a resolution adopted unanimously in April 2025 in which the CoR condemned the arrest and detention of local politicians in Türkiye, including the Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu.

The CoR was represented by Jelena Drenjanin (SE/EPP), chair of its Working Group on Türkiye, and Joško Klisović (HR/PES), co-chair of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) commission for sustainable development.

During the mission, Ms Drenjanin and Mr Klisović met representatives from three major political parties – the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the Republican People's Party (CHP), and the Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) – as well as the acting Mayor of Istanbul, Nuri Aslan, and representatives of youth organisations. The discussions focused on the state of local democracy, and the challenges faced by opposition mayors and other local elected representatives, as well as the broader political context in Türkiye, including the ongoing peace process and the dissolution of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) announced in May 2025.

The delegation sought but was not granted permission to visit imprisoned mayors, including Mayor İmamoğlu.

The CoR delegation reiterated its commitment to defending local democracy as a cornerstone of the EU enlargement process and expressed solidarity with local and regional authorities in Türkiye.

The CoR will continue to monitor developments in Türkiye and engage with local and regional stakeholders to support democratic governance and the rule of law.

Insights from the mission will inform future CoR work on enlargement, including opinions due to be adopted in spring and commenting – among others - on each country's progress towards EU membership, as well as next meetings of ARLEM, in Sicily in November, and of the Working Group on Türkiye.

Quotes:

Jelena Drenjanin (SE/EPP), chair of the Working Group on Türkiye and member of Huddinge Municipality Council: "Our mission to Türkiye follows the European Committee of the Regions’ urgent resolution, which unequivocally condemns the erosion of local democracy and calls for the release of imprisoned mayors, including Istanbul's mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu. We deeply regret that our request to visit him was denied. We remain steadfast in our commitment to defending democratic principles at the local level – a cornerstone of Türkiye’s EU accession process. The systematic targeting of opposition mayors, the politicisation of judicial processes, and the replacement of elected officials with government appointees undermine the very foundations of democracy. Local leaders in Türkiye must be allowed to play their rightful role in shaping their communities’ future. Local democracy is not negotiable, and the CoR will continue to monitor these developments closely, in coordination with the Congress of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, and our Turkish counterparts. This visit reaffirms our resolve to keep local democracy at the heart of the EU's dialogue with Türkiye, ensuring that the voices of all political stakeholders are heard and that the concerns of citizens are addressed."

Joško Klisović (HR/PES), co-chair of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) commission on sustainable development and member of the Assembly of the City of Zagreb: "As a candidate country, Türkiye’s path toward the EU must be built on respect for local self-governance and the rule of law. The arrest of mayors and the appointment of trustees not only violate democratic norms but also risk reversing the progress Türkiye has made in decentralization. Türkiye has benefited from the vitality of local democracy — from well-organized elections to the dedication of mayors and councillors in delivering public services to their citizens. The current crackdown on opposition figures, the lack of fair judicial processes, and the pressure on local officials to abandon their parties are deeply concerning. We urge Turkish authorities to restore trust by releasing imprisoned mayors, ending the practice of trustees, and ensuring that local governments can operate free from political interference."

Background:

• Urgent resolution on the 'Arrest of Turkish Mayors and the Assault on Local Democracy in Türkiye', adopted 3 April 2025: press release.
• The Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) is an assembly of local and regional representatives  from the European Union and its Mediterranean partners. The EU delegation is drawn from members of the European Committee of the Regions, which also serves as the secretariat of ARLEM.
• The CoR Working Group on Relations with Türkiye was established in 2006. Its main objective is to play a role in building capacity for local administration and provide a European platform for local and regional interests in Türkiye. Its capacity in keeping channels of communication open even under difficult circumstances has been praised by institutional partners such as the European Parliament standing rapporteur on Türkiye.