The 20-month prison sentence given to the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, is a political act and has nothing to do with law and justice, the PES said. The verdict was read at the Silivri court and prison complex yesterday.
PES President Stefan Löfven said:
“The trial against Ekrem İmamoğlu and the verdict itself were politically motivated. This was yet another attempt by President Erdoğan to prevent his opponent from running in the Turkish presidential elections in 2029. The PES deeply regrets the decision of the Turkish court on the İmamoğlu case and condemns all other arrests of opposition representatives in Turkey. We demand the immediate release of all democratically elected mayors, representatives of the media and academia, lawyers, who are currently detained by Erdoğan across Turkey.”
İmamoğlu was elected mayor of Istanbul in 2019 and was re-elected in 2024. He was arrested in March on allegations of links to terrorism. In the end, he was sentenced to 20 months in prison on charges of insulting a public servant.
The leader of the PES associate member party, CHP, Özgür Özel, and İmamoğlu‘s wife Dilek Kaya were in the courtroom during the final hearing.
The PES has extended its support to Ekrem İmamoğlu on several occasions and undertook multiple missions to Turkey, including one to the Silivri prison, where the mayor is currently being held.
We fully support the CHP and its current leader, Özgür Özel, in their fight for a democratic Turkey that can be brought back onto the European path.
