The opening today of the trial against Ekrem İmamoğlu, Mayor of Istanbul and one of the leading figures of the Turkish democratic opposition, raises serious concerns about the state of democracy and the rule of law in Turkey.
The indictment against İmamoğlu is almost 4,000 pages long and includes more than 140 charges. Prosecutors are seeking prison sentences that could theoretically amount to more than 2,000 years. The scope and nature of these charges, as well as the evidence presented – which appears to be entirely circumstantial – strongly suggest that this is a politically motivated trial aimed at sidelining a key opponent of President Erdoğan.
“The trial against Ekrem İmamoğlu has all the hallmarks of a political trial based on questionable charges. The use of the judiciary to eliminate democratic opponents is incompatible with the rule of law and with the democratic standards expected of a country member of the Council of Europe and candidate country for EU membership,” said Sandro Gozi, Secretary-General of the European Democratic Party and Member of the European Parliament (Renew Europe). “It seems clear that Ekrem’s only real crime is to be consistently ahead of Erdoğan in the polls for the presidential election.”
Gozi also denounced the behaviour of the Turkish authorities towards Members of the European Parliament. In recent weeks, despite repeated requests, Gozi has not been allowed to meet İmamoğlu in prison.
“Are the Turkish authorities really afraid of a visit to a man in a high-security prison? This refusal is a sign of extreme weakness. If the Turkish authorities fear that a detained politician, under strict surveillance, might meet Members of the European Parliament who simply wish to express their solidarity, this raises very serious questions,” Gozi added.
“Preventing such a meeting is not only unacceptable, it is also a clear challenge to the European Parliament itself.”
For this reason, Gozi announced that he will submit a parliamentary question to the European Commission regarding the conduct of the Turkish authorities.
“Turkey is ignoring the fundamental democratic principles. Respect for democracy, the rule of law and political pluralism is not optional for a European country”
“As European Democrats,” he concluded, “we will continue to stand alongside Ekrem İmamoğlu and the aspirations of the Turkish people for a democratic future.”
