Ekrem İmamoğlu (International)

I expressed concern regarding the right to a fair trial and judicial independence in the proceedings against Ekrem İmamoğlu, elected mayor of Istanbul, and other defendants. The authorities of Türkiye should ensure that all proceedings comply with the #ECHR. Read my statement ⬇️ coe.int/en/web/commiss…

This morning at 08:10, in my prison cell, I was notified of the court’s arbitrary decision: I am barred from attending my own trial. The indictment bears my name. The case was built around me. Yet the court blocks me and restricts the defense of those facing the gravest charges, and their lawyers. This is not a trial. It is a severe violation of the most basic right of defense, the pinnacle of what jurists call “enemy criminal law.” A panel redesigned after the case was filed, in open defiance of the principle of the natural judge, can claim neither independence nor impartiality. As of today, it has abandoned even the appearance of judicial process. The “lawlessness of the century” has collapsed into a pile of extrajudicial execution. And all this happens while Türkiye hosts the leaders of the democratic world in Ankara. The elected Mayor of Istanbul and the Presidential candidate of the democratic opposition is silenced in a courtroom he is not allowed to enter. I am exposing this lawlessness.

Today, as I face three separate trials in a single day, I was not alone. I welcomed to Silivri three friends of democracy who crossed borders to stand with the people of Istanbul. To Nacho Sánchez Amor, Member of the European Parliament and its Rapporteur on Türkiye. To Rui Tavares, Member of the Portuguese Parliament and leader of LIVRE. To Dagur B. Eggertsson, Member of the Icelandic Parliament, head of Iceland’s delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and former Mayor of Reykjavík. Thank you for being here. Your presence in this courtroom is a message that no wall can silence. The votes of millions of people are on trial in this room. What is being tested is whether justice in Türkiye still answers to the law, or to fear. To the international community I say this plainly. Watching is not enough. History remembers those who spoke, and it remembers those who looked away. Stand with the millions who made their choice at the ballot box, and who are still waiting for that choice to be honored. We are not afraid. People’s will is going to prevail at the end.

To the Mayors of Ghent, Amsterdam and Zagreb, Mathias De Clercq, Femke Halsema, Tomislav Tomašević, and to the hundreds of cities standing behind Eurocities, the Pact of Free Cities and the B40 Balkan Cities Network: thank you. Your statement says what many national governments will not. While capitals stay silent on the erosion of rights and freedoms, and some extend a handshake to those responsible, it is cities that rise to defend democracy and the rule of law. This is no coincidence. Mayors answer to their citizens, not to the diplomacy of summits. Democracy was born in cities. And today, when it is under siege, it is once again cities that defend it in Ghent, in Amsterdam, in Zagreb, and in Istanbul. I stand trial not for anything I have done, but for what 16 million Istanbulites said at the ballot box. The world will be watching Ankara. Thanks to you, my friends, it will also be watching Silivri.

The NATO Summit to be held in Ankara will mark an important turning point for the future of the Alliance and Türkiye’s place and direction in the world. With its geopolitical position and strong military, Türkiye has the capacity to make a critical contribution to the security of Europe and our region. Türkiye’s strategic importance is beyond dispute. The real question is whether that strength will be sustained by democratic legitimacy, the rule of law and strong institutions. A nation's true strength lies in the trust between the state and its citizens. It is built on democratic legitimacy, the rule of law and a foreign policy that is principled, predictable and respected. To view security as separate from democracy weakens the future of both Türkiye and the Alliance. With its deep-rooted institutions, well-trained human resources and strong social will, Türkiye has the capacity to address all of its challenges within democracy. We carry on our struggle for a Türkiye that is free, democratic and respected, and that reclaims its rightful place in the world. Türkiye must be strong within NATO and in the European security architecture. But that strength cannot be built through oppression at home. Türkiye’s true interest lies in being a Republic that is strengthened by its democracy, and rule of law, that builds confidence through equal and respected relations with the world. Because the greatest force that will carry Türkiye to its rightful place is the will of our nation and the democratic values of our Republic.

The picture that has emerged in Ankara ahead of the NATO Summit tells us something very clear. This government does not trust its own people. A self-confident government does not try to hide its country or its citizens from its guests. It does not fear journalists or freedom of expression. It is not embarrassed by its people. It does not treat citizens as a threat. It does not imagine that shutting down daily life in the capital will bring international respect. Yet this is what we have seen. Hundreds of people detained on flimsy and vague grounds. Journalists denied accreditation. A capital city pulled away from its normal life by extraordinary security measures. This is the image Erdoğan has chosen to present on behalf of our country. But Türkiye has nothing to be ashamed of. There is nothing about our people, our streets or our cities that needs to be hidden behind panels, barriers or closed roads. The real concern is elsewhere. It is the institutions weakened by this government, the democratic heritage it has tried to erase, the anti-democratic practices imposed on citizens, and the lawlessness that has now become impossible to ignore. No panel can hide that. Respect is earned through a free and democratic society.

In Silivri, Member of European Parliament Vladimir Prebilič attended our hearing, joined the Family Solidarity Network gathering in its 36th week, and met with my wife Dilek Kaya İmamoğlu, our Acting Mayor Nuri Aslan, and CHP Istanbul Provincial Chair Özgür Çelik. We thank for his solidarity visit. The presence of those who come to see this trial with their own eyes matters. It speaks volumes of truth that no statement from a distance can tell. To sit in the courtroom, to listen to the testimonies of the women and men unjustly held here, to stand with the families who have been waiting at these gates week after week, is a noble attempt to understand and to show empathy towards those who stand up for justice and dignity. The friends who choose to bear witness, rather than to look away, will be remembered, and their stand is part of the historical record being written here.

Receiving the Eurocities City Hero Award is a profound honour. This award belongs to Istanbul and to the 16 million people who refuse to give up their democratic struggle. Those who rule unjustly thought they could silence a city, but Istanbul is still standing, still taking care of all its people regardless of who they voted for, still fighting for justice. To the mayors and the people of Europe who have stood with us from the very first day, thank you. In times of fear, solidarity is the bravest answer there is. We are not giving up, and we will keep going until justice and democracy are restored in this country, because the people are with us and that is what gives me hope.

The ruling of absolute nullity against CHP’s 38th Ordinary Congress is nothing less than a Palace-backed coup. Those who gave the order are known. Those who executed it are known. What they call “null and void” is not the leadership of the Republican People’s Party; it is the sacred will of the Turkish nation. National sovereignty has been defied through the courts. A court that claims to rule “on behalf of the Turkish nation” is, in fact, destroying the Republic and democracy by treating the national will as null and void. You will all be held accountable for the lawlessness you have committed. Those who attempt to dictate the destiny of this nation, those who seek to seize the will of this people, will face the same fate as those before them who dared to do the same. Today, once again, the same forces stand in the same place: the coup-plotter, the head of the judiciary’s political arm, the puppet, and the domestic collaborator appointed as trustee. You are all on the same side. Our place has never been, and will never be, beside those who stand against the will of the nation. We are fully aware of the coup-plotters’ unlawful maneuvers, their preparations for a snap election, and their attempts to occupy the main opposition party. Those who have inflicted every kind of suffering on the people just to cling to their seats have now entered the final stage of their rule by fear. We did not lose any election. By the will of the people, we became Turkey’s leading party. I stand with my comrade and CHP Chair, Özgür Özel. Together, we will continue our struggle with determination, resolve, and courage. My great nation! Followers of the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who said, “There are no hopeless situations, only hopeless people”: Do not be dismayed by the hardships we face in defending our future, our Republic, our democracy, and our common destiny. RISE UP! Raise your voice and your anger, shoulder to shoulder, together. Let us teach a lesson to those political engineers who fear their own people; to those obsessed with office and power; to the pawns, the opportunists, and the incompetent schemers. My beloved nation! We will not be afraid. Are you not tired of living in anxiety every day? Are you not tired of suffering? If we remain silent, after politicians, athletes, artists, and universities, the turn will come to you, to our nation itself. Leaders of political parties, This is not merely a CHP issue. We must not defend a single line; we must defend the entire front. If you truly believe that you represent the people, then you must immediately and with the strongest possible voice defend the Republic, democracy, and justice. The nation is calling on all of us and saying: “Do what must now be done.” In these lands, the halay, the zeybek, and the horon are all danced upright. We, too, shall stand upright so that the nation never bows down. With our minds, our hearts, and our conscience, we must win as one nation. No madman can put chains on the Turkish nation. Today is the day to preserve and defend the national will, national sovereignty, and our unity and solidarity. The noble blood in our veins commands this duty to all 86 million of us. In defiance of the coup-plotters and their collaborators, we must launch a nationwide struggle. The will, determination, and guidance of our nation shall be our only compass. THE GREAT TURKISH NATION WILL NOT SURRENDER TO A COUP! NOW, OR NEVER.

I say this with a heavy heart. The Erdoğan regime has now used captured courts to stage a judicial coup against the CHP, my political home and Türkiye’s oldest party. Using the judiciary to replace a party’s democratically elected leadership carries no legitimacy. This is a blatant attempt to reshape political competition through the courts. What happened today goes far beyond one party. It is an attack on the will of the people, on democracy, on the Republic, and on the foundations of the constitutional order. Türkiye has seen too many moments when law was weaponized to redesign politics and this must not become another one. This act is no longer only about party politics. The people of Türkiye must now stand together for their country. We will not yield. Together, we will defend our party, our democracy, and our Republic.

A delegation from the European Green Party, led by Co-Chair Vula Tsetsi and Committee Member Joanna Kaminska, came to Silivri yesterday to observe our trial. I thank them for their democratic solidarity. The European Green Party called for the release of all political prisoners and urged the European Commission and Council to go beyond expressions of concern and take action. No matter how high the walls of Silivri, voices of solidarity of fellow democrats around the world reach us. Democracy will prevail.

This interview goes far beyond my personal story. Hundreds of innocent people stand trial alongside me. The fate of an entire nation is being decided in a courtroom. Where there is no justice, there is no peace, no trust, no future. Yet I remain convinced that together we will build a Türkiye where the law is no longer weaponized for political reasons, but where politics is conducted with respect to the law. As long as we refuse to bow down, no one can break the will of this people. The truth never disappears. lemonde.fr/m-le-mag/artic…

Erdoğan is pushing through an 8th Wealth Amnesty. His aim is to repatriate assets kept off the books at home and abroad, building a war chest for the next election he knows he will lose. He is presenting it as an attractive offer, guaranteeing that no tax will be levied and no questions asked about the source of the funds. But the offer is a trap. Anyone who believes they can legalize their money through this Wealth Amnesty and gain an advantage by avoiding tax is gravely mistaken. Türkiye has become a country where you can lose everything you own overnight, without much of a court ruling. Over the past 14 months, including in the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality case, we have witnessed a wave of politically motivated prosecutions. My political colleagues, along with business people and employees who were detained, arrested, and recast as suspects and defendants, have had all of their movable and immovable assets seized in a single day, unjustly, unlawfully, and in open disregard of the presumption of innocence. Companies built over 60 years, factories, and land inherited across generations have been seized by the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund, which the government has turned into Türkiye’s largest holding. All of this raises profound concerns about the state of democracy, the right to a fair trial, and the right to property in Türkiye. The AK Party’s Wealth Amnesties appeal only to those with dirty money to launder and to those who serve as cogs in this machine. Without a change of government in Türkiye, one that restores the rule of law, justice, and the security of property, it will not matter whether this is the 8th Wealth Amnesty or the 18th. None of them will work.

Though written from a prison cell in Silivri, this article is not merely about my personal story. It is a call to defend democracy, rule of law and a common future between Türkiye and Europe. What has distanced Türkiye from Europe is not geography, but the erosion of democratic institutions, fundamental freedoms and judicial independence. Europe, too, must move beyond fear, clichés and short-term calculations, and engage with Türkiye through the lens of shared values, democratic solidarity and strategic reality. Despite everything, my belief remains unchanged: Türkiye’s future must lead toward democracy, human rights, the rule of law and a meaningful partnership with Europe. My latest article 👇 politico.eu/article/jailed…

This week was our teams are hosting the 17th Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Europe Congress in Istanbul. In my message to the participants from around Europe, I have underlined that our vision for smart mobility, data-driven governance, and sustainable transportation in Istanbul is on the right track. Istanbul currently ranks first in the world for simultaneous metro projects, with seven different rail system lines covering 44.1 kilometers under construction at once. We have secured the position of first in Europe and third in the world in driverless metro operations through a massive digital transformation story. Establishing smarter and cleaner transportation systems is not merely a choice but a profound responsibility toward future generations. We will never give up on working for the future of our people. Although I have been held in a cell in Silivri for exactly four hundred days, my heart and support remain with those who work tirelessly for Istanbul and cultivate our collective wisdom. Our country is currently navigating a difficult test of democracy, but we will overcome these challenges through the will of our nation, the light of science, and the power of reason.

Rapporteurs on Türkiye from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, the European Parliament, and the European Committee of the Regions have jointly addressed Turkish Interior Minister Çiftçi on the state of local democracy in Türkiye. All four European institutional bodies have spoken with one voice in an unprecedented joint letter. Their message is unequivocal. The prolonged pre-trial detention of elected mayors and representatives is "weakening democracy in general by undermining the rights of voters to freely choose their representatives." As my detention enters its second year, I welcome this strong display of European institutional unity. The signatories remind us all that democracy is not a domestic matter alone. When the ballot box is under threat anywhere, it concerns everyone who shares these values. That shared conviction is exactly why the will of the people will always prevail.

History doesn't repeat itself but it rhymes. The same playbook. The same charges built on testimony instead of evidence. The same timing, just before an election. The same attempt to remove a political leader not through the ballot box, but through a courthouse. Lula was convicted and then the truth emerged. The judges coordinating with prosecutors. The reward waiting at the end of the verdict. The Supreme Court's own words: "The prosecution, which charged others with crimes, itself engaged in criminal conduct." Lula won and he is president today. We know how this story ends.

We have filed an application with the European Court of Human Rights regarding my detention. The Court has now formally asked the Turkish government a number of questions: * Do you have a single piece of concrete evidence that could convince an impartial observer? * Why do you keep repeating the same copy-and-paste justifications? We know the answers to these questions. Our people/nation know them too. But above all, the Court is asking the real question: * Was this detention truly based on law, or was it an attempt to push a political opponent out of the race after he announced his candidacy for the presidency? The answer matters. These questions show clearly that the Turkish government must abide by the universal principles of the rule of law and respect the international commitments it has undertaken.