What changed

B100103/2025

P10_TA(2025)0016

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on Recent dismissals and arrests of mayors in Türkiye

(2025/2546(RSP))

PE769.124

European Parliament resolution of 13 February 2025 on the recent dismissals and arrests of mayors in Türkiye (2025/2546(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Rules 144150(5) and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas on 29 January elected Siirt Municipality Mayor Sofya Alağaş of the DEM Party was dismissed and sentenced to prison for alleged membership of the PKK when she was a journalist; whereas on 10 January elected Akdeniz Municipality co-mayors Hoşyar Sarıyıldız and Nuriye Aslan from the DEM Party and several City Council members were taken into custody in Mersin and later charged for alleged links to the PKK; whereas Ahmet Özer, mayor of Istanbul's Esenyurt district from CHP party remains detained over alleged connections to the PKK; whereas the mayors were replaced by government trustees;

A. whereas Türkiye is expected, as a candidate country, to align with the EU acquis in all areas, including adherence to the rule of law and fundamental rights, as outlined in the Copenhagen criteria; whereas the accession process has been stalled since 2018 due to a continued deterioration in democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law;

B. whereas DEM Party won the the Siirt mayorship with 49.63% and the Akdeniz mayorship with 36,92% in the March 2024 local elections;

B. whereas Türkiye has systematically misused counter-terrorism laws to target elected officials, opposition politicians and human rights defenders, as noted by the UN Special Rapporteur and the Venice Commission;

C. whereas since 2016 successive Erdoğan governments have removed elected opposition mayors from 149 municipalities, mostly in the Kurdish southeast and replaced them with trustees; whereas since the March 2024 local elections 10 opposition mayors have been replaced by government appointees;

C. whereas Türkiye’s practice of replacing democratically elected mayors with government-appointed trustees instead of a member of the municipal council is a blatant attack on the most basic principles of local democracy, predominantly targeting Kurdish regions;

1. Calls for the immediate and unconditional release, acquittal and reinstatement of elected mayor Sofya Alağaş and co-mayors Hoşyar Sarıyıldız and Nuriye Aslan and all other mayors arbitrarily arrested and dismissed;

D. whereas since the 2024 local elections, the interior ministry has dismissed eight mayors from the pro-Kurdish DEM Party and two from the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), replacing them with Ankara-appointed trustees; whereas this practice has been enabled by legal amendments introduced through an emergency decree in 2016;

2. Condemns the Turkish authorities’ continuation of dismissing democratically elected mayors on bogus terrorism charges and replacing them with government appointees, which undermines democratic processes and violates the right to free and fair elections;

E. whereas several mayors, including DEM mayors Mehmet Sıddık Akış (Hakkâri) and Abdullah Zeydan (Van), have been arrested or convicted on the basis of vague and unsubstantiated terrorism-related allegations; whereas Ekrem İmamoğlu, Mayor of Istanbul, is facing multiple legal challenges and possible political disqualification;

3. Urges Turkish authorities to immediately cease and reverse repression of political opposition and respect the rights of voters to elect their chosen representatives in line with the recommendations of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe and the Venice Commission;

1. Condemns the arbitrary dismissal and imprisonment of democratically elected mayors and their replacement by unelected government trustees, a practice that violates democratic principles and disenfranchises millions of voters;

4. Urges Türkiye to repeal Article 45, paragraph 1 added in 2016 to the Municipality Law and ensure that ineligibility of candidates is assessed prior to the elections and based on a final criminal conviction;

2. Calls for the immediate release, acquittal and reinstatement of all elected mayors, unless there is credible, court-verified evidence of wrongdoing, in line with international legal standards;

5. Reminds Türkiye of its status as a candidate for European Union membership and its commitment to aligning with the EU acquis in all areas, including adherence to the rule of law and fundamental rights, as outlined in the Copenhagen criteria;

3. Expresses deep concern over the impact of these actions on local governance, particularly in Kurdish-majority areas; underlines the need to resume the Kurdish peace process;

6. Calls on the European Commission, the HR/VP and Member States to raise the arrest and removal of opposition mayors as well as the take-over of municipalities with their Turkish counterparts;

4. Calls for judicial reforms to abolish the trustee system, in line with the recommendation by the Council of Europe and the Venice Commission, and restore the independence of the judiciary;

7. Calls on the European Commission and Council that financial assistance under IPA III and NDICI to Türkiye are strictly conditional upon the respect for the rule of law and fundamental rights and that sufficient funding is allocated to civil society;

5. Urges Türkiye to align its policies with the ECHR and fully implement all ECtHR rulings, in line with Article 46 ECHR, including in cases involving political imprisonment;

8. Calls on the HRVP to consider restrictive measures under the Global Human Rights Sanction Regime against Turkish officials responsible for the illegal removal of elected mayors and those functioning as government appointees to replace them;

6. Recalls that financial assistance to Türkiye under the IPA III and the NDICI is conditional upon respect for the rule of law and fundamental rights, and that sufficient funding needs to be allocated to civil society;

9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the HR/VP, and the Government and Parliament of Türkiye, and asks that it be translated into Turkish language;

7. Reaffirms the EU’s commitment to supporting democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Türkiye, and calls for the EU to closely monitor the situation and take the necessary diplomatic measures; calls on the VP/HR to consider imposing restrictive measures under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime against Turkish officials assuming the role of trustee and those appointing them;

8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the VP/HR, the Council of Europe and the Turkish authorities.