On the recent dismissals and arrests of mayors in Turkey

<OptDel>on behalf of the S&D Group</OptDel> · Rapporteur: Yannis Maniatis, Francisco Assis, Nacho Sánchez Amor, Evin Incir, Nikos Papandreou, Pina Picierno

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B100119/2025

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the recent dismissals and arrests of mayors in Turkey

(2025/2546(RSP))

The European Parliament,

1. Strongly condemns the Turkish Government’s unlawful decision to dismiss the democratically elected mayors of 10 municipalities and districts won by opposition parties such as the pro-Kurdish DEM Party and the main opposition party CHP and to replace them with trustees appointed by the interior ministry; considers this long-standing practice of appointing trustees as a blatant attack on basic principles of local democracy and a tool to supress political opposition;

2. Calls on the Turkish government to immediately reinstate the dismissed mayors unless there is a conviction following a due process or credible evidence of having committed a serious crime;

3. Urges Turkish authorities to fully respect the voters’ right to free and fair elections, and to apply, in the event of a mayor being removed, measures respecting the will of voters, such as allowing the municipal councils to democratically choose a replacement;

4. Calls on the Turkish authorities to abolish the trustee system in line with the recommendations of the Council of Europe and the Venice Commission;

5. Deplores the continued targeting of political parties and members of the opposition, who continue to suffer increasing pressure, such as the recent cases against Beşiktaş district mayor Rıza Akpolat, and the new and the standing cases against Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and the mayor of Siirt Sofya Alagas,

6. Calls on the HR/VP to consider imposing restrictive measures under the EU Human Rights sanction regime against Turkish officials accepting to be trustees;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the European Commission, the council of the European Union, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative, the Government and Parliament of Türkiye, and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.