Timișoara mayor joins European peers in visit in support of arrested Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu

Timișoara mayor Dominic Fritz has traveled to Istanbul as part of a delegation of European mayors showing solidarity with the arrested mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. The European delegation also includes the mayors of Barcelona, ​​Athens, Budapest, Sofia, Utrecht, and Zagreb.

The European mayors want to draw attention to “the political nature of the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu and the increasingly brutal repression of local governments in Turkey,” an announcement from Timișoara City Hall (PMT) explains.

The mayors are scheduled to visit the prison where the Istanbul mayor is being held, as well as meet with local authorities, opposition figures, and civil society representatives.

“Timișoara knows the price of freedom, but also how important international solidarity is. Today, it is our turn to show support for a democracy under pressure. I accepted the invitation to go to Istanbul because Timișoara and Romania do not accept abuse and repression. Solidarity between communities goes beyond borders whenever European values ​​need to be defended,” Dominic Fritz said.

After the arrest of İmamoğlu in March 2025, 18 opposition mayors and over 500 local officials and councilors were arrested. In August, another 40 municipal administration employees were detained. These actions, condemned by European institutions and human rights organizations, are considered systematic attempts to undermine local democracy, PMT said.

Turkey’s opposition has denounced Imamoglu’s arrest, calling it a “coup attempt against our next president” and his detention has sparked large protests against president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Virgil Simonescu)