Germany considers the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a main political rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a "serious step back" for Turkey. This position will be expressed in an appropriate manner to Berlin's Turkish partners, a German Foreign Ministry spokesman said, quoted by Reuters, BTA reports.
“For us, compliance with democratic and constitutional principles is a basic condition for a functioning democracy“, the spokesman stressed during a regular briefing.
Early this morning, Imamoglu and a number of other senior representatives of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) were detained. Among those arrested are the mayor of the Istanbul district of Sisli, Resul Emrah Sahan, Beylikduzu Mayor Mehmet Murat Çalık and İmamoğlu's press secretary Murat İngun.
The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office has filed charges of “corruption, bribery and collaboration with terrorists“ against İmamoğlu and more than 100 others. The investigation into terrorist links is focused on alleged arrangements between the mayor's office and the political wing of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
According to the prosecutor's office, there are suspicions that İmamoğlu “formed an alliance“ with the group before last year's local elections.