The German Foreign Ministry has described the official arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as an obstacle to democracy in Turkey and called for a fair trial and respect for the rule of law in the future, DPA reported.
"There should be no political competition with the interference of courts and prisons", a German Foreign Ministry spokesman said. "We expect the charges to be investigated transparently as quickly as possible and the legal proceedings to be conducted on the basis of the rule of law. The same applies to the detained protesters," he added.
Imamoglu, a leading opponent of Turkish President Erdogan and a potential presidential candidate in the 2028 elections, was detained on Wednesday. He faces terrorism and corruption charges, which Imamoglu denies. Turkish prosecutors have decided to keep him in custody pending an investigation.
Tens of thousands have taken to the streets across Turkey to protest his detention for days, defying a ban on demonstrations, and hundreds have been arrested.
A spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry stressed that respect for democracy and the rule of law remains fundamental to Germany's relations with Turkey, both bilaterally and within the framework of EU-Turkey relations.