resolution motion, 10 February 2025
On the recent dismissals and arrests of mayors in Turkey
Motion B-10-2025-0119 · (2025/2546(RSP))
<OptDel>on behalf of the S&D Group</OptDel> · Rapporteur: Yannis Maniatis, Francisco Assis, Nacho Sánchez Amor, Evin Incir, Nikos Papandreou, Pina Picierno
AI:In short
Parliament condemns Turkey's dismissal of elected mayors and their replacement with government-appointed trustees, calling it an attack on local democracy. It urges Turkey to reinstate mayors unless convicted, respect voters' will, abolish the trustee system, and end pressure on opposition. It also asks the EU to consider sanctions against Turkish officials who accept trustee roles.
Key points
- Condemns the Turkish Government's unlawful dismissal of democratically elected mayors of 10 municipalities and districts won by opposition parties, replacing them with trustees.
- Calls on Turkey to immediately reinstate dismissed mayors unless there is a conviction after due process or credible evidence of a serious crime.
- Urges Turkish authorities to respect voters' right to free and fair elections and, if a mayor is removed, allow municipal councils to choose a replacement democratically.
- Calls on Turkish authorities to abolish the trustee system, in line with Council of Europe and Venice Commission recommendations.
- Deplores continued targeting of opposition parties and members, citing cases against mayors Rıza Akpolat, Ekrem İmamoğlu, and Sofya Alagas.
- Calls on the EU's High Representative to consider imposing restrictive measures under the EU Human Rights sanction regime against Turkish officials who accept trustee appointments.
Who is affected
- Turkish mayors dismissed and replaced by trustees, and opposition parties such as DEM and CHP.
- Turkish officials who accept trustee appointments may face EU sanctions.
Figures and deadlines
Written by AI from the full text · every figure comes from the text · ¶ opens the paragraph · 4 Sept 2026 · Report a problem
Full text
Text 11 paragraphs
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.