Striking detail in European Parliament member's post about İmamoğlu: Different English and Turkish versions

A social media post by Dario Nardella, who represents Central Italy in the European Parliament, during his visit to Istanbul has drawn attention due to the difference in meaning between the English and Turkish expressions.

Nardella served as the Mayor of Florence between 2014 and 2024, during which time he established close contact with Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and signed an Istanbul–Florence cooperation protocol.

OPEN SUPPORT FOR İMAMOĞLU IN ENGLISH POST

Nardella shared a post in two languages on his Instagram account regarding his contacts in Istanbul. In his English post, he explicitly wrote Ekrem İmamoğlu's name, used the phrase "arrested IMM Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu," and stated that this situation was concerning for democracy. He also emphasized his support for the democratic struggle of opposition mayors in Turkey.

NO NAME IN TURKISH POST

However, there was a notable difference in the Turkish version of the same post. In this version, İmamoğlu's name was not mentioned at all. Instead, general terms like "mayors" were used, and the word "arrested" was carefully avoided. The Turkish text was noted for being written in a more cautious and abstract language.

English statement:

“Meeting in Istanbul with the Mayor of Çeşme @denizlilal and MP Utku to discuss the situation in Turkey following the arrest of the mayor @ekremimamoglu. We are preparing for the upcoming Socialist International summit with Pedro Sánchez. The fight for democracy continues.”

Turkish statement:

“Belediye başkanının tutuklanmasının ardından Türkiye'deki durumu görüşmek üzere Çeşme Belediye Başkanı @denizlilal ve milletvekili Utku ile İstanbul'da görüşüyoruz. Pedro Sánchez ile yapılacak Sosyalist Enternasyonal toplantısına hazırlanıyoruz. Demokrasi mücadelesi devam ediyor.”