Support message for İmamoğlu from the Mayor of Athens: 'Friend Ekrem, we are with you'

12punto FOREIGN NEWS

Doukas issued a statement regarding the detention of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and 106 others. Describing the detention of İmamoğlu as a threat to democracy, Doukas pointed out that İmamoğlu was elected with 54 percent of the vote. 

Sharing a message via social media, Doukas stated, 'Friend Ekrem, we are with you.' Emphasizing that İmamoğlu is one of the most important political rivals of AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Doukas argued that the operation against an elected mayor deals a heavy blow to democracy.

Noting that he is following the events in Istanbul with concern, Doukas stated the following:

''Friend Ekrem, we are with you. Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was elected with 54 percent of the Istanbul public's vote and is one of President Erdoğan's biggest rivals, has been detained on serious charges. The latest of the cases filed against him was the cancellation of his university diploma, thereby preventing him from participating in the presidential race. The detention of an elected mayor is a heavy blow dealt to democracy.''

The operation against İmamoğlu and his team has found wide resonance globally. Members of the European Parliament evaluated the events as an interference in democratic processes. Human rights organizations and legal experts claimed that pressures on democratic institutions in Turkey are increasing. Reactions from around the world emphasized that the detention of an elected mayor signifies direct interference with the will of the people.