"Türkiye's path to the EU begins in Silivri"  

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Nacho Sánchez Amor, the European Parliament’s Standing Rapporteur on Türkiye, visited imprisoned Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on Friday.

Nacho Sánchez Amor (S&D, ES) paid an official visit to the imprisoned Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu on 30 May. This marks the first visit by a representative of a European Union institution and the second international official visit İmamoğlu has received since his arrest on 23 March 2025; the first was from a delegation from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.

The meeting took place at Silivri High-Security Prison near Istanbul. During the visit, M. Sánchez Amor conveyed the strong solidarity expressed by the European Parliament regarding İmamoğlu's case. The Parliament condemned İmamoğlu's arrest and removal from office in its recent report on Türkiye.

Statement

"My presence here is not just a symbolic gesture, but a clear demonstration of the European Parliament’s firm commitment not to turn a blind eye to the serious erosion of the rule of law and fundamental freedoms in Türkiye.

İmamoğlu should be released, as it is evident that the ongoing judicial harassment and attacks he has endured for years are politically motivated. His case is a prime example of how the current Turkish authorities are pushing the country toward an increasingly authoritarian model.

We are living through turbulent times in which geopolitics often takes precedence over our principles and values. Turkey is of strategic importance to the EU − as a NATO ally and a key partner in many areas. However, if Turkey continues backsliding, it will only drift further from the EU, dismantling the trust that is needed for any deep cooperation, whether in trade, security or other areas.

This is my second visit to this prison, infamous in Türkiye as a symbol of political repression. In December 2023, I came here to visit Osman Kavala, who remains unjustly detained behind these same walls. He has been denied freedom for more than seven and a half years. If Türkiye truly wants to revive its EU accession process, the path begins here, in Silivri.

I would like to thank the Turkish authorities for allowing me to visit Mayor İmamoğlu in prison and for consistently facilitating my work as the European Parliament’s rapporteur on Turkey”, Nacho Sánchez Amor concluded.

For more information, please contact Nacho Sánchez Amor’s office: nacho.sanchezamor@europarl.europa.eu - 0032 228 45 862


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