Chairing the 33rd meeting of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) Working Group on Relations with Türkiye in Maltepe, Istanbul, Jelena Drenjanin – Member of Huddinge Municipal Council and EPP-CoR member – expressed grave concern over the deteriorating situation of local democracy and the rule of law in the context of Türkiye’s EU accession process.
The meeting took place against the backdrop of a year marked by significant challenges for elected local authorities in Türkiye. Since the Working Group last convened in Istanbul, concerns raised at that time regarding the pressure on opposition mayors and the widespread use of government-appointed trustees have materialised further. To date, 28 mayors have been arrested and removed from office, with 11 municipalities placed under trustee administration. Among those imprisoned are the mayors who hosted the previous, 32nd Working Group meeting last year – Mr İmamoğlu and Mr Şahan.
'The imprisonment of elected mayors, the expansion of the trustee system, and continued pressure on opposition municipalities represent a serious attack on local democracy and the fundamental principles of the EU accession process: the rule of law, human rights, and democracy,' the Chair stated. 'Our position remains unequivocal: arrested mayors must be released, the trustee system abolished, and local democratic mandates respected.'
The Chair recalled that re-engagement between the European Union and Türkiye since 2023 has been defined as 'phased, progressive and reversible, with recent developments demonstrating precisely why reversibility remains a core principle of EU engagement with Türkiye.'
In April 2025, the CoR unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the arrests of elected mayors, calling for their immediate release, an end to the practice of appointing trustees practice, and the consideration of sanctions against officials involved in its implementation. The resolution also announced the CoR’s intention to visit imprisoned Mayor İmamoğlu as a demonstration of solidarity with all arrested elected representatives. However, despite repeated requests, Turkish authorities once again denied permission for such a prison visit to take place.
While reaffirming the EU's commitment to dialogue, openness, and constructive engagement, Ms Drenjanin stressed that dialogue cannot come at the expense of democratic principles. The discussions held during the Working Group meeting – with representatives of the EU Delegation, the Turkish Government, mayors from both ruling and opposition parties, academics, and civil society – will contribute directly to the CoR’s ongoing opinion on the 2025 Enlargement Package for the Western Balkans and Türkiye.
The Chair concluded the meeting by reiterating the position shared by the EPP-CoR Group, namely a 'robust determination to use all available political and institutional instruments to defend local democracy and support elected officials who are unjustly targeted in Türkiye'.