Turkey’s Ministry of Justice rejected a request by European mayors to visit Ekrem İmamoğlu at Silivri prison, where he is being held. The mayors from the Eurocities and B40 networks, including Athens Mayor Haris Doukas, traveled to Istanbul to express their solidarity with İmamoğlu and present him with the “Special Democracy Award.”
After the visit was banned, the award was received by his wife, Dilek, while İmamoğlu sent a message from prison, saying the award belongs to all citizens fighting for justice and freedom. “This award belongs to all citizens who fight for justice and freedom in Turkey and around the world and do not succumb to authoritarian pressures,” he emphasized.
Avrupa'nın önde gelen kentlerini temsil eden Eurocities ve B40 Balkan Şehirleri Ağı heyetine, süreç boyunca verdikleri destek ve ziyaretleri için teşekkür ederim. Böylesi zorlu bir dönemde gösterilen ilgi, dayanışma ve demokratik duyarlılık, yalnızca bize değil, Türkiye’de ve… pic.twitter.com/50LVDEmofy
— Dilek Kaya İmamoğlu (@dk_imamoglu) August 28, 2025
Haris Doukas: “We stand with İmamoğlu”
After the ban, the delegation of seven mayors who had traveled to Turkey gathered outside Silivri prison.
“Democracy cannot be imprisoned. We are here to confirm our solidarity with Ekrem İmamoğlu. This is not just a sign of support for him personally, but a stance in favor of democracy, against authoritarianism. We stand with İmamoğlu, with the people of Turkey. Together, we must continue to fight to keep hope alive and protect the values that unite us all,” said Haris Doukas.
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“United voice to defend fundamental rights,” message from Barcelona mayor
The Eurocities network has a clear duty to support and develop local democracy, emphasized the network’s vice-president and Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni, who stood outside the prison.
“As mayors, we know we are on the front line. We produce concrete solutions to real problems and, in doing so, prove that democracy can work,” he noted, reminding that over 80 mayors signed the statement condemning İmamoğlu’s arrest. “We emphasize that European mayors speak with one voice. We all raise this common voice together to defend fundamental rights and democratic values,” he said.
“They’re not just imprisoning one man, but the will of millions of citizens”
Sofia mayor and B40 network president Vasil Terziev stated: “The walls and doors of this prison are not just holding one man captive, but also the will of millions of citizens who democratically elected their mayors in Istanbul.”
Besides the mayors of Athens, Barcelona, and Sofia, the European delegation included mayors from Zagreb, Utrecht, Budapest, and Timișoara, along with senior officials from Paris and Madrid municipal authorities. The visit was organized by the European network of cities Eurocities, which consists of more than 200 cities in 38 countries.
