Germany on Monday condemned the arrest of Istanbul Mayor and Turkish opposition leader Ekrem Imamoglu.
“The arrest and suspension of the mayor of Istanbul is completely unacceptable. This must be clarified very quickly and transparently,” said Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s spokesman, Stefan Hebeztrej, at a press conference.
He added that they were following the developments with “great concern” and that Germany had made great efforts to promote good relations between Turkey and the European Union.
“The latest developments are a bad sign for democracy in Turkey, but also for the future development of these relations,” said Hebeztrej.
A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said that German officials had spoken to the Turkish ambassador in Berlin, AFP reports.
Turkish authorities arrested Imamoglu on Wednesday on charges of corruption and supporting a terrorist organization.
Imamoglu is considered the only politician who could defeat long-time Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the elections.
His arrest came just days before he was to be named the opposition CHP party’s candidate in the 2028 presidential election.
