German mayors offer strong support to Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu
The mayors of Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt, Wiesbaden and Mannheim call for the release of the Istanbul city leader
Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu (on the left) with Berlin’s Mayor Kai Wegner. The two mayors met in Berlin in June 2024
March 2025: The arrest of Istanbul’s popular mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has shocked Germany’s Turkish communities. Protest demonstrations took place not only in cities with large Turkish minorities like Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne but also in smaller cities like Mannheim, Kassel and Essen. On Sunday, 23 March, thousands of people took part in a march in central Berlin. The marchers protested noisily against the arrest of the Istanbul Mayor on Wednesday, 19 March. Posters read, among other things: ‘Together for a democratic Turkey’ or ‘We want our democracy back.’
Germany’s political leaders also condemned the arrest of the mayor and questioned its motives. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke of a setback for Turkish democracy. Cem Özdemir, a German government cabinet minister whose parents emigrated from Turkey to Germany in the 1960s, accused Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of being afraid of elections. According to opinion polls, the Istanbul mayor is currently the most popular politician in the country. His party, the centre-left CHP party, has nominated him as its candidate for the next presidential elections.
The condemnation of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu’s arrest and detention was strongest in cities with large numbers of Germans with Turkish roots and in those with twinning arrangements with Istanbul. The mayors of Berlin and Frankfurt who met Imamoglu last year and earlier this year, were devasted by the news and called for his immediate release.
Other German city leaders like Cologne’s Mayor Henriette Reker urged the Turkish government to respect the mayor’s democratic rights.
Statements by German mayors on the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu:
Berlin - Mayor Kai Wegner
Mayor Kai Wegner said: “I was shocked and deeply concerned to hear the news from our twin city Istanbul. Free elections and an independent judiciary are cornerstones of democracy. Berlin is committed to its long-standing partnership with Istanbul. We pledge solidarity with Ekrem Imamoglu.”
Cologne - Mayor Henriette Reker
The City of Cologne has issued a strong statement calling for the immediate release of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoglu. Cologne, which has maintained a twin-city partnership with Istanbul since 1997, joined international voices expressing concern over the detention.
Cologne’s Mayor Henriette Reker addressed a letter to the Turkish Consul General Hüseyin Kantem Al, urging the Turkish government to respect İmamoğlu’s democratic rights and ensure he receives a fair trial. “Cologne stands for democracy, the rule of law and freedom of expression,” Reker stated, adding that these values also underpin the city’s large Turkish community.
Mayor Henriette Reker wrote: “The arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu looks like an attempt by the Erdogan government to eliminate the President’s fiercest rival using the methods of an autocracy. Cologne stands in solidarity behind the freely elected leader of its twin city.”
Cologne’s city parliament also condemned the arrest, describing it as an attack on democratic principles and an alarming development for political pluralism in Turkey.
Frankfurt - Mayor Mike Josef
It is less than four weeks since Ekrem İmamoglu, the Mayor of Istanbul, visited Frankfurt. Now he has been detained in Turkey on flimsy terrorism charges, just a few days before he was due to be chosen as his party CHP's presidential candidate. This would have brought him an important step closer to his goal of replacing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the next election in 2028.
Mayor Mike Josef said: “I'm very worried about him and all the other detainees. Ekrem İmamoğlu must be released immediately.”
Wiesbaden - Mayor Gert-Uwe Mende
The Wiesbaden committee for town twinning condemned the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoglu with an urgent motion and called on all parties on the city council to do the same. Mayor Gert-Uwe Mende also attended the meeting to emphasise his administration’s position.
The motion was supported by all parties represented in the city council except the far-right AfD. It stated that the arrest was “a serious attack on democracy and the rule of law in Turkey.” “As the twin city of Istanbul's Fatih district, Wiesbaden has a special responsibility to commit itself to the values of democracy and local self-government and to support democratic forces.”
Mayor Gert-Uwe Mende said: “Wiesbaden declares its solidarity with the democratic forces in Turkey and supports the right to freedom of expression, political participation and fair elections as the cornerstones of an open and democratic society.”
Mannheim – Mayor Christian Specht
Mayor Christian Specht stated: “As the twin city of Istanbul's Beyoglu district, the cultural and social heart of the metropolis on the Bosphorus, we view the current developments in Turkey with great concern. The arrest of the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoglu, just a few days before his candidature as a presidential candidate has shaken Turkey's democratic and liberal basic order. Any attempt to silence opposition voices through legal manoeuvres undermines the basis of free and fair elections in a democratic society.”
“Mannheim stands in solidarity with Beyoglu and the city of Istanbul. We call on the Turkish government to respect the rights of democratically elected representatives and to uphold political freedom and fundamental democratic rights. This includes, in particular, respect for local self-government and the protection of the rights of democratically elected local politicians.”
Further reading: Istanbul news | Comments | Turkish women mayors |
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