After comments about the silence of the European Union on the detention of the Imamoglu, presidential candidate of the popular Republican Party (KSP), the main opposition party, the strongest reaction came from the European Parliament (PE), the legislative body of the Union.
Marta Kos, the European Commissioner for the Expansion, who made the introductory speech of the plenary session of the European Parliament (PE) on “democratic repressions in Turkey and the detention of the Imamoglu Ekrem”, announced the abolition of its visits to Turkey. In this context, CBS canceled his participation in the diplomatic forum of Antalya, which will be held from 11 to 13 April, and his visit to Ankara to meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan.
Kos said that “the legal intervention of Imamoglu raises serious issues at a time when he is preparing to apply for the presidency.”
“The closure of our channels and areas of cooperation will not benefit anyone, especially Turkish people who need fundamental freedoms and values, as well as the leadership of Turkey for the EU,” Kos said, adding that Turkey is a strategic partner in Europe.
“Our relations with Turkey have many other aspects that go beyond the negotiations on the EU adhesion.
Kos, who published a joint statement with the highest representative of the EU, Kaja Callas, after the detention of Imamoglu, referred to the arrests of political actors from the beginning of the year and emphasized that the arrests “raise questions about Turkey’s commitment to their long -standing democratic traditions.”
Other reactions during the PE session
The decision of the COST was also supported by members of the European Parliament.
Emmanuel Kefagnnis, the President of the war in the PE of the mixed parliamentary commission of Türkiye-Ue, announced in his speech that he would not be present at the meeting planned on April 14 and 15.
PE Rapporteur for Turkey Nachio Sanchez Amor said that he “congratulates” Martha Kos’s decision not to participate in the Antalya’s diplomatic forum and the PE decision not to participate in the CPM.
“Adhesion is a matter of democracy. Her geopolitical position in itself will not be enough to open the doors of the European Union for the Turkic. ”
Sloversky Vladimir Prebilich (green greens/European alliance) used the word and emphasized the need to send a clear message to the Turkic. Lenish Merorizer Malik Azemani from the group that renews Europe said that the EU should not be silent before the events in the Turkic.
Message thanks from Imamoglu to Europe
Imamoglu thanked Marta Kos for their solidarity with our business and for recognizing the courage of millions of young people who are fighting for a better future. ”
“The path from Turkey is checked to democracy, but the will of the people was not broken,” said Imamoglu, adding that “voices from the entire political spectrum of the European parliament were united to protect democracy, human rights and the rule of law in the Turki.”
Equilibrium act between Brussels and Ankara
The reaction of the European commission to detaining Imamoglu led to comments that the EU will follow the policy of a thorough balance in its relationship with Turkey.
Imamoglu, the president of the capital’s municipality Istanbul (IBB), was arrested on March 18, the day after his diploma from the University of Istanbul was canceled and was arrested on March 23 as a result of the investigation of corruption. On the same day, Imamoglu was declared a presidential candidate from a thermal power station with almost 15 million votes. Subsequently, he was removed from the post of IBB mayor by decision of the Ministry of the Interior. The protests caused by the detention and subsequent arrest of Imamoglu became the largest demonstrations in the Turkic for more than a decade. About 1900 people, including journalists, were arrested during protests.
In the statement, after the detention of Imamoglu, the European commission stated that serious questions were raised about the “commitment of Turkey to its established democratic traditions.” However, the commission refrained from direct condemnation.
The strategic significance of Turkey has recently been backed up by two important geopolitical events: the collapse of the Bashar al -Assad regime in Syria and negotiations begun by US President Donald Trump to put an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan showed interest in joining the coalition led by France and the United Kingdom, whose purpose is to guarantee security for Ukraine. Türkiye is seen as a key actor in this process, since it has the second largest NATO Army and takes a critical position in the Black Sea.
President Erdogan met with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, and the head of the EU foreign policy, Kaja Callas, and was informed about the results of the EU summit in Brussels.
The European Commission also plans to hold two meetings in dialogue with Turkey in the coming weeks of economics and migration.
Although he was declared a candidate for the EU in 1999, Türkiye could not advance in the process of failures in the field of democracy and fundamental rights. Since 2018, negotiations have been effectively terminated.