The European Parliament (EP) has denounced Turkey’s removal and arrest of elected mayors, warning that the practice undermines democracy and violates fundamental rights. The resolution, backed by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from multiple political groups, calls for the immediate reinstatement of the mayors and urges Turkey to end its system of appointing unelected government trustees in their place.

The resolution was introduced on Wednesday by MEPs from the European People’s Party (EPP), Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), Renew Europe (Renew), Greens/European Free Alliance (Verts/ALE), and The Left. Key sponsors include Sebastião Bugalho (EPP), Evin Incir (S&D), Sebastian Tynkkynen (ECR), Malik Azmani (Renew), Vladimir Prebilič (Verts/ALE) and Özlem Demirel (The Left). The cross-party effort highlights growing EU concerns over Ankara’s democratic backsliding.

The crackdown has primarily targeted mayors from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party and the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). Since the 2024 local elections, at least 10 mayors have been dismissed and replaced with trustees appointed by the Turkish Interior Ministry. Among those affected is Abdullah Zeydan, the elected mayor of Van (Wan), who was removed just days after winning the election in April of 2024, and just three days ago he was sentenced to prison by the Appeal Court.

The EP resolution, debated on Wednesday and set for a vote on Thursday, marks a significant shift in EU policy, calling for immediate sanctions against Turkish officials responsible for the dismissals.

During the plenary session, multiple MEPs across party lines criticised Ankara’s increasing authoritarianism, warning that the removal of elected mayors and their replacement with government-appointed trustees undermines democratic governance and violates human rights.

The resolution, jointly tabled by major EP groups, demands the immediate reinstatement of all dismissed mayors and insists that Turkey align its practices with European legal norms, particularly those of the Council of Europe and the Venice Commission.

This is the first time that the European Parliament has called for sanctions against Turkey under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, targeting officials responsible for the crackdown.

MEPs explicitly rejected Turkey’s justification that these dismissals are part of an anti-terrorism policy, instead labelling them politically motivated actions designed to silence opposition voices.

The trustee system, first introduced after the failed coup attempt of 2016, has been used predominantly against Kurdish-led municipalities.

Reactions and speeches

MEPs argue that these dismissals violate democratic principles and disenfranchise millions of voters.

🔹 Evin Incir (S&D Group, Sweden): “Democracy is being crushed in Turkey. The EU must respond with firm action.”
🔹 Michalis Hadjipanteli (EPP, Cyprus): “Turkey is systematically arresting Kurdish mayors and moving towards dictatorship. This is an affront to human rights.”
🔹 Malik Azmani (Renew, Netherlands): “Every day, more elected politicians are imprisoned. This is unacceptable and dangerous.”
🔹 Vlademir Prebilič (Greens/EFA, Slovenia): “We are not taking sides, we are defending our fundamental values: democracy and human rights.”
🔹 Isabel Serra Sanchez (The Left, Spain): “The EU must cut financial aid to Turkey. It cannot support a regime that tramples democracy.”

The European Commissioner for Enlargement, Glenn Miccalef, also condemned Turkey’s ongoing military actions in North and East Syria (Rojava), stating:

“We want stability in Rojava, not Turkish intervention.”

EU’s proposed actions:

1️⃣ Call for immediate reinstatement: All dismissed mayors must be released and returned to office.
2️⃣ Sanctions on Turkish officials: The EP urges the European Council to impose restrictions on individuals involved in anti-democratic practices.
3️⃣ Judicial and political reforms: Turkey must comply with European legal norms, particularly the Venice Commission recommendations.
4️⃣ Conditional EU funding: Financial assistance under IPA III should be tied to democratic reforms.

The resolution is expected to pass with strong cross-party support in Thursday’s vote.

MEPs argue that these dismissals violate democratic principles and disenfranchise millions of voters. “This is a blatant attack on local democracy,” the resolution states, urging Turkey to uphold European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) rulings and restore judicial independence.

The resolution also calls on the EU to monitor Turkey’s human rights record closely and consider imposing sanctions on Turkish officials responsible for the crackdown. Additionally, lawmakers stress that financial assistance to Turkey under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III) should be conditional on respect for the rule of law.